New Start, New Life, New York City
by StarrShyne
Summary: Detective Aurora Denton moves to NYC and becomes Flack's new partner, starts a new life with new friends. What will happen in her new life?
1. Baptism By Fire

_**Disclaimer- **CSI:NY and it characters are not my property. They belong to CBS and a bunch of other people. The original character Aurora Denton, I own._

_**Author's Note- **This story has Aiden Burn in it because I really liked her, and because I am including a lot of season one stuff in here down the road. However, it talks about recent events, so it's AU-ish. Hope everyone enjoys. Also, I am from the Pittsburgh area so the stories about the city in here are true_.

(FPPOV)

I walked into the precinct looking around for Det. Don Flack. I was supposed to meet him here and start to work. Finally I saw a tall, dark-haired man sitting at a desk with 'Det. Flack' on the name plate. I walked over to that desk.

"Detective Flack?" I asked. He looked up at me. "I'm Aurora Denton. I was told to meet you here."

"Yeah, my new partner. I've been expecting you." Flack said, standing up and extending his hand. "I've read your files. Nice to meet you. I'm Detective Don Flack."

"Same to you." I said.

"Take a seat. It's been a slow morning so far. You want some coffee?" Flack asked.

"No thanks." I said sitting down.

"The brass told me I was getting a partner a few weeks ago. I was surprised to see it was someone from outside the city." Flack said.

"I'm new to the NYPD." I said.

"I saw that. You came here from Pittsburgh. Home of the Superbowl champions." Flack smiled.

"Please don't mention that. Getting away from all that was one bonus of moving here." I smiled.

"That was a boring Superbowl, no offense." Flack said.

"None taken. I am not a Steelers fan. This girl's heart belongs to Manning and the Colts." I said. "Besides, that whole Superbowl was boring. The game and the commercials. Best part was the half-time show waiting on one of the Rolling Stones to drop dead."

Flack laughed. "Did you see Mick Jagger shaking his hips? I was waiting to hear a loud snap."

I laughed with him. "I know what you mean."

"You like sports other than football?" Flack asked.

"Of course. I love hockey, big Minnesota fan. And I love baseball but I won't mention who I cheer for there." I said.

"You're a Red Sox fan in New York?" he asked. "Good thing you carry a gun."

I laughed. "If it makes you feel better I like the Braves too." I giggled.

"I'm just so glad you're a sports fan. At least you won't be bored when I am listening to ball games during stakeouts." Flack said.

"But you have to tune into the NASCAR races too." I said.

"NASCAR? That's just a bunch of cars driving in a circle!" Flack said.

"I like it. Gordon fan since 93." I smiled.

"Just when I was starting to like you." Don smiled.

Don's phone rang. He picked it up. "Flack…..yeah…we're on our way."

Don stood up and looked at me. "Our slow morning just ended. Jogger in Central Park found a body hanging from a tree. I'm driving."

Flack put on his jacket and I followed him out of the station house.

When we arrived at the crime scene there was a uniformed officer with the jogger who was panicking.

"What can you tell us?" Flack asked the officer.

"This jogger found him here. Realized he was dead and flagged me down as I was making my rounds." He explained.

"Mounted officers in the park." Flack explained. "Any other witnesses?"

"No, I checked for a pulse, the guy is definitely dead." The mounted officer explained. I noticed his horse a few feet away.

"Okay, calm this guy down and we'll question him when he feels up to it. I'll get the perimeter secured." Flack said.

Flack and I walked over to the tree. A Caucasian male was hanging from a noose in the tree. He was fully clothed.

"Alright Denton, let's see what Pittsburgh taught you. What do you think suicide or homicide?" Flack asked me.

I walked around the body. I noticed footprints near the trunk of the tree and was careful to avoid them. I looked at the body and saw ligature marks going straight around his neck.

"Homicide. Look at the ligature marks. If he'd hung himself, the marks would be going up his neck and towards his ears. Instead they go straight around. Looks as if someone staged this to look like a suicide." I said.

Flack smiled. "We're gonna get along just fine. I'm calling the CSI team."

I smiled as Flack pulled out his cell phone and made a call. I looked to where the mounted officer was trying to calm the jogger. I had the other uniformed officers keep on-lookers away.

Soon CSI showed up, carrying their kits. Two men and a woman approached Flack and I.

"What do we got Flack?" the older, more serious looking CSI asked Flack.

"DOA, Caucasian male, looks to be between 30-35 years old. No ID found nearby, no one has touched the body. He was found like this by a jogger. Appears to be homicide." Flack said.

"Anything else?" the woman CSI asked.

"The jogger who found him is still upset; we're trying to calm him down before questioning. I noticed the ligature marks don't match how he is hanging now. I think whoever put him in the tree was trying to cover a murder." I said.

"Who are you?" the young male CSI asked.

"Sorry, I didn't introduce her before." Flack said. "This is my new partner, Detective Aurora Denton."

"Mac Taylor." The older, serious CSI said and shook my hand. "You're the one from Pittsburgh?"

"Yeah." I answered.

"Aiden Burn" the female CSI said and shook my hand. "Flack's been talking about you coming for over a week now."

"Danny Messer." The younger male CSI said and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet all of you." I said.

"Let's get to work." Mac said. "Aiden photo the scene. Danny check the body for fibers. I'm gonna make casts of these footprints."

"I'm gonna question the jogger, get his statement." I said.

Flack nodded. "Good idea. I'm gonna canvas the area, see if anyone saw something they haven't mentioned yet."

(TPPOV)

Aiden started taking pictures of the crime scene from several angles. Danny started looking over the body for any noticeable evidence.

"I saw you looking at Aurora." Aiden said to Danny.

"What? I'm a guy. I give every girl the once over." Danny shrugged with a smirk.

Aiden rolled her eyes. "You sound like Flack."

"Lucky Flack gets a cute new partner." Danny said. Aiden cleared her throat. "And I already had one."

"Finding anything?" Mac asked.

"Found a few red fibers here that were out of place." Danny said. "I'll have to see them under a microscope to know for sure what they are. There is no skin under this guy's nails."

"I don't see any signs of a struggle. This is not where he was killed." Aiden said. "You?"

"My plaster molds are hardening. There were a few footprints at the base of the tree." Mac said. "The new girl was right; those ligature marks don't match a suicide by hanging."

"How do we get him down?" Flack asked, walking back to them.

"Danny and I can take care of that. You find anything new?" Mac asked.

"As usual no one saw anything. Aurora is talking with the jogger now." Flack said.

"I'll get a body bag; we need to get this guy to Hawkes." Mac said and went to his kit.

Danny elbowed Flack. "New partner? What do you know about her?"

"Well in the few minutes I got to talk to her before the call…..she has a good sense of humor and likes sports. And so far she seems very smart and professional." Flack said. "And she's easy on the eyes."

"Remind me to warn her about you two." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"You love us." Danny told her.

"Don't remind me." Aiden winked.

"Flack, you have a thing for blondes. She's just your type." Danny elbowed Flack again.

"She's strawberry blonde." Aiden commented.

"Whatever." Danny said.

"Okay, Danny help me get this guy down." Mac said, returning with a body bag.

(FPPOV)

I walked back to the crime scene where Mac and Danny were placing the victim in a body bag.

"Hey Oreo, what'd you find out?" Danny asked.

"Aurora." I corrected. "Anyway, the jogger was just going along his daily jog route about 7:30 this morning when he found this guy hanging here. He said he thought it was a suicide and checked for a pulse in case the guy wasn't dead yet and could be saved. Said the guy was cold so he flagged down the mounted officer."

"Saw or heard nothing else?" Flack asked.

"No. I got all his information. We can run a check, but I'm willing to bet the jogger isn't involved." I answered.

"Okay, Danny you get back to the lab and test the fibers you found, see if you can find anything from the rope that will help us. Aiden, you go over the casts of shoe prints I made. Find a brand and size. Flack make sure the DOA gets to Hawkes; I'll stop in after lunch and see what Sheldon finds. Tell him we need prints to run for ID." Mac said.

"You got it." Aiden said.

"What are you gonna do?" Flack asked.

"I'm taking the new girl to lunch. I like to know who I'm working with." Mac smiled. "But I'll drop her off at the station after lunch."

I smiled. "Sounds good. Flack you need me before then?"

"If I do I'll call Mac. Make sure you give me your cell number before the end of the day." Flack said.

I nodded.

"Ready to go? You like tacos?" Mac asked me.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I said.

"Great. Let's go." I followed Mac away from the crime scene.

Mac and I ended up at a small taco shop near Central Park. After placing our orders we grabbed a small table near the window.

"So you're from Pittsburgh?" Mac asked.

"Yeah. I was born and raised in a small town outside the city." I said.

"What made you leave?" Mac asked.

I sighed. "The Pittsburgh PD was too full of scandal, too many crooks. Officers suffocated a man during a traffic stop and no charges were brought. At the county jail, cops were trading drugs for sexual favors from female inmates and just a few were made scapegoats and charged. I'd always managed to avoid all that and just focus on my job….one day I just couldn't take it anymore."

"What happened?" Mac asked.

"The small town I was from….didn't even have stoplights, just stop signs, a few convenient stores and a municipal building. One of the township officers raped a woman in the police station……and right after that it was found that the sheriff had lied on his resume and wasn't who he said he was. I just wanted out." I said.

"Why New York?" Mac asked.

"I've heard the NYPD is the finest in the country. I wanted a new start." I said.

"You came to the right place. I think you're going to love it here. And I think you're going to be a great addition." Mac smiled.

"Thank you. I'm really glad to be here. I'm all settled into my new apartment." I said.

"Where do you live at?" Mac asked as our food was served.

"Manhattan. I couldn't decide between Manhattan and Brooklyn, but found a place that allows pets in Manhattan and that made up my mind for me." I said.

"What do you do in your spare time?" Mac asked.

"This is like an interrogation." I said.

"I said I wanted to get to know you." Mac smiled.

"Well as Flack found out earlier, I love sports. And I love to dance. You'll have to tell me which clubs have the best reputations, so I don't end up in one in the red light district by mistake." I smiled. "What about you? What do you do to relax?"

"I rarely have time to relax." Mac said. "You married?"

"No, not yet. Still waiting on Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet." I smiled and Mac smiled too. "How about you? You married?"

Mac looked at me a moment. "My wife was killed in the Trade Center on 9/11."

"I am so sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." I said.

"It's fine. I brought it up in the first place; you were just getting to know me, like I'm getting to know you." Mac assured me.

After lunch Mac dropped me off at the station and went onto the ME's office. Flack was waiting inside for me.

"Find anything new?" I asked him.

"Waiting for results on prints now. Hawkes was able to lift them from our DOA." Flack said.

"Hawkes the medical examiner?" I asked.

"Yes, I am so sorry. I keep forgetting you're new to the department." Flack said. "They got a desk ready for you." Flack indicated across the aisle from his. "How was lunch with Mac?"

"Great…he is really nice. I like him and think he'll be great to work with." I said.

Flack smiled. "Also, our DOA was killed by manual strangulation as you predicted. Hawkes says the time of death was most likely around midnight and the man was hung in the tree in the early morning hours."

"Explains why no one saw anything. Messer found some fibers and Mac found footprints, hopefully that will lead us to somewhere." I said.

Flack's phone rang. While he answered it, I went to my new desk. It was supplied with the basics. I made a note to myself to buy some cheerful stationary and bring a few pictures in.

"That was Mac. We identified the corpse through prints." Flack said.

"Who was he?" I asked.

"Ross Black from Staten Island. 33 years old, worked at a warehouse in the Bronx. Married, no children." Flack said.

"Why was he in the system?" I asked.

"Apparently got in some mild trouble as a kid, drunken driving arrest at 19 and nothing since then." Flack said. "We gotta go talk to his widow."

"You driving?" I asked.

"Might as well, you're still getting familiar with the area." Flack smiled.

Flack and I drove to Staten Island to the home of Ross Black. We walked up the front stairs and knocked on the door. After a few minutes a woman opened the door.

"Mrs. Black?" Flack asked and the woman nodded. "NYPD, I'm Detective Flack this is my partner Detective Denton; we need to speak with you."

The woman let us into her home.

"Mrs. Black, when was the last time you saw your husband Ross?" I asked.

"Yesterday morning, when he left for work." She answered.

"And you haven't been worried that he hasn't been home in over a day?" Flack asked.

"Not really, we weren't getting along lately. Why, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Mrs. Black, I'm very sorry, but Ross was found dead in Central Park this morning." I said.

She blinked a few times. "What happened?"

"He was murdered." Flack said. "Do you know of anyone that would want to kill your husband?"

"No, he was a good man." She said.

"Where were you last night around midnight?" I asked.

"Home." She said.

"Can anyone verify your alibi?" Flack asked.

"No…..wait I called my sister around 11:30 last night. She hasn't felt well and I was checking on her." Mrs. Black said.

"We'll check your alibi and let you know if we find anything." Flack said.

Don and I walked out of her house and down the sidewalk.

"You believe her?" Flack said.

"She certainly isn't a grieving widow. She took the news that her husband was dead better than I did the NHL strike." I said.

Flack smiled. "We'll check the phone records and see what we get. Let's head back to the lab and see what CSI has for us."

Flack and I drove back to the lab. Inside we saw Aiden and Danny working.

"Hey Flack, Cinderella." Danny said.

"Aurora." I said.

"I knew it was one of the Disney Princesses." Danny smirked.

"And how do you know about Disney Princesses?" I asked him with a smirk of my own.

Aiden laughed. "Ohhhh, I like her."

Flack snickered.

"Hey cut me a break. I dated a girl who liked Disney movies." Danny said.

"Sure!" I winked.

Aiden threw an arm around my shoulder. "Aurora, let me help you out here. First of all, never believe anything Messer or Flack tells you."

"Hey!" Flack and Danny said in unison.

Aiden giggled. "They're great guys when you get to know them, but they'll drive you crazy."

"Anyways, Aurora and I just came from talking to the widow of Ross Black. She doesn't seem too emotional and was no help. Mac is checking her alibi now. What do you guys have?"

"The fibers I found are cotton, most consistent with that used for flannel. Most likely from a shirt or coat." Danny said.

"The prints Mac found are from Addidas running shoes, size 10." Aiden said.

Mac walked into the lab. "Mrs. Black's alibi checks out. Phone records show a call to her sister from 11:33PM to 12:07AM." Mac said.

"I think we should go to Ross Black's place of employment, see if his co-workers know anything that could help." I said.

"You read my mind." Flack said.

"Danny and I will come with you to help with interviews. Aiden, stay here and help Stella with her case from Queens." Mac said.

"Let's go." Flack said.

"New girl rides with me." Danny said and threw his arm around my shoulder. "Whatta you say Ardelia?"

"Aurora." I said. "And that's fine with me."

Mac raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Danny and I got in an SVU and followed Mac and Flack to the Bronx.

"So Gardenia, tell me about yourself." Danny said as we drove.

"Aurora…why are you having such a hard time with that?" I asked.

"Because it's an odd name. How did you get it?" Danny asked.

"It's a long story. My grandfather was a World War II vet who was in love with the Andrews Sisters who entertained troops with the USO. They had a song called 'Aurora' and he loved it." I explained.

"That's actually a nice story." Danny smiled. "And the name suits you."

We pulled up at the warehouse. Danny and I joined Mac and Flack at the doors.

"Danny and Aurora, you take the morning shift. Flack and me will take the afternoon shift. We got here at a good time, changing shifts." Mac said.

Danny and I went off in the direction opposite of Mac and Flack. We talked to a few people, none of which knew why anyone would want to kill Ross Black. A few pointed us in the direction if his best friend who might help us more.

"Bill Thomas." Danny said when we found who was said to be Ross's best friend.

"Yes, can I help you?" he said.

"NYPD, I'm Detective Aurora Denton, this is Detective Danny Messer. We'd like to ask you a few questions about Ross Black." I said.

"Is he in some kind of trouble?" Bill asked.

"We're sorry to be the ones to tell you this but Ross is dead. He was found murdered this morning." Danny said.

"Ross is dead? Murdered?" Bill asked.

"Mr. Thomas, do you know of anyone who would have a reason to hurt Ross?" I asked.

"No, he kept to himself, worked hard." Bill said.

"Anyone have a beef with him?" Danny asked.

"No, he didn't have any enemies that I know of." Bill said.

I looked down. Bill was wearing Addidas shoes that had streaks of mud on them.

"Mr. Thomas, those are nice shoes. Are they running shoes?" I asked.

"Yeah, they're comfortable to work in." he said.

"What size are they?" Danny asked.

"10, why?" Bill asked.

"Mr. Thomas, where were you last night around midnight?" I asked.

"Home." He said.

"Can anyone verify that?" I asked.

"No, I live alone." He said. "What is the problem?"

"You need to come with us. We have some things we need to discuss." Danny said.

"What is this about?" Bill asked.

"Your shoes are the brand and size of the shoe prints were found by Ross's body." I said.

"Lots of guys in New York wear these shoes in this size." Bill protested.

"They're muddy, and you know the victim." Danny said.

(Station)

Danny and I stood outside the interrogation room. Mac was working on Bill Thomas's shoes, comparing them to the prints he'd taken earlier. Flack was working on getting a warrant for Thomas's home.

"Think he's our guy?" Danny asked.

"I think so, but there is no motive right now is what's bothering me. I mean why kill his best friend?" I asked.

"People can do anything to anyone…I've learned that." Danny said.

"Let's see what we can get him to tell us." I said and walked into the interrogation room.

"Can I go now?" Mr. Thomas asked.

"Not yet. Let's talk about Ross Black." I said.

"I told you. I don't know anything about his murder." Thomas said.

"Did you know his wife?" I asked.

"Celia, I met her a few times." Thomas said.

"Anyone have a problem with her? Want to send her a message?" Danny asked.

"I don't know her that well. She and Ross have been having problems lately." Thomas said.

"So I've heard. Think she had it in her to kill him?" I asked.

"NO! I don't think so." Thomas said.

"Ross have any other family you knew?" I asked.

There was a knock on the door, Danny went to answer it.

"I didn't know any of Ross's family." Thomas said.

"Did you ever know of Ross to do drugs? Frequent hookers? Anything that would lead to his murder?" I asked.

"No, I've told you I don't know anything." Thomas said.

Danny walked back in. "I just talked to my boss and guess what? Your shoes are an exact match to the shoeprints we found next to Ross Black's body. How do you explain that?"

"I can't." he said.

"Wear pattern is the same and doesn't lie." Danny said.

"Don get the warrants he wanted?" I asked Danny.

"Yeah, Flack and Mac are on their way to Mr. Thomas' house as we speak." Danny said.

"Mr. Thomas, anything you'd like to tell us?" I asked.

"No." he said and looked away.

"Listen, right now the one thing you have on your side is you can cooperate with us. We have a match of your shoes. And after searching your house we're going to have your flannel shirt that left red fibers on Ross's body and we'll match that. You cooperate with us now, it'll make things easier." Danny said.

"What happened Mr. Thomas?" I asked.

His shoulders slouched. "I've been seeing Celia for a few months. I loved her, I wanted to marry her……but Ross wouldn't grant a divorce."

"You're dating your best friend's wife?" Danny asked.

"It just happened." Thomas said. "Anyways, last night Ross and I went out for a drink. I tried to talk him into divorcing Celia but he wouldn't hear of it. She was miserable and he wouldn't sign the divorce papers."

"So you two got in a fight?" I asked.

"Not in the bar, but when we left the bar….I was so angry. I thought if I could get him out of the picture, Celia and I could be together." Thomas said.

"So you killed Ross to get his wife." Danny said.

"Yes, I found some rope from work in my truck. I snuck up on him behind the bar and strangled him." Thomas said and slouched more.

"Then you took him to Central Park and tried to make it look like a suicide." I said.

"I just wanted to be with Celia…he wouldn't let me have her." Thomas protested.

"And you still won't." I said.

(Bar, 9:00PM)

After we had wrapped up at the station, Flack invited me to join him and his friends for a drink.

"Have a good first day?" Mac asked me.

"It was good. Solved a case." I said. "With your help."

"Mac, she's a great partner. She thinks like me." Flack said.

"God help us all." Aiden said.

"I think she's gonna work out great. I'm glad she's my new partner." Flack smiled at me.

"Thanks. I feel the same way." I said.

"She's tough in interrogation." Danny saluted me with his beer. "Way to go Isabella."

"AURORA" Mac, Flack and Aiden all said.

Danny smirked. "I know, I just like giving her a hard time." Danny winked at me.

A girl with curly hair joined our table. "Sorry I'm late. Had to finish reports." She said.

"Stella, this is Flack's new partner Aurora Denton. Aurora this is another of my staff, Stella Bonasera." Mac said.

"Nice to meet you" I said to Stella.

"Aurora, what a pretty name for such a pretty girl." Stella smiled.

"Thank you, you're so sweet." I said.

"What's your middle name? I'm curious what your mother chose to go with such a pretty name." Stella asked.

"Dawn." I said.

Danny starting laughing. "Aurora Dawn Denton…..your initials are ADD."

Aiden rolled her eyes. "Grow up."

"I'm just amused…and I have something to pick on her about." Danny smirked.

"Next round is on me." Stella said and we all started ordering a new round of drinks.

"Want me to take you home when we leave? Make sure you get home safe?" Flack asked me.

I smiled. "Thanks, I'd like that." I said.


	2. Just A Big Misunderstanding

_Emador- Thank you as always for the help. And thank you for being one of the reasons I even started this story! _

_Meadow567- I don't like Lindsay. I doubt I'll include her in this story. I liked Aiden so much better. And since this is fanfic, I can make people come and go as I please. Now if only real life was so simple! LOL_

_BongoBaby- I love the Colts too. I even like the Titans even though they never win! LOL And I am a HUGE Jeff Gordon fan. I like Jimmie Johnson too! _

_**Spoilers- **"Blood, Sweat, and Tears"_

I started to walk into the station, but Flack met me at the door, he was on his way out.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Just got a call from an apartment building super. One of his tenants is hollering that there is blood seeping through the ceiling from the apartment above." Flack said. "We gotta roll. I called CSI; Messer will meet us there as soon as he can."

"Glad I brought coffee." I smiled and followed Flack to one of the SUV's.

"Me too. Wasn't it my turn to buy coffee?" Flack asked.

"I couldn't remember so I figured I'd grab some. I was up early this morning." I said and buckled my seatbelt.

In the two weeks I'd been Don Flack's partner, he and I had become good friends and settled into a working routine. I'd also become friends with the CSI investigators we worked with. I was really starting to enjoy my new job.

"Tomorrow morning I'll buy doughnuts and coffee." Flack smiled as I handed him his coffee.

"You just want to flirt with that redhead at Starbuck's." I giggled.

"I don't have the hots for her or anything. But flirting with her pays off; she gives me a discount even when my card isn't fully punched." Flack said.

"Does flirting in New York City always get discounts?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but with your pretty smile I'm sure it'd work for you." Flack said.

"Aren't you the charming one this morning?" I said sarcastically.

Flack shrugged and drove on.

When we pulled up in front of the apartment building, the supervisor was waiting for us at the building office. Flack and I went into talk with him. It didn't take long to realize we were probably dealing with a serious situation.

"Who lives in the apartment in question?" I asked.

"Paige Worthy." The super said.

"Any problems with her?" I asked.

"No. She kept to herself a lot." He answered.

"And when was the last time you saw Ms. Worthy?" I asked.

"Maybe a week ago, it's been awhile." He answered.

"We're gonna need keys to the apartment that the blood is coming from. I have uniformed officers on their way; they'll be around the building." Flack said.

The building super nodded and handed us the spare key.

I followed Flack to the 5th floor and the apartment the super had directed us to. Flack pounded on the door.

"NYPD!" he called out. There was no response.

"Ready?" Flack asked. I drew my gun and nodded. Flack pulled his gun and unlocked the door.

Slowly we made our way inside the apartment. "NYPD!" I called out, no one answered.

I looked down and saw a large pool of blood. "Flack, we got blood, lots of it." I said.

Flack nodded. "Messer will be busy when he gets here. I'm gonna check the other rooms."

Don walked room to room, gun drawn checking for anyone who might be hiding in the apartment. Finally he walked back out to the main room.

"No one's here. The place is secure." Flack said and put his gun away.

"I'm gonna question the neighbors and get the officers to secure the area. I'll send Danny in when he gets here." I said.

I stepped into the hall and knocked on a few doors. All the neighbors said the same thing- that they had not seen Paige for over a week.

"Hey Anita." I heard Danny down the hall.

"Aurora…..Messer, I've been here two weeks, must you keep doing that?" I asked.

"Would you rather I call you ADD?" he smirked.

"You do anyways." I laughed.

"What do we have?" Danny asked.

I pointed to the apartment Flack was still in. "Lots of blood, Don will fill you in. I'm questioning neighbors."

Danny nodded and walked into the apartment. I knocked on a few more doors, but everyone's story was the same. No one saw or heard anything unusual.

I walked back into the apartment. "Same story from all the neighbors. No one has seen Paige in over a week." I told Flack

"Danny tested the blood, its human." Flack said.

"Anyone who loses this much blood has to be dead." I said.

"Messer said the same thing. This is a picture of Paige…turns out she's a former Miss Iowa." Flack said. "The rest of the apartment seems to be in order."

"Any sign of a body?" I asked.

"No, but I don't think you can get a body down five flights of stairs and out of the building without someone seeing you." Flack said.

"I agree. Messer, what do you got?" I asked.

"Let's look around. See what we find." Messer said.

Danny walked towards the bathroom. "Shower curtain is missing."

"That could be used to wrap a body in." I said.

"Denton, go check the bedroom, see if anything is out of place or if anything would mention where else she might be." Messer told me.

"Got it." I said.

I walked into the bedroom. Everything was in order, neat and clean. The bed was made. Pictures were on the nightstand. Make-up covered the dresser.

"Fridge is full." Flack called out.

"Bedroom is in order. No notes, addresses or phone numbers lying around." I said and walked back into the main room.

"I got multiple prints on the doorknob." Danny said.

"Single woman in the city, that could be a boyfriend." Flack said.

I nodded in agreement. I saw Danny collecting a sample of some brown substance on the floor.

"Dried blood?" Flack asked.

"I don't know. Might not even be related to the case." Danny said.

Danny looked across the floor. "There is a blood trail; gravitational drops. Killer moved the body." Danny said.

Flack and I followed Danny as he followed the trail of blood out of the apartment into the hallway. Danny follows the blood to the garbage chute. There is blood on the handle.

"Killer threw something away." Danny said.

"Aurora, get uniforms on the other floors." Flack told me.

I did as Flack said, putting officers on every floor at the door to the garbage chute. I was about to head back upstairs when Flack and Danny came down the stairs.

"She's stuck in the chute. We're trying to find the closest point to her." Flack said.

"Uniforms are on every floor to keep more garbage from being thrown onto our victim and to keep anything form being tampered with." I said. Flack nodded as Danny went to open the door to the chute on this floor.

Danny opened the door and flinched back. I could see a blur in wrapped in a shower curtain. Danny asked for the picture and Flack handed it to him. He holds the picture up next to the body. He looks back at us and shakes his head……it's not Paige Worthy.

(Medical Examiner's Office)

Danny and I Walked in together to see Hawkes. Flack was going to try tracking down Paige Worthy.

"So Delilah…Mac tells me you left Pittsburgh because there were a lot of dirty cops." Danny said.

"Aurora." I corrected and rolled my eyes as Danny smirked. "And yes."

"Afraid they'd find out about you?" Danny winked.

"Yeah that was the whole problem." I said sarcastically.

"You getting settled in?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I am really starting to love it here." I smiled.

"That's good. We're getting pretty used to having you around…..although it means Aiden has an ally against me now." Danny smiled.

"Hey, you got Don." I laughed.

"Let's see what Hawkes has for us, hopefully some good news." Danny said as we walked into the morgue.

"You identify her yet?" Hawkes asked us.

"No, the blood in the apartment was hers but right now she is still a Jane Doe." Danny said.

"Make that Mrs. Jane Doe. I found these on her hand." Hawkes said and handed Danny wedding rings.

"Small diamond." I commented.

"That's not all her hands told me." Hawkes turned over one of her hands.

"Defense wounds." Danny commented.

"I got skin from under her nails, sent it over to DNA. I ran a rape kit. No signs of sexual assault." Hawkes said.

"Cause of death?" Danny asked.

"She was stabbed. And from the pattern and shape of the wounds, I'd suggest a small weapon. Whatever it was severed the femoral artery; she bled out." Hawkes explained.

"The sick bastard sat and watched her bleed out." Danny said.

"I also found her nose had been broken and healed. She has several healed fractures and her front teeth are capped." Hawkes said.

"She was a battered wife." I said.

"Broken noses and capped teeth are always signs of that." Danny said.

Danny and I walked out of the morgue.

"Whoever this woman is, her husband is a sick son of a bitch." I said.

"I can't stand these guys who abuse women." Danny muttered.

"And to have bought her such a cheap diamond." I said.

"You and Aiden think so much alike it's scary. That's something she'd say." Danny shook his head with a slight smile.

"I want a diamond so big I have to insure my finger." I said.

Danny snorted as my cell phone rang. "Denton." I answered.

"Aurora, it's me. Look I found where this Paige Worthy spends a lot of her time. Apparently she is a writer. Also, I ran her credit card records and for the past few weeks she's been staying at a hotel." Flack said.

"Where do you want me and Danny to meet you?" I asked.

Flack told me the address. "We'll be right there." I said and hung up.

"Let's roll Dan-o!" I said.

"After you ADD." Danny shot back.

Danny drove us across town to the address Flack had given us. Flack was pulling up at the same time.

"Find out anything from Hawkes?" Flack asked.

"Still no ID. Found wedding rings and signs of her being abused. Found skin under her nails, Hawkes sent them to DNA. No sign of rape." Danny told him.

"That's her trying to get a cab." I said, spotting Paige ahead of us.

"That how they do it in the mid-west?" Flack yelled.

"I just want a cab; I don't have time to talk." Paige said.

"Make time. This is Danny Messer, Crime Scene Investigation. My partner Detective Aurora Denton, I'm Detective Don Flack, Homicide." Flack said.

"What's this all about?" she asked.

"Do you know this woman?" Danny asked and handed her the picture from the morgue.

"That's Lita Cartey. We pledged together at Grinnell." Paige said. "She needed a place to stay for a few days."

"You've been staying at a hotel for 2 weeks." Flack said. "We looked at your credit card records."

"Lita said she needed a place to crash that turned into three weeks. I had no problem with Lita; it was that delinquent she was married to." Paige said.

"What was the problem with him?" I asked.

"Always calling, demanding to talk to her." Paige said. "I lose track of time when I'm writing. I thought Lita would be fine, I didn't know she was dead."

"What's the husband's name?" I asked.

"Jason Cartey." Paige said.

"Thanks, you can go. But your apartment will be a crime scene for a few days." Danny told her.

Flack and I picked up Jason Cartey and brought him to the station. We had his records pulled. Turns out Lita had filed 3 reports against him

I stood outside the interrogation room while Danny and Flack questioned him.

"Big guy like you beating up on a little woman, that must make you feel great." Danny said with sarcasm.

"I never hit her." Jason said.

"Two broken noses, capped teeth…" Danny said.

"Lita filed 3 reports against you." Flack said.

"I couldn't beat Lita. She was educated, pretty. I had to beg her to marry me." Jason insisted.

"So you beat her to make her afraid to leave you." Flack said.

"No!" Jason insisted.

"If you couldn't have her than no one else could." Danny said.

"I didn't kill her. I haven't seen her in weeks." Jason said,

"So your prints aren't going to match the ones we pulled off the doorknob, that's what you're telling me?" Danny asked.

Jason sighed. "I went to talk to her, but she wouldn't let me in. I know what she's like when she gets depressed. She closes everyone out…….I'm not a criminal."

"Yes you are. We just have to figure out what kind." Flack said.

Danny and Flack walked out of the interrogation room.

"Think he's telling the truth?" I asked.

"He abused her…chances are he took it too far." Danny said. "I'm headed back to the lab. I'll call you if I find anything."

Danny walked away. I sighed and looked at Jason sitting in the interrogation room.

"As many cases as I've handled, I'll never understand why men abuse women. The person they claim to love and they hurt them." I said.

"Men like him don't deserve a beautiful, good woman." Flack said.

I sighed and shook my head. "Let's grab a late lunch. I'm starving."

(Later)

"Yeah, thanks Danny." I hung up my cell phone.

"What's the news?" Flack asked.

"Well the brown stuff on the floor of the apartment is something called Loomi. It's made from limes." I said.

"And?" Flack asked.

"DNA under Lita's nails does not match her husband. Guess he was telling the truth." I sighed.

"Damn…I was sure he was our guy." Flack said.

I stood up and walked and sat on the edge of Don's desk.

"This is frustrating. It's like Danny said, the answer is right in front of us, but we can't see it." I said.

Flack leaned back in his chair. "Messer frustrated too?"

"Yeah. I just don't get it. We have an abused woman locked in an apartment. Her husband's prints on the doorknob…but the DNA under her nails isn't his." I sighed.

"We'll figure it out." Flack said and patted my hand.

"I just want justice for this woman. To finally get away from an abusive husband just to be murdered by someone else…it's so unfair. Death is always unfair." I said.

Don leaned back and looked up at me. "Why did you become a detective Aurora? What made you want to be in law enforcement?"

I looked at Don. "When I was a junior in high school…my little hometown outside of Pittsburgh had its first big murder in three or four years. A woman had kept her little girl locked in the closet for eight years. The little girl was tiny, sickly, not fed but every now and then. Sometimes she'd drink out of the toilet. She finally starved to death. Her mom then dumped her out across the state line in West Virginia and told police the little girl was kidnapped from a mall. When the truth finally hit….God that was a horrible thing."

Don closed his eyes in understanding.

"That murder made me want to be a detective. Every cop and such says they got into law enforcement because they wanted to serve their community, blah blah blah. I really did. I wanted to help those who were innocent and victims." I said. "Whenever I get discouraged I think of that little murdered girl….little Tausha."

"What ever happened to the mother?" Don asked.

"She's on Pennsylvania's death row. Last October Governor Rendell signed her death warrant. But she received a stay of execution pending more appeals." I said.

Don smiled and took my hand. "You're a great detective. Everyday you help the innocent and the victims."

"Thank you." I smiled.

Don's cell rang. "Flack." He answered. "We're on our way."

"What's up?" I asked.

"That was Messer. He wants to go over Worthy's apartment again. See if there is something we missed or will see in a new way now." Flack said, grabbing his coat.

"Let's go." I said.

(Apartment Building)

Don and I met Danny at the apartment.

"There has to be something we missed." Danny said.

"Let's look around." Flack said.

We headed to the kitchen. Flack opened the refrigerator.

"That is full of food." I said.

"Paige hasn't been here in weeks. So Lita had to buy all that food, but she doesn't leave the apartment." Danny said.

"Danny this is New York City, you can have anything delivered. Groceries, dry-cleaning, food. If at 3:15 in the morning I have a jonesing for meatball sandwich. Deli takes care if it for me." Flack said.

"Jonesing?" I asked. "What kind of word is that?"

"They don't have 'jonesing' in Pittsburgh?" Flack smirked.

I rolled my eyes and looked through a cabinet.

"I think Lita was jonesing for something with Loomi. This is almost empty." Danny held up a spice jar.

"I got an invoice here from a market. Lita signed for the order, charged it to Paige's account." Flack said.

"We have to find who made that delivery." I said.

Danny, Don and I rode to the market together and went to speak to the manager.

"NYPD, we need some information." I flashed my badge.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"We need to know who made the last delivery to the apartment of Paige Worthy." I asked.

"Let me get my schedule." He said and grabbed a clipboard. "Yeah here it is….Eric Slovenski."

"Do you know where we can find him?" Flack asked.

"Out back, loading up the trucks." The manager said.

"Thank you." I said. Danny and Don were already on their way to the back.

We stood watching the men load the trucks. Slovenski kept looking at us nervously.

"We better move before he books." Flack said.

(Station)

"Okay Eric, why don't you tell us about Lita Cartey?" I said.

Flack and I had Eric in the interrogation room. Danny was running tests on the knife we had found in Eric's pocket. Eric had told us two different stories already.

"I already told you all I know." Eric said.

"First you told us you delivered the groceries and left. Then you told us she had you in for a few minutes while she looked for a tip for you. Now which is it?" Flack asked.

There was a knock at the door. I got up and went outside. Danny was waiting with a few folders.

"What did the tests show?" I asked.

"It's Lita's blood on his knife. He's our guy." Danny said.

"You go talk to him." I told Danny. "He's gave us two different stories."

I watched as Danny walked into the interrogation room.

"While you were tying to get your story straight, I ran some tests. It's Lita Cartey's blood on your knife." Danny said.

"She ordered a lot from the store. About $100 a week." Flack said.

"You spilled Loomi on the floor." Danny said.

"She didn't mind. She liked having me there." Eric said.

"Wait, that was your way of hitting on her? You were flirting?" Flack said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I delivered to her apartment all the time. My boss sent me there. She must've been requesting me." Eric said.

"You thought she liked you?" Danny asked.

"Ever think you were misreading the situation? That she just wasn't into you?" Flack asked.

"When you did realize it, you got angry and stabbed her." Danny said.

"It was an accident." Eric insisted.

"She was bleeding and you didn't call for help!" Flack yelled.

"Someone was there…a man, trying to get in. When he left it was too late." Eric said.

"So you just threw her away?" Danny asked.

"What else could I do?" Eric asked.

Danny shook his head in disgust. I breathed a sigh of relief that we solved the case. Danny and Don walked out and shut the door.

"Can you believe this guy?" Don asked.

"He killed that girl just because he misunderstood kindness as flirting." I said and shook my head.

"I am encouraging the DA to get the maximum possible. He doesn't deserve a plea bargain. Even if it was an accident, he could've got her help." Flack said.

"I'm glad we got him." Danny said. "Annette, you wanna grab a cup of coffee with Flack and me?"

"I don't know about Annette, but Aurora does." I smiled at him and he winked at me.

"Let's go. There is a nice place across the street." Flack said.

We grabbed our jackets and walked across the street to the small coffee shop. Aiden was in a booth, sipping a cup of tea.

"Hey Aiden, what are you doing here?" I asked and sat beside her.

"Finished up at the lab, wanted to relax." She said.

"Tough case?" Flack asked.

"Stella and Mac were working on a case from the circus. I helped out." Aiden said.

"The circus?" I asked.

"Yeah, the Polar Bears found a kid in a box at the beach this morning. Turns out he was a contortionist with the circus. He killed himself by suffocation and his girlfriend dragged him to the beach. They'd made a Romeo and Juliet pact but she didn't keep her half." Aiden said.

"That's so sad. They must've loved each other a lot." I said.

"Great, now these girls are gonna get sappy and start in on star-crossed lovers and shit." Danny said.

"Shut up, Messer." Aiden said and Danny rolled his eyes.

"Must have been true love." I said.

"You believe in true love?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, don't you?" I asked her.

"Yeah." Aiden smiled.

"I'm gonna gag." Flack said.

Aiden and I chuckled at the guys.

"It's okay Don…I'll always love you." I said.

Don raised his eyebrow at me and I smiled.

"That leaves me with Messer over there." Aiden pretended to pout.

"He's all yours." I laughed.

"I'm so unappreciated." Danny smirked.


	3. Back to the 80's

_Pnkrckprncss- I like Danny's attitude, although I still liked Aiden better. I tried to update quick, so hope you enjoy it! _

_Emador- Again, thank you so much for all your help. You're just fabulous._

_Meadow567- I am not crazy about the circus part of it, but like the murdered woman story. There are a few I don't like but will be working with. _

(TPPOV)

"Man today was a long day." Aurora sighed and sat on the edge of Aiden's desk in the crime lab.

"It was. TGIF right?" she smiled.

"For real. After a day of dealing with teenagers killing each other as part of a high school hazing, I am ready to relax and have fun." Aurora smiled. "I wanna dance, where would you suggest?"

"Right here, I'll get a radio." Danny smirked.

"Cute, Messer." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"There is a place in Queens that does an 80's night every Friday. They play all 80's music, show 80's movies on the TV; it's pretty nice." Aiden said.

"80's! Really?" Aurora jumped off the desk and nearly squealed.

"Now look what you've made Anna do." Danny said to Aiden.

Aurora rolled her eyes at Danny. "Aiden, you wanna come with me? I'm still new to the area and don't wanna go alone." Aurora asked.

"Sure, I'd love to go. I've been to 80's night a few times. It's fun." Aiden said.

"That's great." Aurora said and hugged Aiden. In the month since Aurora had been working with the NYPD, Aiden and her had become best friends.

"Messer, you're my date tonight." Aiden told him.

"I never said I wanted to go 80's dancing." Danny said.

"Like you have something better to do than spend the evening with two gorgeous women." Aiden rolled her eyes. "You're coming."

"How do you know I don't have some hot date?" Danny asked.

"You do, me" Aiden told him.

About that time Don Flack walked into the lab. He'd just finished going over a few things with Mac.

Aurora ran over and hugged him tight, kissing his cheek. "Don is my date tonight." She said.

"What?" Don was confused.

"We're all going out tonight. Danny is Aiden's date so you get to be mine." Aurora told him.

"Don run, I think it's too late for me." Danny said and Aiden narrowed her eyes at him.

"Where do the girls want to go?" Don asked Danny.

"Dancing at some club that does an 80's night." Danny said.

"Aurora, how do you know I don't have a date already for the night?" Don asked her.

"Because in the past two weeks we've had so many cases the only women you've seen is me, Aiden and Stella. And of course the Starbucks girl you flirt with for discounts." Aurora said. "So unless you have to pick Stella up in an hour, you're my 'date'."

Flack raised an eyebrow at her.

"Might as well go Flack. Besides, Aurora would be the hottest date you've had in months." Danny snickered.

"Hey! Laci wasn't so bad." Flack protested.

"She was rude, bossy and conceited even though she had nothing to be conceited about." Danny told him.

"Well……you're right about Laci, but you haven't exactly been dating Stacey Keibler lately either." Flack said.

"If we can get away from the hounds you two date." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Besides Don, you can keep an eye on me. I might be an easy target being new to the city." Aurora pretended to look innocent.

"But you carry a gun!" Flack protested.

"Not to dance. Gets in the way of my grinding action!" Aurora said shook her hips to music in her head.

"Flack, she grinds…be her date." Danny winked.

Aurora laid her head on Don's shoulder and batted her eyes at him. "Please Donald." She said in a baby voice.

"Can't say no to eyes like that." Don sighed. "Alright, there are worse things the girls could want us to do."

Aurora laughed. "My first 'date' in New York City and its Don."

"That makes you the luckiest woman in the city." Don smirked.

"No, Aiden's the luckiest woman in the city." Danny puffed out his chest.

Aurora and Aiden looked at each other and made faces.

"Look at the bright side Don, get a few drinks in the girls and they might start making out with each other." Danny said.

The girls turned and looked at him.

"What? It'd be hot. Don't you agree Flack?" Danny asked. Flack held up his hands but was smiling.

"When do you want to head out?" Aiden asked.

"I need a shower." Danny said.

"Me too." Flack said.

"So we all shower and dress in the locker room and head out when we're done?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, I got some casual clothes here." Danny said.

"Come on Aiden; let's get showered so I have time to do my hair." Aurora said.

"Now they're gonna shower together." Don winked at Danny.

"You two are trying to make this night into 'NYPD Girls Gone Wild'." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Sounds good to me." Danny said.

(Locker room)

"Aiden, do you have some extra hairspray. With my hair so long and curly, I go through hairspray so fast." Aurora said.

"Oh sure, it's on the top shelf of my locker, grab what you need." Aiden said.

"We're not really making the guys do something they don't want to, are we?" Aurora asked. "I mean, they don't have to go if they don't want."

"Oh sweetie, those two are the greatest guys in the city along with Mac. We hang out all the time. Danny is my 'date' more than he has real dates." Aiden said.

"Still, I don't want them to think I am pushy or anything. I mean, I like them a lot and enjoy working with them." Aurora said.

"They like you. Danny the other day was saying a few nice things about you. And why do you think he keeps calling you the wrong name." Aiden laughed. "And Flack likes you too. Otherwise he wouldn't take you home every night to be sure your safe. Danny doesn't even do that for me."

Aiden and Aurora stepped in front of the full length mirror to check their looks one last time. Aiden was dressed in black dress pants and shirt with her hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Aurora wearing jeans, a low cut yellow top and her long strawberry blonde hair down.

"We look too good for them." Aiden joked.

Aurora giggled. "We should go before they come in looking for us."

Aiden and Aurora found Danny and Don waiting for them in the beak room. Both of them freshly shower. Don wearing jeans and a blue shirt, untucked. Danny in jeans and a brown long-sleeve t-shirt.

"Ready to go?" Don asked.

"Yeah, how far is this place Aiden?" Aurora asked.

"Won't take too long to get there." Aiden said.

(Club)

The four walked into the club Aiden had talked about. 'Footloose' was playing and people were dancing and 'Say Anything' was playing on the TV's around the club.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Danny asked. "This is like that 80's café in one of the 'Back to the Future' movies."

"This is awesome." Aurora said. "Aiden this was a great idea."

"Is Boy George here too?" Don asked, looking around.

"Didn't he just get arrested for heroine possession?" Aiden asked.

"Man, 80's music was horrible!" Danny said.

"Oh come on, you had to like some kind of music from the 80's?" Aurora asked.

"Let's get a table." Don said. "I see an empty one near the dance floor."

The group made their way to the open table and sat down. Aiden and Danny on one side, Aurora and Don on the other.

"I like the 80's memorabilia they decorate with." Aiden said.

"Me too. I think I saw USA jersey from the Miracle team back there." Aurora said.

"Here goes the hockey princess." Don sighed.

"I wasn't going to say anything about hockey. I just like the Miracle team is all." She said.

"Aurora, you want something to drink?" Aiden asked. "I'm heading to the bar."

"Yeah, get me a Michelob." Aurora said.

"We'll get the drinks." Flack said and motioned for Danny. "Too many bartenders slipping girls roofies lately."

"Get me a Long Island ice tea." Aiden said as the boys went to the bar.

"I'd always heard not to leave your drink unattended but bartenders put things in drinks?" Aurora asked.

"Sometimes…here lately guys have been paying bartenders to slip stuff in girls' drinks." Aiden said.

Aurora smiled at the way the guys had taken charge to keep them safe from spiked drinks and getting hurt. Aiden was right; they really were the best guys in the city, and Mac too.

"Do the guys dance?" Aurora asked Aiden.

"Oh yeah….I've been out with them a few times. Both those boys know how to shake it." Aiden winked.

The guys soon returned with the drinks.

"Thanks Don, how much I owe you?" Aurora asked.

Don looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "You're my 'date'."

"But…well I dragged you here, you don't have to pay for me." Aurora said.

"Don't worry about it. You can pay for our next 'date'. Knowing you and Aiden we'll have more." Don smiled.

I smiled at him and watched a few people dancing. The 'Miami Vice' theme song starting playing.

"Messer, this is an 80's club, we should've dressed like Crockett and Tubbs." Flack joked.

"I get to be Tubbs." Danny said.

"Aurora, look at that guy over there, the one in green. He dances like an ostrich." Aiden laughed.

Aurora saw the guy she was pointing out. "Wow, Gloria Estefan was right. The rhythm will get you."

The girls laughed.

"You guys wanna dance?" Aurora asked.

"Let me finish my drink." Danny said.

"Chug it you wimp and let's go." Aiden smiled.

'Rock Me Amadeus' by Falco started playing and the four made it to the dance floor. It was soon obvious to the other three that Aurora danced a lot and was very good at it.

"The girl can move." Danny whispered to Don.

"Hey, she's my 'date'." Don winked.

"Whoa, I'm working up a thirst. Can we get some more drinks?" Aiden said.

"Sure, same as last time?" Danny asked.

Both girls nodded and the boys went to the bar while the girls went back to their table.

"We should come here more often. I love 80's music." Aurora said.

"I came here once and they were having an 80's one-hit wonder night." Aiden said.

"You'll have to tell me about the other good dance clubs around." Aurora said.

The guys brought their drinks.

"The bartender has hair like the guy in 'Flock of Seagulls'. I feel like I am in 'The Wedding Singer'." Danny said.

"Danny, you had to like some 80's music. What did you do for 10 years?" Aurora asked.

"Listened to oldies." Danny said.

"What about you Don? You like 80's music?" Aurora asked.

"Oh yeah, I 'Wang Chung' all the time." Don rolled his eyes.

"That sounds perverted." Aiden said.

"Come on Don…what did you listen to in the 80's?" Aurora asked.

Don made a face and finally mumbled. "Big hair bands."

"Oh I love Poison, and Warrant, and Whitesnake, and all those power ballads." Aurora said.

"Oh I know, they are still the sexiest thing ever. Bad boys with a soft side." Aiden said.

"I know and those power ballads are so sexy. Guys make fun of them but they should learn that putting on a CD of those songs is guaranteed getting laid." Aurora said.

"For real." Aiden said.

"Really? I'll make a note to buy those 'Monster Ballads' CD's they advertise on TV." Danny said with a smirk.

"Nothing will help your game Messer." Aiden said.

Suddenly New Kids on the Block started playing. Aiden and Aurora looked at each other.

"I loved New Kids." Aiden said.

"Me too, we gotta dance." Aurora said. She and Aiden jumped up. "Watch our drinks guys."

The girls took out onto the floor as 'Step by Step' played. Danny and Don looked at each other with a knowing smile.

"If Milli Vanilli starts playing, I'm outta here." Danny said.

As it turns out Aurora and Aiden remembered a lot of the words to the song. They were dancing and singing, and laughing. Danny watched the girls dance.

"Danny, check out this brunette. She's wearing red over near the TV." Don elbowed Danny.

"Huh? Oh, I was watching our girls dance." Danny said. Danny looked at the girl Flack pointed to. "She's nice enough."

Flack looked at him. "I thought she was hott."

Danny shrugged and went back to watching Aiden and Aurora. "You're looking at girls and your date is one of the prettiest girls here."

"Aurora is gorgeous, and the way she moves…..I'd tap that ass." Flack smirked.

"You and half of NYC." Danny agreed.

"Yeah, she's a great girl. She's funny and quick-witted. I love working with her." Flack said. "Course I wouldn't mind some playtime with her too."

Danny nodded in agreement. "We're lucky. Aurora and Aiden are beautiful women and we get to work with them every day."

The girls returned to the table.

"I just loved New Kids back in the day. I was so in love with Donnie Wahlberg." Aiden said.

"My favorite was Joey McIntyre. I think he was my first serious crush." Aurora laughed.

The DJ made an announcement that it was ladies choice and then started playing 'Hungry Eyes' from Dirty Dancing.

"I love this song. That was such an awesome movie." Aurora said.

"I know, Patrick Swayze was so sexy." Aiden said.

"Everything you two hear, you just love." Danny made a face.

"Switch dates?" Aiden suggested.

"Sure, come on Daniel." Aurora said, grabbing Danny's hand.

Aurora and Danny made it to the dance floor with Aiden and Flack close behind. Danny put his arms around Aurora and pulled her against him.

"I was hoping I'd get to dance with you." Aurora smiled. "I wanted to thank you for being such a good sport tonight."

Danny smiled at her. "I hate to admit it, but this is turning out to be fun. Don't tell Flack or Aiden I said that. But I'm glad you dragged me here tonight."

"Your secret is safe with me." Aurora smiled.

"You like working with Flack?" Danny asked.

"Oh yeah, he's the best. Great detective and good friend too." Aurora said.

"You look really nice tonight…different than at work. No badge, no gun, casual clothes." Danny smiled.

"Thanks. You look different when you're not in your suit or lab coat too." She smiled.

"I was watching you earlier; you're a really good dancer Aurora." Danny said.

She looked up at him. "You called me by my name."

"I had to sometime. After a month, I was running out of things to call you." Danny smiled.

"You'll think of some more I'm sure. Or you'll just go with ADD." She laughed.

"After this you want another drink? How well do you handle your alcohol?" Danny asked.

"I'd love another drink. I do pretty good. If I get drunk just don't let anyone take advantage of me." Aurora giggled.

"Not even your 'date'?" Danny smirked.

"Oh you and Flack can take advantage anytime." She joked.

"Careful saying that, I ain't had a good date in over six months. And Flack…he's a long story." Danny smiled.

Aurora laughed and looked over to where Aiden was laughing at something Flack was whispering in her ear.

When the song ended, Danny headed to the bar to get Aurora a drink. Aurora joined Don and Aiden at the table.

"How was dancing with my 'date'?" she asked Aiden.

"Grand!" Aiden joked.

'Heartbeat' by Don Johnson started playing.

"Back to the 'Miami Vice' from earlier." Aurora joked. "This is the dumbest song ever."

"I know, 'looking for a heartbeat'…what is that the cardiologist theme song?" Aiden asked.

"Maybe you sing that as you perform CPR….I can see it now pounding on some guy's chest singing 'heartbeat, I'm looking for heartbeat.'!" Aurora joked. She and Aiden cracked up.

"And if you look at the love song side of it…who looks for someone with a heartbeat? I mean you have to be pretty desperate if your only pre-qualification for a person is they have a heartbeat." Aiden laughed.

"I know some people like that." Aurora laughed.

Danny returned with Aurora's drink. He'd gotten her some whiskey drink.

(Later)

Aurora was dancing with Don to 'Almost Paradise'. She was feeling the affects of the alcohol, and while she wasn't drunk or even tipsy…she was snuggly. She was snuggled close to him, nuzzling against his neck.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. Alcohol makes me snuggly." Aurora said.

"Hey, I'll get you a few more drinks." Flack smiled.

"Nah, but you do smell good." She said.

"Who's the guy Aiden is dancing with?" Flack asked.

"I dunno, she said she thought he was cute and she asked him to dance." Aurora said.

"Where's Messer? Oh there he is. He's at the table." Flack said.

"Thank you for being my 'date'. It's actually the most fun date of any kind I've had since the Truman administration." Aurora said.

"I know that feeling. And you're welcome." Don said.

Danny was sitting at the table, looking at a few girls at the bar. The redhead with the black skirt was cute. He saw Aiden dancing with some guy she thought was cute. Danny recognized her flirtatious smiled. Then he noticed Aurora snuggled pretty close to Don. You couldn't get a piece of paper between them, Flack had his hands at her lower back, and she was starting to play with his hair. Danny watched them a few minutes wondering if there was more there than anyone knew. Probably not, Don would've told him. Danny sighed and got up to get another drink.

When the song ended, Aurora needed to use the restroom, Don wouldn't let her go alone, so Aiden walked with her.

"Are the guys always this protective?" Aurora asked as she checked her hair.

"Yes, and personally I don't mind because sometimes things can happen before you know it. Feels good having someone look out for you." Aiden said.

"They're both such good guys…I feel so lucky to have friends like them and you." Aurora said and hugged Aiden.

"Me too." Aiden said and took her hand. "Ready to head back to those wonderful guys?"

"Yeah." Aurora said and walked out of the bathroom with Aiden. They wound their way through the crowd and back to their table.

"Look their holding hands. The alcohol is working…soon they'll be making out." Don smirked.

"Why don't you two just go to a lesbian bar and watch all kinds of girls make out?" Aiden said.

"Chances are we couldn't find a couple where both members look as hott as you two." Danny said.

"Somewhere in that is a compliment." Aurora said.

"It's starting to get late, you guys ready to call it a night?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, I got dinner at my family's tomorrow." Aiden said.

"Then let's get out of here. But we have to come again sometime." Aurora said and grabbed her jacket.

"Come on Aurora, I'll take you home. We both need to ride the subway from here anyways." Danny said.

"I can take her. I always do." Flack said.

"It's cool. You can grab a quick cab; no need for a big long trip. I make sure she gets home safe." Danny said.

"Thanks. You know where she lives, right?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, you pointed it out to me a few times." Danny said.

"Thanks for the 'date'." Aurora said to Don.

"Anytime, do I get to kiss you goodnight?" Don winked.

Aurora gave Don a quick peck on the lips, much like you'd kiss a relative.

"Don't even ask." Aiden said to Danny with a smile. "Thanks for the 'date' though."

"Sure, come on Alanna." Danny said. "What do you know, I did think of another one."

Aurora rolled her eyes and walked out of the club with Danny. They walked to the subway and boarded a train. It was pretty empty so they sat next to each other.

"You have any family?" Danny asked her.

"Some that I am not close to." Aurora said.

"Bad childhood?" Danny asked. "I'm sorry; it's none of my business."

"No, its okay. I had a good childhood. Its just I lost dad last year. Mom and I aren't very close because I was the accident child that I think she never wanted. Of course she never said that, but some of her actions showed that. She was always closer to the daughter she adopted during her first marriage." Aurora explained.

Danny looked down. "I don't know how to respond to that…it's rough when family doesn't get along."

"We get along, but it's strained. I've always envied my adopted sister because mom loved her more. And with dad gone, I have no contact with my sister from his first marriage; she hated me from the time I was born. Dad went through a nasty divorce with her mother and I was the innocent recipient of the hatred from that." Aurora said.

"Maybe distance is good, will keep things from boiling over." Danny said.

"Yeah and I am happier. I get to be my own person without my mom comparing me to my sister, or both of them telling me how to run my life." Aurora said.

When they arrived at their stop, Danny and Aurora walked off the train and up the stairs out of the subway. They walked down the street to Aurora's apartment.

"Want me to walk you inside?" Danny asked.

"Flack just makes sure I get through the front door okay, but you can come in if you like." Aurora said.

"How about I walk you to the building door?" Danny smiled. "I'd come in for awhile, but I am so behind on reports Mac's head might explode."

Aurora smiled and Danny walked her to the door of her building. She used her key to open the door.

"Thanks for bringing me home. At first I thought Flack was nutty, but after seeing some of the murders I have, I appreciate it. And I enjoy the company." Aurora said.

"Anytime…so I'll see you at work." Danny said.

"I'll be there. Goodnight Danny." Aurora said.

"Buona notte, Aurora." Danny said and turned to walk down the street.


	4. Justice for Francheska

_Emador- Don't faint over the Italian, LOL. Thanks for the great help._

_Meadow567- I have an idea for another CSI:NY story. It might get combined with this one. I need to quit getting so many ideas! LOL_

_XX- You are one of those reviewers that I wish I could hug because your reviews are so great, I love reading them and they make me happy. The chapters here are longer…just because. I don't like Lindsay at all. I am a kill Lindsay off and bring back Aiden shipper, LOL. Actaully, I am a bit of a Stella/Hawkes shipper. The ADD thing was something Emador pointed out and Danny just had to pick on her about it. I was actually going to call her Dawn at first but thought Don and Dawn would be silly. You'll just have to sit back and see what happens in the story, I am not giving any hints. I don't try to write in any pattern, I guess it just happens. _

_**Warning-**This chapter contains strong language and content. Rated R. You've been warned. _

I stepped into the alley, seeing the dead woman that had been called into dispatch earlier. Her blouse was torn and her purse was lying a few feet away.

"What's the story?" I asked the officer already on site.

"Garbage man was making his rounds, was about to empty the cans back here when he found her. I am running a check on him now, but he seems straight up." The officer said.

"Okay, you and your partner get crime scene tape up at the entrance to the alley. I spoke with CSI on the way here. Mac Taylor will be here soon. He is the only person you let back here." I told them.

I looked at the woman again. Dark hair matted with blood, smeared make-up. I shook my head. From the looks of her clothes she was most likely a prostitute.

"Good morning Aurora." I heard, turned and saw Mac walking up to me with his kit in hand.

"Morning Mac." I said.

"Where is Flack?" he asked.

"Home, sick. He called me this morning and he has a cold that would bring a bull to its knees." I explained. "So for a few days, you just get me."

Mac smiled and looked at the dead girl. "What do we have here?"

"DOA, female. She was found by a garbage man making his rounds. So far his story checks out. I made sure no one touched anything and got everything roped off." I said.

"Good, let's see what we can find out." Mac said.

"There is a purse over there, possibly hers. I thought it might have some ID in it." I said.

Mac put on gloves and picked up the purse. "No signs of a wallet. Either she didn't carry one or it was stolen."

"Robbery as a possible motive. From the looks of her clothes, I'd say she was a prostitute." I said.

"I had the same theory." Mac said. "Her make-up is smeared. Possibly during a struggle."

"Or it could've been smeared during sexual activity." I said.

"I'll have Hawkes run a full rape kit." Mac said.

"What's that blue on her hand?" I asked.

Mac picked up the victims hand and looked at a small blue mark. "Looks like a club stamp. It's the shape of blue martini glass."

"There is a club right there. Think maybe she met someone inside and they slipped out here for a little freaky-sneaky?" I asked.

Mac raised an eyebrow. "That's one way of putting it. I'll get a Polaroid of her so you can start asking around if anyone saw her."

I overheard the officers posted at the end of the alley making snide remarks about the victim.

"Another hooker dead and we have to waste tax money with the CSI team investigating." One said.

"Just bury her in a pine box with the rest of the working girls and move on. Around here they die every day." The other said.

"They're just asking it for, standing around, going off with anyone. Just one less whore spreading disease." The first one said.

I clenched my jaw and walked towards them. "Hey, shut your mouths, both of you and I don't want to ever hear that again. No one asks to get murdered!" I yelled. "We're at a crime scene here so have some respect for the dead and act professional. Prostitute or not, no one had a right to harm her. I hear one more word from you two and you're both gonna be riding a desk until Hilary is president!"

I walked back to the victim and Mac. Mac was hiding a smile.

"That your own temper or Flack wearing off on you?" Mac asked.

"Little of both. Whoever this girl is, whether she was a hooker or not, she had rights." I said.

Mac nodded. "I agree, now we just have to get justice for her."

"Find anything?" I asked.

"I'm taking her purse back to the lab. I'm sending her to Hawkes and see what he finds. Here is that picture of her for you to start canvassing with." Mac said.

"I'll meet you at the ME's office later this afternoon." I said taking the picture. "Call me if you find anything from the purse of clothes."

"I'll get Danny working on them. Aiden is on a case with Stella." Mac said.

I walked into the club next to where the victim was found. There was one person behind the bar stacking glasses.

"We're closed." The bartender said.

"I'm not here for a drink. Detective Aurora Denton, NYPD." I showed him my badge. "What symbol does this club stamp on patrons' hands?"

"Martini glass, why? What's going on?" he asked.

"We found someone dead with that stamp on their hand." I said. "Did you work last night?"

"Yeah, it was a busy night." He said.

I handed him the Polaroid. "You recognize her? Was she in here last night?"

He studied the picture. "Yeah, she was here late in the evening. I remember because she was dressed like a pastel color chart."

"Anybody with her?" I asked.

"She came in alone, but this one guy and her seemed to hook up. He talked to her a lot. They left together right before closing." He said.

"Did you know the guy? Was he a regular?" I asked.

"Never seen him before." He said.

"Can you describe him?" I asked.

"Average height, kind of lanky. Dark hair, wearing a black Yankees cap." The barkeep said.

"Well that describes half of New York City. Did you see or hear anything else out of the usual last night?" I asked.

"No, it was a quiet night. Busy but nothing out of the ordinary." He said.

"Thanks, I'll let you know if I need anything else." I said and walked out of the club.

(Driving to Medical Examiner's Office)

"Denton." I answered my cell phone as I drove to the ME's office to meet with Mac and Hawkes.

"ADD, I thought I'd let you know what I got from your Jane Doe's purse." Messer said.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"It's a typical hooker's purse. Make-up, five kinds of condoms, and lubricant. Also I found some birth control pills, but the label was ripped off so I couldn't get a name." Danny said.

"Mac thinks her wallet was stolen. I'm on my way to the ME's now to meet with him and see what Hawkes found. You find anything else?" I asked.

"Not from the purse, but I found semen on the inside of her skirt. I took a sample and sent it to DNA, but with her being a working girl it isn't necessarily the killer's." Danny said.

"Let me know if it shows up in the system, at least it would give us someone to question." I said.

"I will. Later Anastasia." Messer said.

"Aurora." I said and hung up.

I pulled up at the ME's office and walked inside. Mac was waiting for me.

"I just talked to Messer, he said the purse wasn't much help, just contained the usual items hooker's carry. He sent some semen to DNA that he found inside her skirt." I told Mac.

"Yeah, he called me too." Mac said. "Find anything out at the club?"

"Bartender that worked last night remembered her. Said she hooked up and left with a guy of average height, lanky and wearing a black Yankees cap. Other than that nothing out of the ordinary happened." I said.

"Let's hope Sheldon has good news." Mac said as he and I walked into the morgue.

"Hawkes, what do you have on our Jane Doe?" Mac asked.

"Make that John Doe." Hawkes said.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Your victim was a transsexual." Hawkes said.

"But she had full breasts?" I was confused.

"But HE also had this." Hawkes said and lifted the sheet. There was no mistaking that the victim had a penis.

"Gotta love this city." I sighed.

"That explains the birth control pills. He was using them as hormone therapy." Mac said.

"Most likely. He had put a lot of time into appearing female. Breast implants, vocal cords operated on, silicon implants in the cheeks." Hawkes said.

"Everything but the genital change." I said.

Hawkes nodded. "I was able to get prints. Maybe that will help you identify him. If not we'll check the serial numbers on his implants. Some doctor has worked on him and would have records."

Mac nodded. "COD?"

"Asphyxiation, he was strangled probably with a scarf. Whoever killed him also bashed his head off of something; he had extensive damage to the skull." Hawkes said.

"Anything else?" Mac asked.

"He fought hard against his attacker. I found blood and skin under his nails. I sent them to DNA. Also, I ran a rape kit. I found semen, also sent off to DNA." Hawkes said.

"So we're looking for another man?" Mac asked.

"Chances are. I mean if he was a prostitute you can't guarantee the semen belongs to the attacker, but it's a place to start." Sheldon said.

"Is it possible that this was just rough sex or autoerotic asphyxiation gone bad?" I asked.

"Doubtful, I don't think anyone could enjoy what this guy had done to him. He had excessive rectal tearing and bleeding. No lubricant was used." Hawkes said.

"Danny found lubricant in his purse." I said to Mac.

"Someone meant to teach this guy a lesson." Mac said.

"Thanks Sheldon." I said and followed Mac out of the lab.

"So now we're looking for a male….maybe. I wonder if he changed his name to something female." I asked.

"I'm gonna get on those prints; run them through the system." Mac said.

"You call me the minute you find outs something from the prints or DNA." I told him.

"I will." Mac told me.

(Station)

"Aurora, we got a match on the prints. Our victim is Joshua Miller AKA Francheska Dubois." Mac said walking up to my desk.

"Let me guess, in the system for prostitution." I said.

"Many times. His wrap sheet is as long as my arm. The only address on file for him is downtown. Danny is checking there now." Mac handed me a folder.

"You could've called me with this." I said, looking at Joshua's mug shots and arrest record.

"I thought I'd bring it to you and see what your next step is. Also, we found no matches on the DNA from the rape kit or under his nails. But the DNA under his nails, inside his skirt and inside his body is all from the same person." Mac said.

"So whoever killed him also raped him." I sighed. "I'm gonna check his bank records. If his wallet was stolen, maybe our perp will use his ID, credit card or something. I'll alert the bank so the minute one of those cards is used, we'll know." I said.

"Good idea. I am going back to the crime scene to see if there is a weapon around. Something I missed. Something had to cause that trauma to Joshua's skull." Mac said.

"Call me if you find anything." I told Mac.

"You too…and Aurora, for this to be your first case without Flack, you're doing a great job. I just wanted to make sure you knew that." Mac smiled.

"Thank you." I said.

Mac walked out and I turned to my computer to start running down Joshua Miller's bank records. Finally I found where Joshua did his banking. As it turns out his ATM card had been used just an hour earlier at an ATM in Brooklyn.

I knew that all ATM machine's had cameras in them. If we could get the footage from this ATM, we would know who was using Joshua's card. I called a judge and got the warrant we needed.

I called the convenient mart that the ATM was in. "This is Detective Aurora Denton, NYPD. I am sending a CSI detective with a warrant to your store. Someone used a stolen card at your ATM machine. Please cooperate with the detective when he gets there."

I then called Mac.

"Taylor." He said.

"Mac, I tracked down Joshua's bank records. Turns out his ATM card was used about an hour ago. We know he was dead so whoever used his card most likely stole it. I got a warrant. You need to go to a convenient mart in Brooklyn and get the camera footage from the machine." I said.

"Good work." Mac said. "I found blood on the brick wall in the alley. I'd say Joshua's head was hit off of it. I got samples; I'll send to be matched to Joshua."

"Great, I'll meet you at the lab to go over the tape from the ATM." I told him and hung up.

(Lab)

I walked into the lab looking for Mac. Instead I found Danny at the microscopes.

"Hey Agatha, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Are you ever going to call me by my name?" I asked.

"Not when calling you by the wrong one is so much more fun." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Glad I am amusing."

"You're cute too." Danny said.

"I'm looking for Mac." I said.

"Yeah, he just got here with some ATM footage. I was about to go see what was up myself." Danny said.

"Hear anything from the blood on the wall?" I asked.

"Not yet. Chances are it's our victim's." Danny said. Then he looked up at me with that cocky grin of his. "So you miss Flack while he is home sick?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"I just wondered if you missed him." Danny smiled.

"He's home with a cold, not dead. I'll call him later and see if he's feeling better." I said.

"Flack is a horrible patient." Danny said.

"All men are." I said.

"I'm not." Danny insisted.

"I bet you are. You probably call your mommy to come take care of you when you have the flu." I laughed.

"Do not…" Danny pretended to pout.

"Let's go see what Mac has for us." I said.

I followed Danny to the back room where Mac was getting the video ready to watch.

"It's ready to watch. Aurora, what time was the transaction we're interested in?" Mac asked.

"3:34PM." I said.

Mac started the tape, watches images that are recorded every few seconds. Mac speeded up the tape to the point we needed. Suddenly we were looking at a guy wearing a black Yankees cap, using the ATM.

"That's gotta be our guy. He even has the Yankees cap." I said.

"Let's see if I can clear up the picture a bit." Mac said.

Mac worked at focusing on the perp and making the picture clear.

"He's not in the system or his DNA would've tipped us off to his identity already." Danny said.

"Print out some pictures from here and start asking around. Somebody has to know this guy." Mac said.

"Best place to start is the convenient mart in Brooklyn. Chances are its close to his home and he goes there often." I said.

Mac nodded. "I'll go with you."

Mac printed out a few clear pics of the guy from the ATM footage. Then he and I got into an SUV and headed to Brooklyn to the mart where the card had been used.

"You really took exception to those officers' remarks about prostitutes." Mac commented as we drove.

"It drives me crazy that people perceive some victims as more important than others. And I hate cops that don't take the murder of hookers serious." I said.

"That's what makes you a great detective; you really care about every victim. You don't care about race, profession, their past, you want justice…..we need more cops like you." Mac said.

"Thank you. I guess in a way I try to model myself after Dave Reichert…the investigator over the Green River Killer case." I said.

"I know who he is. He's a good man…good role model." Mac said.

"He spent 20 years looking for Gary Ridgeway. 20 years looking for justice for prostitutes…I've always admired that." I said.

"I can see why Flack likes you so much. And why you two work so well together." Mac smiled.

We arrived at the convenient mart and walked inside.

"NYPD." Mac showed his badge. "I'm Detective Taylor, this is Detective Denton."

"You again. What else can we do for you?" the clerk asked.

"You recognize this guy?" I asked and showed him the pictures from the ATM.

"Yeah, that's David Bennett. He comes in here all the time." The clerk said.

"Do you know where David lives?" I asked.

"Yeah, just up the block. He lives with a couple of his guy friends." The clerk said.

"I'll call it in and get an address, let's go." I said to Mac.

(Interrogation Room)

"Open your mouth." Mac told David.

David refused.

"Either open your mouth and let Detective Taylor swab your cheek, or we will drag you to the Medical Examiner and let him draw blood out of your arm." I told him.

David scowled but opened his mouth allowing Mac to take the swab he needed. Mac nodded at me and left to drop the DNA off for testing.

"Okay David, let's have a little chat. How do you know Joshua Miller?" I asked.

"I don't know any Joshua Miller." David said.

"Funny, you were caught on tape using his ATM card." I said.

"I told you I found that wallet on the street. It was wrong for me to use his card, but I didn't kill anybody." David said.

"What if I told you we could place you with Joshua last night?" I said.

"I told you, I don't know this Joshua guy." David insisted.

"Right, right. You know him as Francheska Dubois." I said.

"I ain't into that shit." David said.

"What shit?" I asked.

"Guys with guys…it's sick." David said.

I leaned back and looked at him. "You know that when that DNA Detective Taylor took from your mouth is tested, it's gonna show that you killed and raped Joshua Miller."

"NO!" David yelled.

"So you're telling me that we won't find it was your DNA under his fingernails, on the inside of his skirt and inside his rectum!" I snapped.

"I ain't no fucking faggot!" David yelled and started to stand.

I pushed the table knocking him back in his seat. "Sit down! Witnesses put you with Joshua last night, you had his ATM card…you better start talking. Because when Detective Taylor walks back through that door telling me that the DNA matches, I am done with you."

"I ain't a faggot!" David yelled.

"Quit using that word. I don't like it!" I told him.

"Well men like him shouldn't be allowed to walk the streets!" David insisted.

"Men like what? Men that dress as women? Men that are gay? Transsexuals?" I asked. "Who died and made you God?"

"It's sick to fool people like that!" David said.

Suddenly it all clicked into place. "You didn't know Francheska was really a man did you? And when you found out, you had to teach him a lesson didn't you?"

"Fucking right I did!" David yelled. "He should've told me he had a dick."

"You thought he was a woman, picked him up, and then took him to that alley for a little action." I said.

"Yeah…except I reach under her skirt and my hand grabbed a cock. I felt like throwing up." David said.

"And that pissed you off." I said.

"Damn right, so I decided to show him what it meant to be a real man." David said.

"By raping and killing him? Yeah that really makes you a big man!" I sneered.

"What else could I do? I'd made out with that…that thing…"

"Person….Joshua Miller was a person!" I snapped. "And you didn't have to kill him; you didn't have to rape him. You could've walked away!"

David sat silent.

"I'm done here." I said and stood up. "And by the way…where you're going…you better get over that homophobia."

I walked out of the interrogation room, slamming the door behind me.

(Later)

"David Bennett's DNA matched that found on Joshua Miller." Mac told me. "I hear you got a confession out of him."

"Yeah. He killed Joshua because he didn't know he was a guy until the middle of foreplay." I sighed.

"You've had a long day. Want to grab a cup of coffee?" Mac asked.

I smiled. "Actually, I was on my way to check on Flack. But why don't you come over to my place this weekend and I'll make us dinner. Bet you haven't had a home cooked meal in a while."

"That sounds nice. I'll do that." Mac said.

"I better get going. Danny tells me Flack is a lousy patient." I laughed.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mac said as I put on my coat.

"Yeah bright and early." I said and started for the door.

"Aurora." Mac called and I stopped to look at him. "Good job today."

I smiled and walked out of the station and down the street.

(Flack's Apartment)

"Flack, open the door." I called and knocked on his door.

Finally a disheveled Flack opened the door. His hair was going in every direction and he was wearing just gym shorts.

"Aurora, what are you doing here?" Flack asked.

"Checking in on you and making sure you're okay." I said. "Hello to you too."

"I am sick. I think I'm dying." Flack said.

I walked past him into his apartment. "You're not dying, you have a cold."

"Aren't you afraid of getting it?" Flack asked and shut the door.

"No." I said and set down the bag I'd been carrying. "Now I got you some things to make you feel better."

"Lingerie for you?" Flack asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Not quite. But I brought some chicken soup and ice cream. Some Nyquil, Dayquil and Vicks."

"Aurora, I had cough syrup and aspirin." Flack said.

"This will get you better faster. So here take this and go take a hot shower." I said handing him one of those Vick's shower tablets. "I'll make you some soup while you shower."

"You don't have to do all this…"

"I want to. You've looked out for me since I got to NYC. You showed me around town and made sure I was safely home all the time. Let me look out for you for a change." I said.

Flack smiled and took the tablet. "Thanks Aurora."

I shrugged but Flack pulled me into a hug.

"Now go shower and breathe deeply so that thing will help you. Your soup will be ready when you get out." I smiled and directed him towards his bathroom.


	5. Dangerous Fetish

_Meadow567- No, it wasn't an episode. I made it up. Any time it's based on an episode I list the spoiler. I have it on DVD too and watch it lots, lol._

_Emador- Maybe this will work better than last time, LOL. Hope you enjoy. Sorry couldn't work in the Italian. And I didn't think anyone would be so amused by the Hilary line but I am glad you were._

_XX- Where you at? I miss your long, wonderful reviews! Come back or I'll put Aurora with Vicaro, LOL. _

_**Spoilers- **"Hush"_

"Aiden, its Aurora. Look I'm hitting heavy traffic so I am having a hard time getting to where that dead woman along the road was called in." I said.

"Danny and I are in heavy traffic too." Aiden said. "What's the story with the dead woman?"

"I don't know. Detective Vicaro is handling it. Flack said he's good but abrasive. I'll be there as soon as I can." I said.

"Women drivers." I heard Danny mutter.

"Smack for me, sweetie." I said. "I'll see you there."

I slowly made my way through traffic out to where we'd got a call about a naked dead woman along the road. I hopped out of the car in time to see Vicaro giving Aiden and Danny a hard time.

Danny and Aiden walked on down to the crime scene. I walked over to Vicaro.

"Hey Vicaro, what's the deal with you giving my CSI team a rough time?" I asked.

"You must be Denton…can't believe Flack gets a partner like you…lucky bastard." Vicaro said.

"I am Detective Denton. Do me a favor. Always be nice to the CSI team. I work with these people all the time and they are the finest in New York." I said. "What's the story with this woman?" I asked.

"18 wheeler found her and called it in." Vicaro said.

I walked down to where Aiden and Danny were looking over the crime scene. A naked woman was lying on the ground. She looked badly bruised and cut.

"What do we have?" I asked.

"The body and the tree are badly mangled. We have headlight glass on the ground and skid marks with no pattern in them." Danny said.

"None of this is adding up." Aiden said.

"Maybe Hawkes can tell us something. I mean this doesn't seem to be a dump job because there is so much damage to the tree." I said.

"Possible the killer wrecked his car while trying to dump her here." Aiden said.

"Let's get her out of here. And guys I am sorry about Vicaro." I said.

"Not your fault." Danny said.

(Morgue)

"What's under the sheet?" Danny asked Hawkes. We had arrived at the morgue hoping to get some answers about our dead woman.

"Spatula man…you don't wanna know anything else." Hawkes said.

"What can you tell us about our dead girl?" I asked.

"She's still a Jane Doe. But what made me as curious as a cat in the fish house was these candy cane marks down her body." Hawkes said. "They start at the neck, then the pelvis, above and below the knees and the ankles."

"Tape or rope maybe?" Danny asked.

"Tape and rope are too haphazard and the bruising is uneven. See, these bruises are clean and precise." Hawkes explained.

My cell phone rang. "Denton" I answered and stepped away.

"Hey this is Vicaro. We found the truck used to kill your dead woman along the road. We're towing it in now." Vicaro said.

"Thanks, I'll meet you with some CSI's. Be nice to them." I said.

"Yes, mother." Vicaro hung up.

I rolled my eyes. "Messer, Aiden we gotta roll. That was Vicaro. He says they found the vehicle used to kill her. It's being towed in now."

"Let's grab our kits and go." Aiden said.

I rode with Danny and Aiden to the garage where a tow truck was unhitching from a truck with some type of rack on the front.

"What's the deal with this Vicaro?" I asked.

"It's a 04 F150. It's got a damaged front end, a hitch and if you can figure out what that is, you got my respect. I ran the plates." Vicaro said.

"Where was it found?" I asked.

"A mile east of the Clearview Express." Vicaro said.

I walked around the back of the truck looking to see what else there was. Vicaro and Danny were still talking. Vicaro then walked off nodding at me. The damage to the truck seemed to all be in the front where that rack thing was. Seemed Aiden, Danny or me knew what to think of this.

Danny opened the front door on the passenger side. "Both airbags are deployed. Glass on the passenger side of the floor."

"I gotta tell you, this doesn't make sense." Aiden said.

"Here we go." Danny said and pulled a black bag out of the truck.

I stood and watched as he and Aiden opened it to see what was in it.

"Latex body suit." Aiden said. I raised an eyebrow. Danny pulled a ball gag out of the bag. "Pulp Fiction"

"You can see the teeth impressions, most likely made during impact." Danny said.

Danny pulled straps out of the bag.

"There are the straps that made those marks on her." I said.

We walked back over and looked at the rack.

"Place shoulders here." Aiden read. "That girl was strapped on here upside down."

"What the hell was going on with this woman?" Danny asked.

"I'm gonna call and see what we got from the plates Vicaro called in." I said and dialed my phone.

I listened as the information was read to me and I hung up.

"The registered owner of the F150 is Ron Bogda. A check on him shows he's married to Debbie Bogda. Ready for a quick trip out of the city?" I asked.

Danny, Aiden and I climbed back in an SVU and started driving to the Bogda home. It was a short drive across the bridge and out of the city.

When we stepped out of the SUV and started towards the Bogda house, they started arguing over who's turn it was to break the bad news to the family.

"Aurora, you break the bad news." Danny said.

"Oh no, don't look at me. Flack always makes me break the bad news because he says bad news is easier coming from a woman." I rolled my eyes.

"Where is he?" Aiden asked.

"Working on a case with Mac and Stella." I said.

We knocked on the door and a man let us into his house.

"Mr. Bogda, do you know this woman?" Aiden handed him a picture.

"That's my wife Debbie." Ron Bogda said.

"We're very sorry for your loss." Aiden told him.

"You want some water, you need a minute." Danny says. "We got some more questions."

When Ron collected himself. Danny showed him a picture of the truck used to kill Debbie.

"That's our truck. Debbie uses it when she works in the city." Ron said.

"We think she was involved with some kind of fetish stunt." Danny said.

"My wife was a conservative, descent woman." Ron said.

"Is it possible she could've been involved with something you didn't know about?" Danny asked.

"We live different lives during the week. She worked at an office and stayed at the Waldorf, I never questioned her." Ron said.

He took off his glasses. I noticed he had a cut above his eye.

"How'd you get that cut above your eye?" I asked.

"My daughter kicked a soccer ball and hit me. It broke my glasses, these are new. It completely shattered the lens, they're inside the house." Ron said.

"We'll need those glasses to test." Aiden said.

"I think you left part of them in that F150." Danny said.

Mr. Bogda retrieved the glasses Aiden had asked for. We thanked him for his time and headed back into the city.

(Station)

I walked into the station. Aiden and Danny were off to the lab to see what they could find from the glasses and latex bodysuit. There was a drink cup and sandwich sitting on my desk. I sat down and noticed a note.

_Aurora,  
__Thought I'd catch you for lunch so I bought you a sandwich and Pepsi. You didn't come in and I had to go back out with Mac. Hope you enjoy it when you get here. I'll catch you later.  
__Flack_

I smiled. He was such a good partner. I opened my sandwich and took a few bites. I leaned back in my chair wondering exactly what Debbie Bogda had been doing strapped to the front of that truck.

I was finishing my lunch when my cell phone rang.

"Denton." I answered.

"It's Danny. The glasses weren't a match. Ron Bogda might not be our guy. But we pulled prints off the latex body suit. They belong to Jennifer Stupaine. She lives in the West Village." Messer said.

"I'm on it." I said, grabbed my coat and hurried out the door.

I rode with Aiden and Danny to the Stupaine home. We walked up and knocked on the door. A man in a mask looked at use through a window in the door, and then opened the door.

"Ah, you must be the Anderson's. You're late for class." The masked man said.

"Traffic was murder." Danny said. "We brought a, um, friend."

"Of course, threesome relationships are always welcome." The masked man said and led us into another room.

We walked in and saw a couple introducing themselves to a group of people. Danny put an arm around Aiden and then slid his arm around my waist as we walked in.

"Honey, the Anderson's are here. Oh and they brought a third person." The man with Jennifer said.

Danny, Aiden and I split up to look around as the Stupaine's kept talking. The room was full of people.

"I'm Jennifer and this is my John. We're here to teach you safe bondage. More specifically…forniphilia-the art of human furniture." Jennifer said.

I noticed something called a 'Robospanker'.

"This is Diane our chandelier and Dave our corner table."

I looked at the woman hanging upside down and wondered what the attraction to this activity was.

"We also have machinery, made by our Garage Joe…."

I tuned out Mrs. Stupaine, but noticed Garage Joe. He was staring at Aiden and getting nervous. Before I could react he ran out of the room. Danny and Aiden took off after him yelling.

"NYPD, stay where you are." I informed those at the party.

"What is this about? We're not doing anything wrong." Mrs. Stupaine said.

"We're investigating the death of Debbie Bogda. You all need to sit tight." I said. "Want to tell me why Garage Joe ran out of here so fast?"

"We don't know." John Stupaine said.

I eyed them. "Your best option is to be honest with me and the other detectives." I said.

Danny and Aiden walked back in.

"We lost him." Aiden said.

"The Stupaine's say they don't know why he'd be running." I said.

"How long she gonna hang like that?" Danny asked about the human chandelier.

"Until we tell her to stop. Same thing with the table. They are furniture and should be treated as such." John said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"We'll be taking Garage Joe's contraptions back to the lab, all right." Danny said.

"Garage Joe have a last name?" I asked.

"We don't require background checks to take our seminar." John said.

"What we're doing is perfectly legal. We're licensed and bonded." Jennifer said.

I shook my head and walked over to look at a few of the contraptions Garage Joe had left behind.

I heard Aiden question Jennifer about a bruise on her face. I looked up and saw that Jennifer was also hiding bruises on her collarbone.

Aiden took her to a back room to take pictures and check for vehicular bruising. I shook my head and walked over to Danny who was also looking at Garage Joe's contraptions.

"Can you believe this place? I don't understand getting off from pretending to be furniture." I said.

"First time I've ever been to one of these fetish parties." Danny shook his head then looked up at me and smirked. "So you think maybe we should come to one of these sometime. See what they're all about."

"Why don't you go and then not tell me about it." I laughed.

"You got any hidden fetishes?" Danny asked, still smirking.

"Wouldn't you love to know." I smiled.

(Lab)

I walked into the lab to see if Danny and Aiden had found anything from Garage Joe's machines. I met Aiden walking out.

"Find anything?" I asked her.

"We pulled a hair off one of the devices. I am running it to DNA." Aiden said and walked on.

I walked into the lab. Danny was still looking at the contraptions.

"Hey ADD, what are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"Just seeing what you guys had found. I talked to Aiden in the hall." I told him.

I looked at a few trying to figure out what they did.

"What all do we have here?" I asked.

"Wanna try a few out?" Danny winked.

I laughed. "You ain't man enough to handle me, Messer."

"Is that a challenge?" Danny smiled.

"Well I would, but then I'd have to explain to Mac why you can't come into work for a day or two." I smiled at him.

"Oh, I'm sure I got a day or two of vacation I could take." Danny winked and smirked.

"If someone walked in here they'd get the wrong idea." I laughed.

"Hey, if it'll make you feel better I can lock the door and we can keep talking dirty." Danny winked.

"You're so cute." I smiled. "Flack is still out with Mac and Stella, so when we find Garage Joe we have to call Vicaro."

"You like working with Vicaro?" Danny asked.

"Not really. I am Flack's partner. We have a great chemistry. Not to mention Vicaro is just…..I can't explain it."

(Joe Stragil's Garage)

Danny and I were walking with Vicaro and uniformed officers to find Garage Joe. We were at Joe Strahil's Garage. Danny was explaining to Vicaro that the DNA from the hair came back as a match to Joe Strahil, who had outstanding warrants. That explains why he ran from us at the party, he saw we were cops.

We drew our guns and entered the garage. Joe was welding and had the flame burning strong.

"NYPD!" Vicaro yelled twice but Joe didn't move.

We had to get Joe unarmed but he had that white hot flame in his hand. I saw Danny putting his gun away and getting ready to charge. I held my breath as Danny came in from the side and wrestled Joe to the ground without getting burned. I breathed a sigh of relief. Vicaro then jumped to help Danny as Joe was fighting to get away.

"Let's get him up." I told them.

Joe had caught Vicaro with a punch and I didn't want a huge fight escalating.

I rode with Danny back to the station. I was glad that Joe Strahil had been arrested and no one got hurt besides Vicaro's pride.

I dragged Joe inside where Aiden was waiting for us.

"Where were you the night Debbie Bogda was killed?" I asked.

"Tied up, at the garage." Joe smirked.

"You're not amusing. Debbie is dead." I said.

"She's dead. I didn't know she was dead." Joe said. "I made the 'Screamer Hitch' as the optimum mode of speed and fear for those who fetish such."

"Then you strapped her to it and rammed her into that tree." Danny said.

"I just built it. Debbie was up for it so I sold her the equipment. You use at your own risk." Joe said.

"Stand up. We need to check you for bruising." Aiden said.

Joe stood and Danny pulled his suit down from his shoulders. There was no bruising. He was telling the truth about Debbie Bogda.

"I'll have him transferred. He still is under arrest for all those outstanding warrants." I said.

"We're gonna look at the truck again. See if there is something we missed. Also it'll give us a chance to check about the glass we found on the passenger side. Chad is testing it for us." Aiden said.

(Later)

"You get the warrant?" Danny asked as I met him at the Stupaine's house.

"Yeah, we can look for cameras and filmstrips." I said. "I can't believe this woman taped another woman dying."

"Let's just hope she was stupid enough to hang onto the film." Danny said and knocked on the door.

Mr. and Mrs. Stupaine answered the door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stupaine, we have a warrant to search your house." Danny said and showed them the warrant.

"They could have that stuff hidden anywhere." I said.

"We'll try the bedroom. You wanna take the living room?" Danny said.

"Sounds good. Let me know if you find anything." I said.

I pulled out the couch cushions, nothing there. I looked through the drawers on the coffee table, still there was nothing.

"Why won't you people leave us alone?" Mrs. Stupaine asked.

"A woman is dead; it's our job to get justice for her." I said.

"You're invading our home." John said.

"Everything will be put back in place." I assured them.

"Aurora, we got the camera and film." Aiden said.

"Mrs. Stupaine, you'll have to come with us." I said.

Danny and I escorted Mrs. Stupaine out of her home and put her in one of the squad cars. We followed behind in the SUV down to the station. We put Mrs. Stupaine in an interrogation room while we looked at the video.

"There's Jennifer strapping Debbie to the 'Screamer Hitch'." I said.

"Who is driving?" Aiden said.

We kept watching and saw Ron Bogda driving. It appeared he lost control of the vehicle.

"That son of a bitch. He killed his wife, then stripped her and left her there to die." I said.

"Let's go talk to Jennifer Stupaine." Danny said.

"I'm going to arrest Ron Bogda; I'll bring him right back here. I think he'd like to see this little movie." I said, and walked out.

I drove out of the city for a second time to the Bogda home. Ron Bogda was in the yard with his daughter when I pulled up.

"Mr. Bogda, is there someone you can leave your children with? A neighbor, grandparents?" I asked.

"Why? What is this all about?" he asked.

"You need to have someone come get your children until child services get here." I said. "You're under arrest for the murder of Debbie Bogda."

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Very, now send your little girl in the house and tell her to call someone to stay with her." I said.

He stared at me. "Honey, go back in the house…call grandma to come stay with you. Tell her daddy is with the police."

I watched as the little girl went into the house as told. I put handcuffs on Ron Bogda.

"Ron Bogda, you're under arrest for the murder of Debbie Bogda, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You also have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford council one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?"

"Yes, let's go." Ron said. He was very subdued.

I drove back into the city. The whole time wondering what made Ron kill his wife. I took him into the station where Aiden and Danny were waiting for him.

They took him to be interrogated, I was going to go with them but my cell phone rang.

"Denton." I said.

"Hey, I've been trying to find you." Flack said.

"Don, what's up?" I asked.

"We're about to wrap up here. How's your case?" Flack asked.

"Wrapping up. Aiden and Danny are finishing with one of the perps now." I said.

"Wanna meet up somewhere for a late dinner? Bring Aiden and Messer with you." Don said.

"That sounds great. Thanks for lunch by the way. Sorry I missed you." I said.

"Not a problem. See you in about an hour?" Don asked.

"Yeah, I'll tell Aiden and Danny." I said and hung up.

Mrs. Stupaine was being taken to be photographed when Danny and Aiden brought out Ron Bogda. We stood watching them as the police took them to be booked.

"Why did he do it?" I asked.

"He was angry at her getting into the fetish community. Stupaine was just there but she could've helped Debbie." Aiden said.

"Hungry?" Danny asked.

"Yeah." Aiden said.

"Flack wants us to meet him for a late dinner." I said.

"Get something to eat. I'll drive…put you on the hood." Danny said to Aiden with a smirk.

"Put YOU on the hood." Aiden laughed and playfully punched him.

"Alright we'll put ADD on the hood put tie her up because she looks like she'd kick like a mule." Danny winked.

"You know, Aiden and I together could take you." I said.

"Twice in one day it's been me and two women." Danny smirked.

Aiden and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

(Diner)

Danny, Aiden and I were already in a booth when Flack walked in and sat down with us.

I put both arms around him, hugging him tight. "Don, I didn't like working with Vicaro. Don't ever leave my side again."

Flack chuckled. "That bad. Don't worry; the department won't split us up too much."

"Good, I never realized how much I liked you until I was dealing with that jackass." I said and finally let go of him.

Danny stretched and threw an arm around Aiden. "Yeah Don, I took the girls to a sex party today."

Aiden and I rolled our eyes.

"You get a sex party with two gorgeous girls and I get spatula man down at the docks." Don said.

Danny smirked. "Yeah some men just got game like that."

"And some men luck into cases that let them be freaky all afternoon." I winked.

"Hey that is the only action Messer's got since we went to 80's night." Aiden said.

"Like you're doing any better." Danny said to her.

"Hey I can have a real date any time I want." Aiden said.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"So what about this sex party?" Don asked.

"I was the center of a threesome with Aiden and ADD." Danny smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "We were investigating a suspect who just happened to hosting a fetish seminar. They thought Danny and Aiden were married and I was joining in their bed."

"Damn, I miss all the good cases." Don smiled.

"It's okay. Next time we all go out dancing, Aiden and I will both grind on you." I said to Don.

"Hey, I'm free on Friday!" Don smiled.


	6. At Night at MSG

_Emador- As always thanks for help with ideas. It's so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to help with things. hugs_

_Meadow567- Hush is one of my favorite episodes. A few of my other favorites will be coming up._

_Author's Note- If anyone is reading this story, drop me a line and let me know what you think. I enjoy reviews. Also, as I said before this story is AU-ish._

"Thanks Mac." I smiled. "Glad this case closed quickly."

"Me too. You got plans for the weekend?" Mac asked.

"For tonight, but the weekend is up for grabs." I said. "You got big plans?"

"Nah, I'll probably just catch up on work." Mac said.

"Well you have a good weekend." I told him and hurried down the hall.

I walked into the lab to see Danny and Aiden finishing up some paperwork and Don standing around.

"Aiden, girl I have a surprise for you. Actually it's for all of you." I said.

"What's up?' Aiden asked.

"Remember a few weeks ago I was telling you about WWE wrestling and the hot guys in it? Well tonight they are at Madison Square Gardens and I got us all tickets." I smiled.

"Sounds great. Do I need to know what's going on to understand it?" Aiden said.

"Not really. Anything storyline related I can catch you up on. But the guys…oh mercy are they gorgeous. You're going to love it." I said.

"You know that stuff is fake right?" Don asked me.

"Really? What a relief. All this time I was so worried that Marty Jeanetty was practically homeless. And I just practically cried when Edge beat up Mick Foley." I rolled my eyes.

"I ain't going to watch that. It's worse than Days of Our Lives." Danny said.

"But your Aiden's 'date' and Don is mine. Don and I agreed that I'd pay for our next 'date' so I decided to treat everybody." I said.

"So you and Aiden go and scalp the extra tickets." Don said.

"You're not going either?" I asked.

"Not me. I haven't watched that stuff since I was like 11 years old. Back then it was cool." Don said.

"But it'll be fun. Come on you guys." I said.

"What if we have real dates?" Danny asked.

"Then I feel very sorry for the girl you suckered into having dinner with you." Aiden smirked.

"Come on guys. It'll be fun." I insisted.

"Yeah nothing like sitting among a bunch of drunken rednecks screaming 'kill him'!" Danny said sarcastically.

"Not all wrestling fans do that. I don't." I said.

"I don't want to see a bunch of sweaty men in spandex rolling around together." Don said.

"They don't all wear spandex anymore. These days lots of them wear jeans. Even the champion John Cena wears denim shorts and jerseys." I said.

"But watching a bunch of guys pretend to beat each other up?" Danny rolled his eyes. "Not for me."

"But there are a lot of girls too. They are managers and announcers and stuff. Three of them have been in Playboy! Danny probably has their issues next to his toilet at home." I smiled.

Danny raised an eyebrow at me. "Why go there to see girls? We already got you and Aiden here. And apparently I am having a threesome with you two."

"Messer that case was a week ago, let it go." Aiden said.

"And you guys have us around all the time. If you come with us you'll get to see Christy Hemme and Torrie Wilson and Melina and a few others. And they'll all be wearing a lot less than me and Aiden." I said. I turned to Don. "Please…you need to come with us to keep me from getting arrested. I see Dave Batista and I might just jump over the rails and rape him."

"Can't rape the willing." Danny winked.

Don sighed. "Oh alright, I'll go. Can't have the newbie getting arrested or in trouble." He winked.

"Yeah I could just see Mac's reaction to headlines of 'Homicide Detective Charged with Sexual Assault of Muscle Bound Wrestler.'!" Danny said.

"Yes, I got another 'date' with Don." I said and hugged him.

"One down one to go. What do you say Messer?" Aiden said.

"Wrestling? I think I'd rather go back to that 80's thing." Danny said.

I walked over and sat on the arm of Danny's chair and leaned my cheek against the top of his head. "Please Danny. I'll buy you a WWE Diva's magazine."

Danny looked up at me with that resigned look. "Oh fine, but just because you already have the tickets. And so Flack isn't stuck with you two by himself."

"Yeah save me from two gorgeous women." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Thank you Danny." I said and he rolled his eyes again.

"Okay, I gotta shower. I want to look perfect in case Dave Batista sees me. Or even Gregory Helms." I said.

"I'm her date but she is trying to impress other men. I feel so used." Flack gave a big dramatic sigh.

"Honey for 15 minutes with Batista, I'd cheer for the Yankees." I said.

"He must have a dick of gold." Danny said.

"I'd love to find out. I'm off to shower." I said.

"Me too. These chemicals get to me after awhile." Danny said.

"I could shave I guess." Don said.

(TPPOV)

The guys were finishing getting ready in the locker room. Flack had decided to wear his black leather jacket with a black t-shirt under it and jeans.

"So how's things working out with Aurora?" Danny asked Don while looking for his hair gel.

"She's great. She cares about victims, hard-nosed about criminals. And she's so sweet and funny." Don said.

Danny looked at him. "Not to mention she's got a body men dream about."

"Oh my god, she came in from court the other day in a skirt." Don said.

"Legs?" Danny smiled.

"The kind you want around your waist." Don smirked.

"Nice." Danny replied.

"Then you get Aiden, who got those soft curves." Don said.

"And pouty lips." Danny said.

"Yeah, Aiden does have those lips that would look great wrapped around your cock." Flack said.

"So any of the guys asked out Aurora yet?" Danny asked.

Flack thought a moment. "None that I know of."

"You gonna ask her out?" Danny asked.

"Are you asking all this because you heard someone has the hots for her?" Don asked.

"No, no. Nothing like that. I just wondered if she was seeing anybody. I'd ask her but you know her and Aiden, we'd get some smart remark." Danny said.

"No she isn't seeing anyone. She hasn't even mentioned being interested in anyone other than a few random celebrities…you know women." Flack said

"Maybe she has a boyfriend back in Pittsburgh?" Danny said.

"No, she did mention that her last boyfriend tried changing her and made her miserable." Flack said.

"Who'd want to change her? She's so cute and funny, and like you said a real sweetheart." Danny said.

Don glanced at Danny. "I don't know. Some men just don't realize how lucky they are."

Danny nodded. "Is jeans and a polo shirt good to wear to a wrestling event?"

"I guess." Don shrugged.

"I don't know how those girls talk us into some of these things. And I never thought Aurora would like this kind of stuff." Danny said.

"She's full of surprises. Like the other day I let her control the radio while driving her home. Next thing I know there is some old country shit playing and she's singing at the top of her lungs." Flack smiled. "She doesn't sing that bad…she even tried throwing in a southern twang."

"Sounds as bad as some of that rap stuff Aiden makes me listen to." Danny said.

"You good to go? We make Aurora wait too long and she'll come in after us." Don smiled.

(FPPOV)

Aiden and I were waiting outside the men's locker room for the boys. Despite the cold temperatures outside, I still wore a short t-shirt and black pants. Aiden joked I'd catch a cold.

Finally the boys walked out. I grabbed Don's arm.

"Let's go. We have to catch the train, ride to the Gardens, get through security and then find our seats." I said.

"Am I really going to have to sit on you to keep you from raping this Batista guy?" Flack smirked.

"Probably. Then again, I'll have to sit on you when Christy Hemme comes out." I said.

"You sitting on him wouldn't help things if he was already looking at a hot girl." Danny said.

"I'll probably have to sit on you too." Aiden said.

"I wouldn't have to charge and jump a woman. She'd take one look at me…"

Aiden interrupted Danny. "And puke."

We walked to the subway station and climbed on the train we needed. We had to stand as a lot of people were crowded into the small car.

"You should pierce you bellybutton." Aiden told me as we huddled together on the train.

"I've thought about it a few times." I said.

"It'd look cute when you bare your midriff like that." She smiled.

"You'll have to go with me so I don't faint. I don't like needles." I said.

"Angela, how did a sweet girl like you get into watching fake wrestling?' Danny asked.

"Aurora, oh I don't even care anymore." I sighed. "Anyways, when I was younger my brothers still lived at home and they watched it. I got hooked when I was about 3 years old."

"You have brothers? I thought you had sisters?" Danny looked confused.

"I have two of each." I shrugged. "Anywho, the boys liked wrestling and were always acting out moves and such. I can still hear my mother yelling 'Don't put your baby sister in the figure-four leg lock. You'll break her in half.'!"

Aiden smiled. "So who's the hot guys I should be looking for tonight?"

"Dave Batista is a sexy beast. Gregory Helms is the cruiserweight champion, he's cute and cocky. Matt Hardy is kinda cute and has these bowed legs that make him adorable." I said.

"Pro-wrestler with bowed legs…we know how he got those." Danny said.

I scowled at him, but turned back to Aiden. "A lot of people think Randy Orton is cute but in real life and on the show, he's an asshole. He went AWOL from the marines. I'd love to lock him in a room with Mac for just five minutes." I said. "John Cena is hott and has a smartass attitude that is so sexy. And you'll like him because he's a rapper, even has an album out."

"Just what NYC needs, another white-boy rapper." Don said.

"And you two will love every minute of those scantily clad girls with their boobs popping out of their shirts and skirts up to the ass." I said.

"You ever dress like that?" Don winked.

I giggled.

We arrived at out stop, got off the train and I practically ran, pulling Don behind me to MSG.

"Does security here do pat down searches?" I asked.

"I think they just check purses and pat down guys pockets." Danny said. "But if you want a pat down, I'll help you out."

"I just wanted to know what to expect." I shook my head.

We made it through security and were finally in the venue.

"Where are we sitting?" Aiden asked.

"I told them I wanted to best seats possible. As it turns out there was a last minute cancellation and I got us pretty close to the ring." I said.

We made our way to our seats. We were about ten rows from the ring but could still see everything great.

"I can't wait for this to start. I wonder who all is wrestling tonight." I said.

"Flack remember when we were kids and the big matches always involved Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant?" Danny said.

"Yeah, but I liked the Macho Man Randy Savage." Flack said. "What about you Aurora?"

"I was a Hulkamaniac like everyone else of the day. But then when the Ultimate Warrior hit it big I started following him." I said.

"I remember him. He always ran around and shook the ropes." Flack laughed.

"I'm lost." Aiden said.

"We're talking about wrestling when we were kids. Back then it was a lot more fun to watch. Before McMahon completely ruined it." I explained to her. "Even I don't watch it like I did say two years ago."

"That snake guy, is he still around?" Danny asked.

"Jake Roberts, no. All the old timers from when we were kids are gone except Ric Flair and he's gonna live forever." I laughed.

"Didn't one of these guys die recently?" Flack asked. "I saw it on the news."

"Eddie Guerrero, yeah. He had heart disease and didn't tell anyone." I said.

About that time the lights dimmed and the pyros to start the show went off. The crowd started screaming. And then Batista's music hit.

"This is Batista I've been telling you about." I told Aiden.

Batista walked out and started posing for the crowd, everyone was cheering.

"You were right, he is gorgeous." Aiden said.

"He looks like an overgrown monkey." Danny said.

"And what I wouldn't give to see his banana." I said.

Danny rolled his eyes and Flack kinda smirked.

"Is he married?" Aiden asked.

"I think he's divorced but wouldn't swear to it." I said.

So Batista got in the ring and gave a big speech about who he was wrestling that night.

"If you think he looks good in that suit, wait till you see him in his trunks." I told Aiden.

"Where are these hot girls you promised us?" Flack asked.

"They'll be out when it's time." I said.

The first match was a tag-team match that wasn't exciting.

"You can so tell this is fake." Danny said. "They're not even hitting each other."

"But its fun to watch. Okay opening bouts are usually boring. Just wait till Batista is out here in the main event." I said.

"You're going to be talking about that man in your sleep." Flack rolled his eyes.

The second match was a cruiserweight match.

"This is the Helms guy I was telling you about." I told Aiden.

"You think THAT is hot?" Flack asked.

"I could take him in a real fight." Danny said.

"You two are distracting us from these muscular men." Aiden said.

Finally they announced that there was a bra and panties match between Christy Hemme and Stacey Keibler.

"What's a bra and panties match?" Aiden asked.

"Two girls fighting and you win by stripping your opponent down to their bra and panties." I explained.

"Now this is gonna be entertaining." Flack said.

Aiden and I rolled our eyes and watched as the girls were introduced. Both Christy and Stacey were pretty girls, and crowd favorites.

"You were right Rora, these girls are gorgeous." Danny said.

"What'd he call me?" I asked Aiden. She shrugged.

The bell rang and the two women were 'fighting' and trying to rip each other's clothes off.

"Girl fights with clothes coming off. God Bless America." Flack said.

"Who are you cheering for?" Danny asked him.

"In a match like this, does it matter?" Flack smiled.

Christy was able to rip Stacey's skirt off her, revealing pink panties underneath.

"Danny, wouldn't you like to take the blonde home with you?" Flack said.

Danny glanced over at me and Aiden, but didn't say anything.

A few more minutes of 'fighting' and Christy ripped Stacey's shirt off to show a matching pink bra. Stacey wasn't embarrassed; instead she hugged Christy and then strutted around in her underwear.

"She is so hott. I wonder if she's a natural blonde." Flack elbowed Danny.

"Corpo provocante." Danny said.

"What'd he say?" I asked Aiden.

"Probably something dirty." She said.

(After the Show)

"That wasn't so bad was it?" I asked the guys as we were walking back to the subway.

"It was great if you like steroid addicts in tight spandex pretending to fight each other." Danny said.

"Think you and Aiden might have one of those bra and panties matches sometime?" Flack winked and put an arm around me. "I volunteer to be the ref."

"Only if you and Messer have a boxers match…..oh wait no one wants to see you two in your underwear." Aiden said.

"Aiden, did you like the guys?" I asked her.

"They were good looking. I might have to watch this stuff on TV sometime. I liked that French guy…Sylvan." She smiled.

We got on our train. There wasn't any room because so many people were leaving MSG so we had to stand again.

"Don, you're turning into a great date." I smiled.

"I've had to do worse things then spend a few nights with a pretty girl." He smiled.

"I'm glad you decided to go." I told him.

"Me too. It was more fun than I'd like to admit." He said and kissed my cheek.

"Yeah, we got great girls." Danny said and threw and arm around Aiden.

"Danny Messer just complimented us and was sincere. I may faint." Aiden smiled and I giggled.

"Flack, you want me to take Aurora home. Make sure she's safe and all that for you?" Danny asked.

"You don't mind? I can walk her home and then catch another train." Flack said.

"Nah, I'll see she gets home safe. I live a lot closer to her than you do." Danny said.

"Thanks man, I'll owe you one." Don said.

"Just make sure Aiden gets home safe." Danny said.

When the train stopped, Danny and I got off, waving goodbye to Don and Aiden. We walked out of the station and down the street.

"Thanks for going tonight Danny. I know it wasn't your thing but you were a good guy about it." I said.

"Oh…it was fun." Danny said.

"Maybe one of these days me and Aiden will let you and Flack pick where we go." I giggled.

"What do you think of Don?" Danny asked.

"He's great. And I get the biggest kick out of female suspects that try flirting with him." I said. "The other day one was coming on strong. He looks her right in the eye, points at me and without missing a beat says 'She's my woman'."

"Flack's a good guy." Danny said.

We stopped in front of my building. I turned to Danny.

"You want to come up for awhile. I know the last time you brought me home you said you had paperwork, so I just thought I'd offer again." I said.

"You don't mind?" Danny asked.

"Not at all. It's just me and my kitty. Why don't you come up and I'll make us some coffee?" I asked.

Danny nodded. "Sounds good as long as it's not a problem."

"It's not. Come on, I even have international coffee." I winked.

Danny chuckled and followed me into my building. I lived on the third floor. He followed me up the stairs. I unlocked my apartment and flipped on the lights.

"Make yourself at home. I'll start the coffee." I said.

"You have a nice place, and it's clean. I think at any given time I have a sink of dirty dishes and laundry everywhere." Danny said.

"Thanks." I said and went to my cupboards. "You want French vanilla, Irish cream or mocha flavor?"

"Surprise me." Danny said and sat on the couch. My cat immediately jumped beside him to give him the once over. "What's the deal with the cat?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's sniffing me." Danny said.

"He's just seeing who you are. He's very friendly." I said and looked at my silver tabby who was on Danny's knee. "His name is Rammer."

"Rammer? That sounds perverted." Danny said.

"No it's the nickname of one of my favorite hockey players." I explained and started water to boil.

I saw Danny reach to pet the cat and I smiled. I walked over and sat down on the couch next to Danny.

"You didn't mention you had brothers when you were talking about your family." Danny said.

I shrugged. "I always liked my brother that was next to me, even though he was 10 years older than me. But his wife doesn't let him have contact with the family."

"10 years difference in age?" Danny was surprised.

"I told you, I was the accident. Mom had adopted 2 kids in her first marriage; dad had two kids of his own in his second marriage, then they start dating and oopps….Aurora is on the way." I said.

"What's the deal with the wife? I mean why doesn't she let him around the family." Danny asked.

"She's a psychotic slut." I said bluntly. "She is jealous of anyone he pays attention to and he's caught her cheating on him I can't tell you how many times. But he stays for the kids."

"And your other brother?" Danny asked.

"He is…I don't know the politically correct term, but he is mentally slow. He had problems being born." I explained. "He does okay though. He lives with a girlfriend and they make it work."

"Wow, sounds like a…..interesting family." Danny said.

"I am just glad that I made my own life and got away from it all." I said. "Water is boiling."

I walked into the kitchen and poured water into two mugs and mixed in the coffee. I went back to the couch and handed Danny his mug.

"Thanks." He said.

"So what about you? You keep asking me all these things about my family and growing up. What about you?" I asked.

Danny's face seemed to darken for a moment. Then he looked at me. "I played some minor league baseball."

"That's awesome. What position did you play?" I asked.

"Pitcher." He said.

"I had a cousin who was drafted to the minors by the Orioles. He could pitch a baseball on target 98 MPH. He quit and went into the army. There are days I could still choke him." I smiled.

"I was injured and had to leave." Danny said.

"Still that is so amazing that you did that. So you're a big baseball fan I bet." I said.

"Mets and Yanks." Danny smiled.

"Maybe this summer all of us can go to a game. I'd love to see the Mets play the Braves in Shea Stadium." I said.

"That sounds good, better than watching sweaty guys rolling together." He smirked.

"Oh you had fun and you know it." I laughed.

"I did. I hate to admit it, but it wasn't terrible." Danny smirked.

"What kinds of movies do you like Rora?" Danny asked.

"What did you call me?" I asked.

"Oh…does it bother you? I just thought Rora was a cute nickname for you." Danny said.

"No it's fine. I'm just so used to being called something off the wall." I laughed. "Or the ever popular, ADD."

"Movies?" Danny asked.

"Oh, well I love horror movies, but I think the older ones are the best. I like Indiana Jones, pretty much anything Liam Neeson touches." I said. "Why?"

"Well I thought maybe all of us could go out for a movie sometime. And just getting to know you. Aiden likes all those sappy love stories." Danny said.

"What movies do you like?" I asked.

"Action, kill them, blow them up, and screw the damsel in distress." Danny smirked.

"Typical man. Flack is the same way." I giggled.

"I should get going. It's getting late." Danny said and stood up.

"You can stop by anytime. Maybe bring one of those shoot them kill them movies and we'll watch it." I said. "I'll walk you to the door."

"Thanks for the tickets and all tonight. And thanks for the coffee." He said as I opened the door.

"Oh it was no problem. I loved every minute." I said.

"So I'll see you Monday? Unless someone is murdered over the weekend." Danny said. I smiled and nodded. "Buona notte, Aurora."

"Buono...Buona…" I tried to repeat him. "I know you're saying goodnight. I'm sorry I wanted to repeat it."

Danny smiled. "Buona notte." He repeated slowly.

"Buona notte." I said.

"There you got it." Danny smiled.

"It really sounds beautiful. I bet when you say that to real dates at the door you get dragged back inside and don't end up leaving until the next morning." I smiled.

"Well, tomorrow is Saturday……no work." Danny winked.

I laughed. "Well it is really beautiful." I leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

Danny smiled at me. "Buona notte."

"Buona notte, Danny." I said and shut the door as he walked down the hall.


	7. A Hero's Mistake

_Emador- I hope I did this chapter justice. And yes Flack is sexy. Especially in the Dove Commission. 'I'll give you rights...and lefts.' LOL And when he's trying to get the motorcycle tread pattern. I could be here all day if I list every time Flack is sexy, LOL. _

_BongoBaby- I watch wrestling too. Not as much as I used to because it's gotten ridiculous. (In my opinion, LOL) Glad you're still here and reading._

_XX- YAY you're back and writing your great wonderful reviews. Put the flamethrower down, LOL. And I did foam at the mouth at the thought of Flack/Lindsay. I am so glad I control the CSI:NY world in this story, LOL. And no I don't want you to flunk out of school, but still no hints. I am glad you like the way I portray Aurora. And you seem to always lose your reviews. Hmmm. And yes I know you're a Yankees fan, don't start hating Aurora when baseball season starts in this story. And what's wrong with a naughty Flackie? LOL I promise I am not purposely trying to trip you up. Things are just unfolding a certain way. _

_Meadow567- When they both look so good, why be torn? LOL _

_**Spoliers**- "The Fall"_

Flack and I were just about ready to leave for the night when we got a call. A shooting had taken place in a wine store. We hurried out there just to find a mess of blood, wine, broken glass and the storekeeper had died despite efforts. I went inside while Flack helped secure the outside of the store.

"I'm Detective Aurora Denton." I said as I walked in.

"Gavin Moran. I was first responder." the uniformed said.

"Don Flack's Gavin Moran? He talks about you all the time." I said. "I'm his partner."

"Yeah, he mentioned he was expecting one when I saw him a few months back. Nice to meet you." Gavin said.

"Okay well I'll wait here with you for CSI team and find out what else we know. Don is outside getting everything roped off." I said.

He quickly filled me in on what we knew. Flack kept everyone else out of the store until Mac and Stella walked in carrying their kits.

"Hey Mac, Stella." I said when they walked in.

"Hey Aurora. What's the deal here?" Mac asked.

"Can't tell where the blood ends and the wine begins." Gavin said.

"Actually you can. The viscosity and color are different." Stella told him. I chuckled.

"Scientists." He mumbled.

"Sgt. Moran lost him before paramedics could get here." I said. "Victim took two bullets to the back."

"Did he make a statement?" Mac asked Gavin.

"Three unknown male Hispanics, late teens, two armed." Gavin said.

"Gang bangers." Stella said.

Stella was taking pictures. Mac called her over to point out some footprints. The victim was running and was shot in the back.

"Anything else?" Mac asked.

"Bookstore clerk across the street said the three fled on foot." I said.

"Any other witnesses?" Mac asked.

Bodega owner and check cashing clerk, neither one have anything to say." Moran said. "Locals know better than to go on record against gangs."

Mac and Stella started processing evidence. I knew we'd have to depend on evidence because with gangs being involved, no one would speak against them out of fear.

"We're gonna clear out of here and let you two gather evidence. We'll be outside." I said.

Gavin and I walked outside, where an officer he was training began talking to him. I smiled at the sight, trying to picture Flack a few years ago being that trainee.

"Remember all the lessons rookie. This guy likes pop quizzes." Don said, coming down the sidewalk towards us.

I smiled as the two hugged and Flack made jokes about Moran being a tough mentor.

"This is my former charge, Donald Flack, Jr. son of the NYPD legend." Gavin said.

"Legend?" I whispered to Don who shrugged.

"Hey how's your old man?" Gavin asked.

"You know, the same." Don answered.

Stella came out of the store looking for us. "We're looking for three gang bangers. Two had .9 mm guns."

"Fled on foot, probably ditched their weapons quickly." Flack said.

"Keep me posted." Stella said and went back inside.

"I'll work perimeter." I told Don.

Don and Gavin went down the street to search for the guns that had been tossed away following the shooting. I looked in the nearby area.

Less than ten minutes later they returned with both guns. They gave them to Mac who promptly bagged them.

"Donnie, you did great out there. I'm proud of you." Gavin said.

"Thanks." Don shrugged.

"You got a great partner too. She's a good cop, even if I didn't train her." Gavin smiled at me.

"Thank you. I'm glad to finally meet you. I've heard so many stories from Don about you." I said.

"I gotta roll. Donnie, keep in touch. Denton, keep this lug in line." Moran said and climbed in his car.

I laughed as Gavin and his rookie pulled out.

"I bet you two were something else when you rode together." I said.

"He's a damn good cop." Flack said.

"Well I guess we can head out and wait to hear what Mac and Stella find. They said they got casings and surveillance video." I told him

(Station)

"Denton." I answered my phone while trying to down some coffee. It'd been a long night of talking to the dead store keeper's family and filling out reports.

"Aurora, its Mac. All the blood in the store belonged to the victim. The guns Flack and Moran found were the murder weapons." He said.

"Any prints?" I asked.

"No but they came up as matches to several unsolved shootings in the Bronx. Our main suspect is a Crazy Aces gang member." Mac said.

"Who is he?" I sighed. I hated gang violence.

"Luis Acosta. He's 18 years old. He got priors in juvy. Stella found his prints on a lighter at the scene." Mac said.

"Anything else? What did the video show?" I asked.

"The killers kid their faces well, Sunglasses and hats. They made the mistake of saying the name Hector. The Hector kid was unarmed and seemed in over his head. It was most likely his initiation into the gang." Mac said. "We're going to the Crazy Aces known hangout and see what we can find out."

"Flack and I are on the way." I said and hung up the phone. "Don, we gotta go. Mac matched prints from the scene to Luis Acosta, known gang member of the Crazy Aces. We're going now to see what we can find out at their hang out."

Don and I got in an SUV and headed to the Bronx. Gavin and Mac were going to meet us there.

"I am glad Mac and Stella caught this gang case instead of Danny." Flack said in traffic.

"Why not Danny?" I asked.

"Forget I mentioned it." Flack said.

We arrived at some decrepit building that looked condemned. Gavin and Mac were waiting for us.

"Aurora, this could get violent. These guys are dangerous and have no value for human life. Stay here and wait for us." Flack said.

"No, it's my job to be in there. I got your back just like you got mine. I'm a detective…and I don't get to pick and choose safe situations." I said.

"But…" Flack started.

"Don, I know you mean well. And I adore you for looking out for me. But I am trained, I am not afraid. And I am just as protective of you as you are me. Now I am going in there to watch your back, Mac's back and Gavin's back." I told him.

Don sighed but smiled. "You are one stubborn tough broad."

"That's detective broad to you." I winked.

"We get in there, you stick close to me." Flack said.

"This is the Aces turf. They move from one condemned building to another." Moran said as we started into the building. I kept a hand on my gun just in case.

We walked in. The gang was sitting around drinking and music was playing.

"Acosta come here." Mac said. He pointed to another one. "And you stand up."

"It's not polite to point." The gang member said.

"What's your name?" Mac was unmoved.

"Tomas Perez." He said.

"We got your escapade on video tonight." Mac said.

"Nor us. We was in here. It's cold out." Tomas said.

Flack grabbed him and put him against a wall.

"Man this is harassment." Tomas protested.

"It's a legal search." Mac said, going through his kit. The other gang members stood up, many staring at me. I kept my hand on my gun.

Flack pulled a pack of gum out of Tomas pocket. "Pack of gum. Punk knew we were coming for him and cleaned up."

Gavin had searched Luis.

"Looking for your lighter Luis?" Mac asked. "Dropped it tonight."

"Man I loose lighters all the time." Luis said.

"Where's you new friend Hector?" Mac asked.

"We don't know any Hector's." Tomas said.

"I'm testing for gunshot residue." Mac said. "Come here."

Tomas stepped forward to Mac.

"Hold out your hand." Mac said and grabbed Tomas hand. He began swabbing with a round swab.

"Man what kind of experiment is this man?" Tomas protested. "Give me cancer."

The other gang bangers laughed. I watched them, waiting for one to run or pull a gun. Flack was doing the same. I could tell by the look on Mac's face that Tomas's hands showed nothing.

"You come here." Mac said to Luis.

Gavin nudged Luis towards Mac. Mac swabbed his hands as well. Again it showed nothing. I bit back a sigh of disgust and frustration.

"You got nothing on us." Tomas said and hit fists with Luis.

Mac took off his gloves and told them he'd find evidence. I didn't pay too close attention. I was watching Don with one eye and the gang with the other.

(Station)

"The DA is pressuring Mac. As usual he's being an ass." I said to Don as we headed to meet with Mac and Stella. Don was frustrated with the whole case.

Mac met us downstairs. I shivered and pulled my scarf tighter around me.

"Mac we had two of the three right in front of us." Don sighed.

"No visible blood spatter, no GSR. They obviously washed up." Mac said.

"Chances are they know how to play the system." I said.

"What do you got?" Mac asked Stella who walked out of the station.

"Police dispatch log. That soda can that was on the video is bothering me." She said and handed the folder to Mac. "The bookstore clerk said he saw them running at 10:15. First responding officer arrived at 10:17."

"Timeline rules out retrieval." Mac sighed.

"What soda can?" I asked.

"The unarmed banger, Hector, left a soda can behind at the scene it was on the tape." Stella said.

"DNA." Don said.

"We didn't find it at the scene." Stella said. She said some brand I didn't recognize.

"Moran was the first responder on the scene." Mac said.

"And that guy's got a memory like an elephant." Flack said.

"Good, then ask him about it." Mac said.

I followed Don to a car and we hopped in to go find Moran. We drove to his precinct in the Bronx.

We walked in and found him

"Donnie, you and Denton love me that much." He said when we walked in.

"No we have a few questions." Don said. "Did you see a soda can in the wine store last night?"

"Soda can? Never saw one." Moran said.

"It was a busy scene." Flack said. "You write down everything can you check your memo book?"

"I'd remember it." Gavin said.

"Humor me Gavin." Flack said.

"If I wrote it down, I'd remember it." Moran said.

I raised an eyebrow wondering why this guy wouldn't take 3 seconds and look in his memo book.

"Look you were trying to save a guy's life. It's easy to forget something." Flack said.

"Forget something? What is that? Taylor talking?" Gavin looked offended.

Flack started to frown. "No it's me. Come on, don't make this a thing."

"It's an old game. The higher ups screw up and blame the uniforms. I never thought you'd be that way Donnie." Gavin said.

I could see the hurt on Don's face.

"Give me your memo book." Don had heard enough.

"What, that an order?" Gavin asked.

"If you need it to be." Don said.

Gavin stared for a moment than slapped the memo book into Don's hand and walked away.

"What's going on with him Don?" I asked.

Don shook his head and didn't answer. "Let's head back. I'll buy you lunch."

(Station)

Don had been staring at Gavin's notebook for an hour and barely touched his lunch. I walked over and sat on the edge of his desk.

"What's it say?" I asked.

"He scratched something out here. I don't like that." Don said.

"Could've been a mistake. Just wrote the wrong thing." I said, trying to sound hopeful. In the back of my mind I had to wonder what was going on with Gavin Moran.

"I don't know what to do, Rora. Gavin is my friend, my mentor. I love the guy. But something isn't adding up." Don said.

"I am sure everything can be explained." I said.

"Think Mac or Stella could tell me what he scratched out here?" Don asked.

"Yeah, they have some way of bringing up the words underneath the ink." I said.

"I'm gonna see if they can do that under the table. I don't want this on Gavin's record." Flack said and stood up.

"Let me know what you find out. And if you need anything, I'm here." I said.

I watched Don walk towards the lab. I could tell this was hurting him and he wanted to clear Gavin's name.

I tried sitting at my desk to get some work done, but I couldn't concentrate. I was worried about Don and the questions of the case were nagging at me. I gave up and headed for the lab myself.

"Rora, what are you doing here?" Don asked.

"I couldn't just sit and wait. I decided to come with you." I said.

"Stella said she had something. I'm on my way now." He said.

"I'm right behind you." I said and followed Don into a back room of the lab.

"Hey you were right. Moran used two inks. Both black, two separate pens." Stella said as we walked in.

We looked at the screen she was pointing at. It was Moran's notebook cleaned up without the scratches.

"He used the first pen to write down descriptions given to him by the victim as he was dying." Stella said. "Then he used a second pen to obliterate this section about Hector, soda can, scar, right cheek."

"Maybe Moran thought he heard wrong?" Flack asked, looking confused and hurt.

"On all three points?" Stella was skeptical. "He purposely withheld the victim's dying declaration. Moran took that soda can."

"Hey we don't know that." Flack protested.

"He couldn't have gotten far; I'm going back to the scene." Stella started out.

"Stella wait, I'll do it." Flack said, but sounded resigned. "I rode with him for four years. I know how he thinks."

"Alright." Stella said.

I followed Don out of the lab. He was quiet the entire ride to the wine store in the Bronx. I let him be lost in his own thoughts.

"Where do you want to start?" I asked when we pulled up at the crime scene.

Flack didn't answer. He just looked around the area, not speaking. I had to wonder if he remembered I was there.

Suddenly Don crossed the street and I hurried to follow him. He reached in a garbage can and started sifting through items. He pulled a bag out of the garbage and inside was a soda can. Same strange brand Stella had mentioned. I saw Flack's face drop and his eyes go blank.

"I guess that's our can." I said, not sure of what else to say.

Don nodded. "We need to get this to the lab."

I nodded and followed Don back to the car. He drove in silence. It was heavy in the air because we always talked, listened to the radio or something when in the car.

Stella and Mac were waiting at the station for us.

"This doesn't make any sense. I know this guy." Don said.

"A cop on the same beat for 20 years makes ties." Stella said.

"With Gang members?" Don was indignant. "No way Stella. I know Garvin Moran; he is not on the take."

"An hour ago you swore he would've never tampered with evidence." Stella said.

I hated this whole situation. A man was killed in cold blood, Don's mentor was now accused of tampering with evidence, Don was miserable and Mac and Stella were only trying to do their jobs. Worst of all, the killers were still free.

"He helped me find the guns. He tried to save the victim. It just doesn't add up." Flack insisted.

"Wait a minute, we're getting ahead of ourselves until we can confirm this is the evidence we're looking for." Mac said and headed for the lab.

Don and I headed back to the station. He looked tired and I was really starting to worry. I made him a cup of coffee and sat down at my desk. Don didn't touch the coffee, just pretending to do paperwork.

After an hour later my cell phone rang. "Denton." I answered.

"Aurora, its Mac. I got the results from the DNA on the can Flack found." He said.

"We're on our way." I said and hung up. "Don, DNA on the can is in, let's go."

We hurried to the lab. Don seemed nervous. We walked into Mac's office where Stella was waiting with Mac.

"What's the deal?" I asked.

"We got Gavin Moran's DNA on the can Flack found." Mac said.

"Gavin Moran was in the gang's pocket." Stella said.

"I don't think Moran did it for the money. The DNA donors have genetic profiles that indicate they're father and son." Mac said.

Flack scoffed. "That can't be right. Gavin has twin daughter at Boston College."

"Same beat 20 years." Stella said.

"Flack, the banger named Hector. He's Moran's son." Mac said.

I closed my eyes as it all made sense. He was protecting his son. Don looked like someone had just punched him in the gut.

"We need to go talk to him." Mac said.

Don nodded but seemed confused. Don and Mac left to find Gavin. I went down the hall of the lab. I found Aiden in the beak room.

"You look ready to cry. What's the mater?" she asked.

"Long day. I hate this. We have an innocent man killed in cold blood, by people we have little evidence on. We know they did though. And now Flack's mentor is involved with evidence tampering and Flack is upset. And Mac and Stella are only doing their jobs but its hurting Flack. I feel caught in the middle because I love them all." I sighed.

"It'll be alright." She said.

"I hope so. I am worried about Don. He's taking this hard." I said.

"Don is a strong guy. He'll be hurt but he'll get through it." Aiden said.

"Yeah. I just wish there was more I could do for him." I said.

"Just be there for him. It'll mean a lot to him." She said.

I nodded and headed back to the station. Don was sitting at his computer looking a bit confused and lost.

"Don?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Mac wants me to run Moran's financials…find Hector's mother...I feel like I am betraying him."

I put my arm around him. "I'll do it. I'll look through his records and see if I can find the mother. That way you won't feel like you've betrayed him."

Don looked so sad. "I want to be here though."

I nodded and sat down beside him and started typing.

"Rora….I know I've kinda ignored you today and through it all you've been supportive and trying to help…..I just want you to know I appreciate it." Don said.

I squeezed his hand. "Friends do that for each other. You're not just my partner anymore. You're my friend, I love you and I'm always here when you need me."

Flack gave a small smile.

I typed through the records and finally found that Gavin had been writing checks to Blanca Vasquez of the Bronx.

"Here it is Flack. Hector's mother is most likely Blanca Vasquez. Moran has been making checks out to her for years." I said.

"Child support." Flack sighed.

"You going to Mac now?" I asked.

"Yeah." Flack sighed again and stood up.

I touched his arm. "Don, Mac isn't the bad guy. He wants to help Gavin all he can. And he wants to help Hector before the Crazy Aces kill him. A lot is on the line here."

Flack nodded and walked on.

I called Mac. "Taylor."

"Mac, Flack is on his way. What do you know?" I asked.

"Gavin fathered a son when he was a new cop. He probably saved some girl and she got carried away thanking him. Next thing he knows, he's got a son. He requested to stay on the same beat all those years, most likely to keep on eye on Hector. But a Dominican kid with a white dad has something to prove. That's where the Crazy Aces come in. Hector gets in over his head, and Gavin tries to protect him. We have to find that kid." Mac said.

"Flack has the information on the mother." I said. "Call me if you need me."

(Later)

I was trying to grab dinner when my cell phone rang again. "Denton"

"Rora, Hector failed his initiation and now the Crazy Aces want him dead. He's hiding somewhere. We just talked to his mom." Flack said. "I am on my way back to the station. Mac and Stella are going over an answering machine message from Hector. He told his mom not to answer the door if Tomas Perez showed up."

"That kid is running scared." I said.

"Be ready to roll the minute we get a location on him." Flack said and hung up.

Don walked in the door when his phone rang. "Flack…..we're on it."

"What's up?" I asked.

"We think we know where Hector is hiding. A warehouse his mom used to work at. Mac and Stella are on their way." Flack said.

"Let's get that kid before Crazy Aces does." I said and hurried with Flack out of the station.

At the warehouse, I went to the roof with Mac while Stella and Flack went through the warehouse floor by floor.

"Can we really get Hector and Gavin a break? Can we help them?" I asked Mac.

"If they cooperate. I am going to do all I can for them both." Mac said.

"Hey Mac, he's coming up towards you. We're gonna cover the perimeter." Stella radioed up to us.

Hector ran across the roof, Mac and I took off after him. He ran in another door of the building and we couldn't see him. Mac and I both kept a hand on our guns.

"Son, it's okay." Mac called out. I knew this kid had to be scared to death.

Hector took out from behind some pipes and tried climbing up a pipe along the wall. Mac pulled him down and held him in place.

"I didn't do anything." Hector yelled.

"You're going to help us prove that." Mac said.

Mac cuffed him and dragged him through the building and out. Hector was fighting all the way. Flack was silent all the way back to the station.

"Mac, let me talk to Hector for a minute." I said and walked into the interrogation room.

"I ain't telling you nothing." Hector said.

"Listen, I know you're scared. But you need to cooperate with us." I said.

"I don't trust cops." Hector said.

"We're not bad guys. I know about your father. And no matter how you feel about him, he stuck his neck out trying to protect you and now he is in a lot of trouble." I said.

"Why should I care?' Hector said.

"Because if you don't help us. The Crazy Aces will kill you, or your mother." I said. "Just trust us. We want to help you."

Hector sat silent.

"Detective Taylor is gonna come in now. He's a very good man. You can trust him." I said and walked out.

"He's all yours Mac." I said.

Mac nodded and walked in to talk to Hector.

(Later)

"Rora, the DA is going to prosecute Hector and hang Gavin is we don't get some more evidence." Flack said and sat on my desk.

"All about his appearance" I sighed. "He gets to look good on the evening news and a kid in the wrong place at the wrong time suffers."

"Mac said he'll get evidence to prove Hector's statements." Flack said.

"He will. Mac is a good detective." I said.

"Mac and Stella were going back to the wine store to see what they could find." Flack said.

Don looked tired and drained. I sympathized with him.

Don and I got some paperwork done. Don's phone rang and it was Mac saying we needed to find Tomas Perez and serve a warrant for his jacket. Mac was hoping there was wine spatter on it.

"I feel like I have never had such a busy day and a half." I said as I followed Flack to an SUV.

"I know how you feel." Flack said. Mac climbed in the backseat.

We rode to the Bronx and found Tomas Perez. Mac and Flack searched him while I watched for other gang members to show up.

Flack found a gun on Perez. "What, you carry a gun now?"

"I found that in the street. I was on my way to turn it in." Perez said.

I rolled my eyes but kept a look out.

"Don't bother looking for Hector, we found him first." Mac said. "He told us an interesting story. Take off your jacket."

"My jacket?" Perez repeated.

"We got a warrant for it maggot." Flack yelled and showed him the warrant.

Tomas took off his jacket and gave it to Mac who bagged it. We then headed back to the station for what felt like the 5ooth time that day.

"Aurora, why don't you head home? I can handle the case from here." Flack said.

"No, this is my case too. We're in this together and we're gonna see it through." I said.

"You're tired." He said.

"So are you." I told him.

My phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, we got a match on the wine. Perez had spatter on his jacket from the bottle in line with the bullet."

"We have enough to Hector and Gavin a deal?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll be right over." He said.

I hung up and turned to Flack. "Mac is on his way over. We got the evidence we needed. We can help Hector and Gavin."

"That's good." Flack said, but seemed unsure.

I wished I knew what to say, but I didn't.

When Mac walked in, he updated us on the case.

"The DA is moving fast on Acosta and Perez. Hector is getting a deal." Mac said.

"And Moran?" Flack asked hesitantly.

"I'm on my way to pick him up now." Mac said.

"Mac?" Flack said.

"He tampered with evidence. He forfeited his badge. He knew that. You need to know that." Mac said.

"I do." Don said quietly.

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. There were no winners in this case. It was a very sad situation.

"I have a request." Don said. "Let me bring him out and be the arresting officer."

Mac nodded. I stood up and followed them out of the building. I wasn't really needed, but wanted to be there for Don. Mac must have seen the stress on my face because he put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I laid my cheek against it hand, thankful for the support.

At the Bronx station I stayed outside with Mac when Don went in to get Gavin Moran.

"You okay?" Mac asked.

"I wish it didn't happen like this." I said.

"Gavin Moran will be okay. The DA is going to just force retirement and save his pension. He'll still be arrested, but it's a nice deal." Mac said. "DA is afraid going after Moran will hurt his case against Perez and Acosta."

In a few minutes, Don and Gavin walked out of the building. I walked over and joined them as they climbed in the car. No cuffs for Gavin. Flack let him keep his dignity. We pulled out. Gavin called his lawyer on the way to central booking.

We took Gavin Moran in and saw that he was treated with respect before we headed back to the station one last time that day. Flack wouldn't speak. He was quiet and stared through the windshield.

When we walked in, Flack quietly went to his desk and didn't speak. I was tired and upset myself. I went to take a shower.

When I was done showering, I dressed in casual clothes, grabbed my things and decided to head home. When I walked out, Don was still at his desk, staring at his reports, not moving.

I walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move. "Don, I know this is been rough….I just want you to know that if you need anything. I'm here. Call me, you know where I live….anything just let me know."

I started to walk away but them turned back. Don looked up at me but still didn't say anything.

"Look, I don't know if it matters or not, but I am damn proud of you. You handled this case so well for the circumstances." I said and started to tear up which is the last thing Don needed so I fought back tears. "You could've hidden that soda can, not gave Mac the evidence, but you did the right thing. And I am so proud of you. And deep in my heart I can't hold what Gavin did against him. He was protecting his son; paternal instincts are a strong thing and none of us know how we'd handle it in his shoes."

I took a deep breath and refused to cry again. "And I know how it feels when people you love disappoint you, hurt you, and let you down. So I understand how you feel. I just wanted you to know all that."

I turned and hurried out of the building. I was crying pretty hard by the time I reached the front steps. I stopped and grabbed the railing.

"Aurora, what's wrong?" Stella asked. I hadn't seen her as I rushed out.

"This whole thing with Flack…I feel like it's happened to me. I just wish there was something I could do to help. He doesn't seem to want help." I started crying more.

Stella gave me a hug. "Don will come around. Just being there for him is best."

"I know how he's feeling. I know that pain. And I hate to see him go through it." I said.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, it's me." Don said. "Would you mind coming over tonight? Just staying with me awhile. I really don't want to be alone right now."

I smiled and wiped my eyes and cleared my voice so Don wouldn't know I had been crying.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am just outside the station. I ran into Stella and stopped to chat. I'll be right back in and I'll just go home with you." I said.

"Thanks and I'm…..I'm glad you care so much about me." Don said.

I smiled and hung up. "Maybe he'll let me help him after all."

Stella smiled. "I got to go. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Thanks. I'll just dry my eyes before I go back in." I said.

Stella walked down the street. I dried my eyes and took a deep breath and walked back into the station. Don was getting his jacket on when I walked back in.

"You gonna be okay?' I asked.

"Yeah." He said and I hugged him. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

"How about I fix us some dinner? You take a nice hot shower and relax. And we'll watch a DVD or something. You can pick it out." I said and we started out of the station together.

"That sounds great. I get to pick the movie?' He smiled.

"Yeah, but I warn you. Even as much as I love horror movies, anything too gruesome and I'll be clinging to you and burying my face in your neck." I said.

"And the bad part of that?" Don smirked. "Wait you're a cop and movies gross you out after some of the stuff we see?"

"We never see an alien popping out of people's bellies. We never see a man you shoot, stab, blow up and beat up still keep walking." I laughed.

"Fair enough…..is 'Hostel' on DVD yet?" he asked and I could tell he was kidding.

"I'm sorry I mentioned I got grossed out." I said and we stepped onto the sidewalk. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I got great support." He said and put an arm around me.

I smiled. "Let's go."

We started walking down the street. "Hey Aurora….who was the person that hurt you and let you down?" Don asked.

I looked up at him. "My mother."


	8. Movie Night

_Pnkrckprncss- Time will tell, I don't want to ruin any surprises. Just be patient, LOL._

_BongoBaby- If they'd get rid of the McMahon's it'd all be better! Hope you enjoy this chappie._

_Meadow567- Well when you wake up, you can read this chappie! LOL _

_XX- Not to be a party pooper, but I hate this Danny?Lindsay stuff on the show. Its so cliché. Just once I want to see a show where they don't hook up the obvious couple. I'd actually rather see Flack and Lindsay hook up. Or Lindsay and Mac. Maybe Lindsay dies and Mac forgives Aiden! And just relax, it'll all come out in time who gets who. And don't flunk school. And I love your reviewing record. Keep it up! _

_BridgetLynn- Siblings? Hmmm, not what I was going for. But glad you are reading the story. Hope you enjoy future chapters._

_Emador- You love anything Flack does. He could stand cross-eyed singing 'I'm a Little Teapot' and you'd faint! LOL _

"Aurora, what's up?" Aiden asked. I was walking through the lab on my way out for the night.

"Not much just headed out." I said.

"How's Flack doing?" Danny asked.

"Better. He's talked to Gavin over the past week and seems to be doing better." I said.

It had been a week since Flack's mentor had been in trouble for tampering with evidence. Don and I had hung out a lot the previous weekend. Now Flack seemed to be falling back into routine.

"I was gonna head over to his place later and watch a few movies. You ladies want to join us?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I think Don would like that." I said.

"How about comedies? I could use a good laugh and I'm sure Don could too." Aiden said.

"Sounds great." I said.

"Well go ahead and say it." Danny said.

"Say what?" I asked.

"That I am Aiden's 'date' and Don is yours." Danny smirked.

"Fine, you're my date." Aiden said and rolled her eyes.

"Don might be getting tired of being my date." I said.

"Trust me, he's not. I see the girls he has real dates with." Danny said.

"You're one to talk Messer. I remember that Lisa from last year." Aiden said.

"Don't bring her up." Danny said.

"Why? What was the story on this girl?" I asked Aiden.

"First of all she was the most arrogant, full of herself, and rude person. She really thought she was better than everyone. And she also thought she could sing like Celine Dion…problem is Lisa's singing sounded like a bull being castrated with rusty gardening tools. She taught music in junior high…I don't know how the students stand it." Aiden said.

I started laughing. "Danny, what did you see in her?"

"I was bored." He shrugged.

"Try getting a hobby. Try knitting." I winked and he scowled. "Was she pretty at least?"

"Hardly…she had this nasty short red hair and wide hips." Aiden said.

"Enough, I didn't date her long. I never even screwed her." Danny sighed.

"You know she's bad when she's so ugly Danny won't screw her." Aiden laughed.

"Hey I am very picky about the women I choose to leave so satisfied that another man will never be able to compete." Danny said.

"Are you two done? I'd like to call Flack and see if he's home yet." I said.

"Go ahead and call him." Aiden laughed.

(Flack's Apartment)

Flack opened the door to his apartment and let us in. Aiden, Danny and I had met him at his apartment since he's left an hour ahead of us.

"Hey we brought the snacks." I said.

"And I brought the girls." Danny joked.

"Come on in. Rora said comedy so I grabbed a few from my DVD collection." Don said.

"What do you got?" I asked sitting on the couch next to Don and sifting through his pile of DVD's.

"I'm gonna make popcorn." Aiden said.

'The Wedding Singer', "A Night at the Roxbury', 'Shallow Hal', 'Be Cool'…..Don had some funny movies there.

"I vote for 'Shallow Hal'." I said.

"That's a good one. I haven't seen it in a while." Aiden said.

"Then pop it in." Danny said and squeezed in beside me.

"Where is Aiden supposed to sit?" I asked.

Danny patted his lap and smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"I like the floor so I can stretch out." Aiden said and brought in a big bowl of popcorn.

Don put in the movie. It was one of my favorite comedies. I ended up holding the popcorn, while Danny and Don picked at it.

"Wow that is one big girl." Danny said.

"Would you ever date someone that size?' I asked Danny.

"Naw, I am sure she has a great personality and all….but I just love nice body I can wrap my arms around." He answered.

"I went to college with a guy who preferred big girls." I said.

"Really? Why?" Danny looked confused.

"He said fat girls gave the best blowjobs." I said.

"What does a woman's size have to do with how well they do that?" Aiden asked.

"His theory was, fat girls work hard, practice and get very good at giving head because they know they have to keep a man happy to keep him. He also said fat girls were so happy to get attention they gladly give blowjobs. He was quite a pig." I said.

"Still I wonder if there is any truth to that line of thinking." Flack smiled.

"DONALD!" I pretended to be indignant.

"Hey…I didn't say I was going to try it." He laughed.

"And you didn't say you weren't." I giggled.

"I went to college with a guy who preferred pregnant girls." Aiden said.

"Why pregnant?" I asked.

"He said that if she was already pregnant, he couldn't get her pregnant…perfect birth control. And if she's pregnant, she's got experience." She explained.

I turned to Don. "No cruising the La Maz classes."

He laughed at me and kissed my forehead.

We turned back to the movie and watched a bit more. I loved the movie and thought it was so sweet that Hal joined the Peace Corps to be with Rosemary.

"That is nice that he proposes to her in the end." Aiden said.

"What kind of proposal do you want Aiden?" I asked.

"I don't care how the guy proposes, I just want a diamond the size of a doorknob." She joked. "You?"

"I want proposed to in Victory Lane of the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway." I said.

"No more NASCAR." Flack said. "I let her listen to a race the other day and she nearly beat me to death she was so excited because some Saddle guy won."

"That is Elliott Sadler." I said and rolled my eyes.

"What's you're dream man?" Aiden asked.

"Me." Danny smirked.

"Yeah right Messer, I know your type of man. You tongue kiss on the first kiss and then your hands go straight up a girl's shirt." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Hey, never know when I'll get a call into the field, I gotta work fast." Danny winked.

"Don't you hate it when a guy French kisses you for the first kiss?" I said to Aiden. "First kisses are supposed to be soft and sweet and gentle."

"Oh I know." Aiden said.

"I dunno, I guess after the last few disastrous relationships I've had….my dream guy is just someone that will love me the way I am." I said.

"Danny and I didn't sign up for girl talk." Flack said.

"We're sorry." I said and laid my head on his shoulder. "Put in another movie."

Don got up and put in 'Be Cool'.

"Wait a minute….all the hassle you gave me about going to see wrestling and you have a movie with The Rock in it?" I put my hands on my hips.

"I like Uma Thurman." Flack shrugged.

"I hated that Aerosmith was in this movie. I hate them." I said.

"Why?" Don asked.

"Long story. The only song of theirs that is half-descent is 'Dream On' and that's only because it's at the end of 'Miracle'." I told him.

"I'm gonna have to see this movie and see what is so damn exciting." Don said.

I leaned back to watch the movie. It was rather funny seeing The Rock play a gay character. I wasn't much of an Uma Thurman fan, but she did okay in this role. Although for a new widow she jumped into bed with John Travolta awfully fast.

Danny yawned and stretched and put his arm around me. I looked up at him and he gave me that smirk of his.

"Don, I'm your 'date' and Danny has his arm around me." I said with a wink.

Don looked at Danny. "You wanna take this outside?" he joked.

Aiden popped up and smacked Danny's knee. "You're my date and you do this right in front of me?" she pretended to pout.

We all started laughing and got back to the movie. I think Andre 3000 is the worst gangster ever in this movie. I wondered if the gangs in the movie would bother Flack after recent events, but he seemed unaffected. He laughed along with the rest of us when Andre mistakenly shot his gun. And when The Rock was dancing at the MTV awards.

"Wow, its getting late. I should get going. Mac and I are meeting for breakfast in the morning." I said.

"Yeah me too. My brother is supposed to visit tomorrow." Aiden said.

"And I should head home. I have laundry to do." Danny said.

"You always have laundry to do." Flack laughed.

"Yeah, I know. It's not my thing so I let it pile up." Danny shrugged.

"You make sure both girls get home safe?" Don asked.

"Yeah, I'll put Aiden in a cab and then me and Rora can ride the subway home." Danny said.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later then." Don said as we all stood up.

I grabbed my jacket. Danny put an arm around me and Aiden.

"The threesome back together again." Danny smiled.

"Danny that case was a month ago." I rolled my eyes.

"Doesn't mean it's too late to take their suggestion." He smirked.

I laughed. "Don, call me if you need anything."

"I will. Goodnight." He said.

"Night, Don." Aiden and Danny called out and we walked out.

We walked down to the street where Danny hailed a cab for Aiden. We waved goodbye to her and then started for the subway.

"It's late, subway should be empty." Danny said.

"That's good. Sometimes these trains get so crowded…I think I've been felt up a few times." I said.

"Trick is get somewhere with your back to the wall if you can." Danny said.

As we predicted, the subway was empty. Danny and I were the only two people in the car we were in.

"How is Flack really?" Danny asked.

"Good. I think Gavin getting that deal made it a lot easier on Don. But part of him still feels like he betrayed Gavin. And he's so hurt that one of his heroes let him down." I said. "I know how he feels, I've been there."

"Is that part of your family problems?" Danny asked. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry."

"It's fine. I am so numbed to it anymore. Yeah……it hurts a lot when you're the unwanted child." I said.

"I am sure your mother wanted you." Danny said.

"No, she didn't. Dad was another story. That man loved me more than anything. But mom…she already had her special child. My sister Angie……she walks on water in my mother's eyes. She can do no wrong and is perfect. I realized at three years old that mom loved her more than me. That hurts a little child." I said.

"I don't understand……your dad loved you but your mom didn't?" Danny said.

"I am not saying she didn't love me….she just made it very obvious who the favorite was. See when mom was married the first time she adopted two children. My sister Angie and brother Chuck. But Angie was her favorite child even then. Then mom was widowed and started dating my dad who was newly divorced…..then they got married very fast because mom was pregnant." I said. "And all my life I've been compared to Angie, and no matter what I did it was never as good as her. Daddy was the only person who really loved me and was proud of me. Do you know what it feels like when you make the Dean's List at college but all your mom can talk about it your sister's sonogram showed a baby girl?"

"No…..that must've been rough." Danny said.

"And mom always told me I was crazy, this was all in my head. But I knew better. The differences are obvious when it's MY graduation party but mom is just worried about my sister making it in for it. Or when mom takes back Christmas gifts for me and dad so she can buy more for Angie's kids. That's another thing…when Angie had kids, I ceased to exist……Oh Danny I am so sorry. I didn't mean to start telling my life story to you." I said.

"It's okay. I did ask." Danny said.

"Yeah….well that was just part of it all, but the point is, I know what it's like to be let down by someone you love. That's why I've tried so hard to be there for Don the past week. No one was there for me; I went through it all alone." I said.

"Sounds like you had a great dad though." Danny said.

I smiled but choked up. "That man was the best. I know he loved me. To this day at home, I'll be out shopping and men will come up to me. They recognize me from pictures dad carried in the mill with him."

"Hey don't cry. Tonight was a fun night. No more sad talk. We'll talk baseball." Danny said and put an arm around me.

I laughed and sniffed. "Why baseball?"

"It'll calm you down from being upset." Danny said.

"I thought you were supposed to think of baseball to distract you from being turned on?" I asked.

"That never works. I don't how thinking of baseball is supposed to get rid of a hard-on when baseball involves balls, scoring and homeruns." Danny winked.

I laughed. "Messer, you're so cute sometimes."

"There is that smile. And I am cute all the time." He smirked.

"So baseball…..Sox kicking ass in spring training." I said.

"Shhh, you want to get shot bragging like that." Danny laughed.

"Oh fine, but they are still doing great. Of course Johnny Damon the little turncoat….."

Danny laughed. "See baseball cheered you right up. And the BoSox might be doing good, but your Braves suck." Danny said.

"They always suck in spring training. Then they always win their division and get knocked out of the playoffs. Its tradition, like Thanksgiving." I giggled.

The train stopped at out stop and we got off. We walked up the stairs and out of the subway station towards my building.

"You know tonight was fun. It was just like being at the movies…we had popcorn, soda…everything but the making out in the back row." I laughed.

"Next time we can kick Aiden and Don out and go for it. Or my apartment is just across the bridge from yours. We could be there pretty quick and I have a DVD player and large couch. We could make the whole movie theater experience complete." Danny winked.

"How about next time, I just drag you behind the couch and we can make out." I laughed.

"I like a woman who takes control." Danny smirked.

"I told you before. You're not man enough to handle me." I winked.

"I think I can….wanna prove me wrong?" he smirked.

"Not enough of a challenge." I laughed. "You're really sweet Danny. I appreciate you volunteering to bring me home. And being so understanding about…what we talked about on the train."

"You're welcome. But don't let that get around, it'll ruin my reputation." Danny said like it was a big secret.

"I won't tell. But thanks for everything. I think you and Don are spoiling me too much. When you guys get real girlfriends, I won't know what to do with myself." I said.

We stopped in front of my building.

"You're welcome to come up for awhile." I said as we walked me to the building door.

"I'll take a rain check. I seriously have to do laundry. I am running out of clean underwear." Danny said.

I laughed. "Go commando."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "You ever do that?"

I shook my head. "Can't tell you." I giggled.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "I'll see you at work."

I nodded. "Buona notte."

Danny smiled. "You remembered."

"I told you, it's beautiful." I smiled.

Danny took my hand and kissed it. "Buona notte su stanotte stregata."

Danny turned and walked back down the sidewalk. I smiled and walked inside my building.


	9. Past and Present

_Meadow567- Glad you're awake. I didn't faint because I have pics on my computer of Danny in wifebeaters. But I know the feeling of waiting to faint, LOL._

_XX- (ducks shovel) I think Mac and Lindsay would be cute together. He's all grieving and serious, she's the young country girl. Hey anything is better than cliché. I hate predictability. And I love the NYC accents. But Vicaro will be making another appearance and if I get mad, Aurora and him might just fall in love. LOL Lisa is based on a girl I know but don't really like. Laci with Flack a few chapters back is the same deal. There will be several inside jokes in this story, the Miracle mentions are a few. There is lots to come with Rora and her mom. I have so many plots running at once, I could generate electricity .LOL And there will be lots of baseball talk so hold on tight and try not to foam at the mouth. And why wouldn't you like the hand kiss? And you'll find out later what the Italian meant. _

_BridgetLynn- Thanks for the review. I hope you keep enjoying the story. I am glad you like the chemistry because often with OC's its hard to write good chemistry._

_Emador- Okay, no fainting or melting. And that victory lane proposal was what I wanted form Adam Petty, but he was killed. _

_**Spoliers-** "The Dove Commission" _

I had just walked into my apartment for the evening when my cell phone started ringing.

"Denton." I answered.

"Aurora, I am on my way to get you now. There was a shooting at some big police party. Some big shot is down. This is huge. Be ready." Don sounded wound up.

"I'm ready, I'll be down front." I said. I locked my door and headed back down the stairs.

I was by my building door only a few minutes when Don pulled up. I jumped in the car with him.

"What do we have?" I asked as Don quickly.

"Big party with some police officials. They were apparently putting it on to celebrate the release of his big investigation." Flack said.

"The Dove Commission." I said.

"Yeah, anyway. There was a big shooting. CSI is on their way. And be ready for a media circus." He told me.

I nodded. We pulled up at the building where activity was going on everywhere and went inside, up to the floor the party had been on. There was glass everywhere. Blood, people dead on the floor. I shook my head and started questioning witnesses with Flack.

Mac and Stella walked in. Don and I walked over to let them know what was up.

"Welcome to the biggest case of the year." Don said. "Dead on the dance floor is the chief investigator of the Dove Commission, Dan Stanwyk."

"An independent collection of judges and attorneys with one function. Expose the weaknesses of the NYPD." Mac said.

"I thought they were looking for dirty cops?" I was confused.

Stella nodded. "Last time they published that was what, 92…there are officers still in jail because of that document."

We walked over to the DOA's.

"Word on the street is that this report is far more damaging than the one in 92." Flack said.

"According to witnesses, everyone was just having fun and the commission was having a celebratory toast when all hell broke loose." I said. "Rumor is, the report is being released to the media tomorrow at 5:00."

"What about the woman?" Stella asked.

"She's collateral damage. Her name is Charlotte DuBois. Her best friend Grace Walderson is sitting over there." Flacks said and pointed to a woman police were trying to calm down.

"I'm gonna get her some water." I said and went to help Grace. She smiled as I handed her a bottle of water.

Stella gave out orders to the CSI team, while Flack and I double checked with witnesses.

"Flack, we got media. Don't those sick bastards have any respect for the dead or understand this is a crime scene." I pointed to the camera and reporter I just spotted walk in.

"I'm getting that bastard out of here." Flack said.

Flack marched across the floor. "Kronkite, you can't film here. This is a crime scene."

"Please, please, please. I was here before the shooting covering the release of the Dove Commission Report. I'm well within my rights." The reporter said.

"You keep filming and I'm gonna give you rights. And lefts." Flack said. "Now take a walk. Now."

Flack more or less pushed the media towards the door. "Back to your nest you vultures." He said as they left.

I bit back a laugh and walked over to him. "You handled that well."

"They pissed me off." Flack said.

I smiled. I liked watching his temper and humor. "I am so gonna marry you someday."

"Fine, we'll pick out a china pattern this weekend." Don said with a smirk.

My cell rang again. "Who could that be? You're right here." I said to Flack and opened my phone. "Denton."

"Denton, we got a dead man near the subway in the street." It was dispatch.

"I'm on my way. Do me a favor. Contact CSI." I said and hung up.

"Flack, dead body by the subway. I'm gonna take it, but you keep me updated on this. Someone is shooting at cops and I want to know why." I said.

Don nodded. "If you need anything, call me."

I hurried out the door and down to grab a car and head to the next crime scene.

(TPPOV)

"She's a feisty one." Mac said to Flack after Aurora left.

"That is one walking ball of fire. But it makes her a great detective. She never complains about the hours, cares for every victim." Flack said.

"I've worked cases with her. She has a special quality you don't see in every detective." Mac said. "I require it for everyone in my unit……it's hard to explain. If she was a scientist, I'd hire her in an instant."

"I think we're damn lucky to have her. Pittsburgh doesn't know what they lost." Flack said.

"Are you and Aurora…dating?" Mac asked.

Flack smirked. "No…we spend a lot of time together, on and off duty, but we're not dating. Why do you ask?"

"Just being a good investigator." Mac said.

Flack narrowed his eyes, wondering what Mac was thinking.

(FPPOV)

I arrived at the crime scene in a pouring rain. As always despite the murder taking place in the street, no one saw a thing. I hated blinders that big city folks wore. A man was lying dead out of a car, but no one sees anything.

"What do we got?" Aiden asked as she and Danny walked up, kits in hand.

"I didn't touch the car, left that for you two. Right now we have male DOA. No one saw a thing." I said.

"Let's get started on the car. The rain is working against us." Danny said.

They went to the car and started processing it.

Aiden pulled out a wallet and looked for ID. "Fernando Reyes." She said.

"Gypsy cabdriver." Danny said.

"The only ones that will come into this neighborhood." Aiden said.

Aiden snapped off some pictures.

"When will these guys ever learn?" Danny said.

"Most dangerous job in New York. 180 murdered since 1980." Aiden said.

"They do things on the up and up and get a legit hack license maybe he wouldn't be number 181." Danny said.

Aiden and I both looked at him.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Aiden said.

"I got issues with gypsy cabdrivers." Danny said.

"What kind of issues?" Aiden asked.

"Don't worry about it, let's finish the scene." Danny said.

She and I shrugged and got back to the car.

"Danny the guy was trying to make a living. One of those fancy cabs…he'd be paying on it the rest of his life." I said.

"Pay it off the rest of your life or with your life. That's an easy decision in my book." Danny said.

I shook my head.

"Looks like a straight up robbery/homicide. All his cash is gone." Aiden said.

"The MO is weird though. Gypsy cab driver are usually murdered with guns. This guy was stabbed like an animal." Danny said.

"So the guy robs the driver, grabs the cash and runs for it. This close to the subway…chances are that's where he ran to." I said.

"Potential witnesses?" Aiden asked.

"Talk to some of these transit guys." Danny said.

Aiden found a transit employee among the crowd of gawkers. I'll never understand wanting to see murder for fun.

"Excuse me? You working tonight?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I came up for air." The guy said. He was eating some kind of candy.

"See anything strange in say the past half hour down there?" Danny asked.

"Only every five minutes. There are a bunch of wackos down there." Transit guy said.

"No one hopped the turnstile?' I asked.

"Not that I saw." He said. "I came up for a break; saw the guy dead in his car. One of the neighbors called 911."

"Thanks." I said as we walked away.

"These gypsy cab drivers have no dispatch, no passenger log. How we gonna find out where this guy was going?" Aiden asked. "It's gonna tough."

"We got the body, let's start with that." Danny said.

(Morgue)

Danny, Aiden and I walked in to see Hawkes together. We were hoping he'd give us somewhere to start our investigation.

"How's our gypsy cabdriver Doc? You bring him back to life?" Danny asked. "So he can just tell us who killed him."

"I haven't attended that seminar yet." Hawkes smiled. "But his fingernails are doing an awful lot of talking."

Hawkes held up Reyes' hand.

"That blood?" I asked.

"Yeah, this guy put up one hell of a fight." Hawkes said. "He's also got defensive wounds. And it doesn't end there."

Hawkes turned the body over for us to show more bruises on his back.

"He didn't want to give up the money did he?" Danny said.

"Yeah well when you're making 50 bucks a night, every penny is sacred." Aiden said.

Danny's attitude toward this case was starting to bother me. He almost didn't care that this poor man had been brutally stabbed and murdered.

"He was killed by a stab wound to the neck. Punctured the corroded artery and if that wasn't enough, the killer sliced his throat." Hawkes said. I winced.

"That's sick. The killer enjoyed himself." Danny said.

"This guy was ultimately out-muscled." Hakes said.

"Thanks Doc." We walked out of the morgue.

"Danny, what's going on? You're not acting with your usual compassion of a victim." I said.

"I'm fine. I'll do my job and see who killed that guy." Danny said and walked on.

(Station)

I got a call on my cell phone as I was trying to grab lunch. Some days, I never eat.

"Denton." I said.

"Rora, it's me." I heard Danny on the other end. "Aiden and I just got the DNA results from under Reyes nails. You're never going to believe this. It's female."

"Female? How could a woman do that damage? She had to be like some bodybuilding freak of nature." I said.

"That's what I said but the DNA doesn't lie. It's female." Danny said. "But there were no hits in CODIS."

"Wow, I really thought we'd be looking for a man. Women usually don't just murder in cold blood, especially with so much force and brutality." I said.

"This case isn't making sense." Danny said. "Aiden and I are going to process the car."

"We have to go speak with Reyes' family." I said.

"We'll do that after we process the car. I'll call you." Danny said.

"Keep me posted." I said. I hung up and then called Flack.

"Flack." He answered.

"Hey you sexy thing. How's your case going?" I asked.

"Mac got an early copy of the Commission report; apparently the chief looks bad so he is testing for GSR." Flack said. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to eat lunch. Tomorrow, you're buying me one of those kraut dogs I love so much." I said.

Flack laughed. "I will. How's your case?"

"Not adding up. I have a gypsy cab driver brutally murdered and the DNA under his nails is female." I said.

"Women are tough in this city." Flack said.

"I know, but to out muscle a man and cut him up?" I asked.

"Don't underestimate anything. Remember Aileen Wournos." Flack said.

"Very true." I said. "Keep me posted."

"I will. Talk to you later." Don said and hung up.

(Queens)

"What'd you find in the car?" I asked as we walked towards Reyes home in Queens.

"He had a son. I found a picture of them together in his visor." Danny said.

"Also found gum in a business card. We can send the gum off for DNA analysis and Danny is gonna try to get information off the card." Aiden said.

"Let's talk to the family, see what we can find out." I said as we walked up the steps.

A teenage male walked out the door when we reached the top of the steps.

"You know which is the Reyes residence?" Danny asked.

The kid was silent.

"Are you Antonio?" Aiden asked.

"He's dead isn't he?" Antonio asked. "You know I've been waiting 10 years. 10 years for you guys to come here and knock and my door and tell me my dad is dead"

"We're very sorry for your loss." I said. "We know this must be hard for you."

"How'd it happen?" Antonio asked.

"He was stabbed." Danny said.

"We think he was robbed." Aiden said.

"Antonio, you should know that your dad didn't give up easily. He fought very hard." I said.

"Did you catch the guy?" Antonio asked.

"Not yet. We were hoping we could ask you a few questions about your father." Danny pushed ahead.

"Or maybe we could come back later, or is your mom home?" Aiden asked and stared at Danny. "Is your mother home?"

"No she's at work. What do you want to know?" Antonio asked.

"Your father work any neighborhood in particular?" Danny asked.

"He worked all over the place. Washington Heights, Bensonhurst, South Bronx. There were just better fares out there." Antonio said.

"Better fares for illegal cab drivers you mean." Danny said.

Aiden and I both stared at Danny and I felt my jaw begin to tighten.

"Yeah that's right." Antonio said, his temper flaring.

"Listen if we hear anything…" I started but Danny interrupted me.

"Is it possible your dad was seeing someone on the side?" Danny asked.

"Danny!" Aiden said.

"Hey you wanna get this guy outta here before I do something stupid?" Antonio said.

I stepped up. "Come on Danny let's go." I'd had enough.

"We have evidence that says your father as in contact with another woman and its possible that he attacked her." Danny said.

"What?" Antonio stepped up to Danny. "What'd you say?"

"You got a temper huh? You take after your old man, am I right?' Danny asked.

"Yeah that's right." Antonio said. "I hope so."

Antonio walked down the steps and down the sidewalk.

"What's the matter with you? This kid finds out 2 minutes ago that his father's dead and that's how you act?" Aiden said.

"Somebody's gotta ask the hard questions. It's what you gotta do. I'm reacting to the evidence." Danny said.

"No you're not. You're just reacting." Aiden said.

"Danny, what's going on?" I asked.

Danny just stared at me.

"Fine keep your silence. But know this, that was unprofessional and I don't want to see it again. You're better than that Danny." I said. "Let's go."

(Later)

Danny had called and said he'd gotten a name off the card found in the cab. We were driving to pick up some business man…Mr. Arnold.

"Danny, what's really going on?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Come on, don't play games. It's just you and me here. You know you can trust me. Talk to me, because something is bugging the hell out of you." I said, Danny clenched his jaw and kept driving. "Come on Danny. This whole case you've acted strange……you're not yourself."

"I don't like gypsy cabdrivers." Danny said.

"You've said that, but I don't like the Yankees, do you see me harassing their kids?" I asked with a half-smile, hoping he'd open up.

He glanced sideways at me. "When I was a kid, my dad and I got into a gypsy cab. We got attacked. I was beat up, dad was beat up. I was only ten."

"Danny, I'm sorry about the way I yelled at you. I didn't know." I said.

"You were within reason. I have been out of line." Danny admitted.

"You know that Reyes was not the man that attacked you and your dad. He was an innocent man, trying to make a living." I said.

"We got female DNA under his nails; we don't know he didn't attack a woman." Danny said.

"Fine, you're right there. But his kid didn't deserve your little performance today." I said.

"If this guy did attack a woman, he deserves everything he got." Danny said.

"Let's not start that just yet. Let's see how this Arnold guy is involved." I said.

We picked up Mr. Arnold and took him to the station and sat him down for a talk.

"We found your card in a gypsy cab last night." Danny said.

"Keep it. I've got more." Mr. Arnold said.

"No you don't understand. The driver was murdered." I said.

"And what, you think I was involved somehow?" Mr. Arnold asked. Danny and I looked at him. "First of all, I wouldn't be caught dead in a gypsy cab…..okay poor choice of words. Look, I get a limo service from work every night. And second, I've given my business card to half of New York City."

"You give it to anyone last night?" Danny asked.

"Not that I recall no." Arnold said.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Look Mr. Arnold, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say the kind of people you do business with. the 'what's in your portfolio' kind of people don't ride in gypsy cabs either. But somehow your card ended up in one last night." Danny said.

"Where were you last night? I'll subpoena your credit card statements." I said.

"I'll call your wife." Danny said.

"Okay, okay. I went to 'Lifestyles' last night after work." Arnold said.

"Lifestyles?" Danny asked.

"A strip club over on west 47th street. I slipped my card to one of the strippers." Arnold said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you were just sharing stock tips with her, right?" Danny said. I bit back a smile. "What was her name?"

"Savanna, but you know, I don't think it was her real name." Arnold said. I rolled my eyes.

"Nah, you think." Danny said with sarcasm.

We let Mr. Arnold go home.

"Off to a strip club?" I asked Danny.

"Yeah…..first a sex party and a threesome with you and Aiden, now I am taking you two to a strip club. I love this job." Danny smirked.

I smiled. "You're just one big ball of hormones that ain't getting any." I said.

"Ohhh blow below the belt." Danny laughed.

"Let's go see some strippers." I said.

"I love to hear a woman say that." Danny said and followed me out.

(Lifestyles)

We walked into the club, looking for the dancer called Savanna. The manager led us to the back dressing room. The dancers were getting dressed. To my surprise Danny was professional.

"Holy boob jobs Batman." Aiden said.

"I couldn't have ones that big. I like sleeping on my stomach and ones like that would prop me up….my head couldn't touch the pillow." I said and she laughed.

"Alight ladies listen up." Danny said and flashed his badge. "Which on of you is Savanna?"

A pretty dancer sitting at the dressing table raised her hand. We approached her, immediately noticing the scratch on her face.

"We're gonna need a word. In Private. And I don't mean the champagne room." Danny said.

Savanna got up and we followed her to a back room.

"What's your real name?" I asked her.

"Jamie." She said.

"Jamie, you took a gypsy cab last night?" I asked.

"Yeah, he was the only one willing to take me home." She said.

"You know the cab driver is now dead?" I asked.

"He's dead?" she asked.

"Come on Jamie, you slit his throat." Aiden said.

"Look if he attacked you, if he forced himself on you, this could be justifiable homicide." Danny told her.

"Wait, you guys have it all wrong." Jamie said. "Yeah I did get into that cab. When he dropped me off, I went through the front door of my building and a man attacked me."

"A guy?" I asked.

"Yeah, from behind." Jamie said. "The cab driver pulled him off me. I ran to my friend's house. I haven't even been home yet. That driver saved my life."

"Why didn't you just call the police?" Danny asked.

"A stripper crying attempted rape, yeah that would've gone over real well." Jamie said.

"Did you get a look at his face?" Aiden asked.

"No, he was behind me the whole time." Jamie said.

"You still got the clothes you were wearing last night?" Danny asked.

"Yeah they're right here." She said.

"Jamie, we're gonna need a sample of your DNA to validate your story." Aiden said.

"Yeah sure." Jamie agreed.

Aiden swabbed Jamie's mouth and Danny collected her clothes. We thanked her and left the club.

"Reyes wasn't trying to hurt her, he was trying to save her." I said.

"We'll get this stuff into the lab and see what it tells us." Danny said.

(Station)

"Hey Flack, how's it going? This place has been a madhouse all day. People wanting to know what's going on and all." I said into my phone.

"I hate the media. I had to get subpoenas on footage that had already aired. That asshole that was trying to film the scene…and you're never going to believe this. The shooting was done with a remote controlled helicopter armed with rifles." He said.

"Someone trying to shut up the commissioner?" I asked.

"We're still not sure. The chief was cleared. Mac and Stella are on it." Flack said. "How's your case?"

"It looks as if the cab driver was killed trying to save a girl from being raped." I said.

"That's rare in New York; someone who's gives a damn about another person." Flack said.

"I know…I really want justice for this man now. He stuck his neck out and was murdered. Problem is we still have female DNA under the cabbie's nails." I said.

"You'll catch the guy. I know your determination." Flack said.

"I gotta go, call coming in on call waiting. Talk to you later." I said and switched calls. "Denton."

"We found hair on Jamie's pants and DNA came back female again." Danny said.

"This isn't making sense." I said.

"But the hair matches the DNA from the blood under Reyes' nails." Danny said. "But we think there is an explanation for all the confusion."

"Tell me." I said.

"Well to keep it simple sometimes the Y chromosome mutates and appears as an X. So male DNA will appear female." Danny said.

"Like a hermaphrodite?" I was confused.

"No they're chromosomes are XYY or XYX. This is a man with mutated DNA to put it simply." Danny said.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Rapist." I sighed.

"There's more. The hair and Jamie's clothes had high amounts of steel particles on them. People get that from prolonged exposure to the subway." Danny said.

"That creepy transit guy from the crime scene. I'm on my way." I said.

I hurried and caught up with Danny and Aiden. We rode to the subway and the transit guy on duty. Danny made the arrest. We brought him back to the station where Danny took DNA samples.

The DNA was a match. Danny and Aiden came back to inform the man of all he was being charged with.

I stood and watched them explain the case and evidence to him. Danny seemed especially wound up. Aiden and I moved to pull him away from the holding cell when he began pounding on it.

"You alright?" she asked him.

"I am now….and for the record, that's harsh." Danny said.

"I'm going to head home. It's been a long day." Aiden said.

"Later Aiden." I said and watched her walk away. "Come on Danny, let's grab a coffee."

We walked to the break room.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah…this case just got me, you know? I am glad we solved the case." Danny said.

I poured him some coffee. "I know this was a rough case for you. But…I hope it showed you that not every gypsy cab driver is a bad man. Fernando Reyes died doing a great thing."

"I know that now. And I feel bad about what I said to his son." Danny said.

"You know, in this city where nobody cares about anyone but themselves, Reyes was an exception. As a woman, I wish there were more men like him in NYC to be selfless and help others. And it makes me so thankful for every time you and Don have walked me home, made sure I'm safe." I said.

"Come on, you're our sweetie." Danny shrugged.

"Point is, you take care of me and know me….Reyes tried to save a stranger. In my heart he was a hero…and his son needs to know what a great man his dad was." I said. "And I know you…and you'll feel better if you apologize to Antonio."

Danny nodded. "You're right. I want to give him that picture of him and his dad too."

I smiled.

(Later)

"Wait so this whole thing was over a woman? Nothing about the report at all?" I was talking to Flack while finishing my reports.

"Apparently so. I was stunned too." Flack said. "Glad you solved your case too."

"Yeah this case made me realize something and I need to say something." I said.

"Rora, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah…you know the driver was killed saving a girl from being raped. And thinking about it all…..makes me realize how lucky I am that you and Danny even Mac look out for me so much. And I just wanted to thank you for that." I said.

"We're friends…we do things like that for each other." Flack said.

"Thanks…and thank you for every time you've seen me home safely." I said.

"You're welcome…and I'm gonna keep doing it." He said.

"I hope so." I smiled. "Look I got another call coming in again. I'll catch you in the morning."

"Later, Rora." Flack said.

I switched lines. "Denton."

"Aurora, it's me." Danny said. "Listen...I took your advice and explained to Antonio what happened...if you're not busy, you wanna grab a bite? Just sit and talk, grab a meal...my way of saying thank you. "

"Thank you for what?" I asked.

"For being a good friend. For helping me through this. How about it? I'll buy you dinner, we can shoot the breeze awhile, relax from this crazy day." Danny said.

"That sounds wonderful. I was just finishing up reports. Where do you want to eat?" I asked.

"How about that oldies diner in Brooklyn? You know where it is?" Danny asked.

"Yeah a few blocks from your apartment. I'll meet you there." I said.

I filed my reports, grabbed my jacket and headed out to meet Danny. When I walked in, Danny wasn't there. I grabbed a booth and ordered us both a soda.

Danny finally walked in and sat down in the same bench as me at the booth.

"You been here long?" Danny asked.

"Just a few minutes." I said. "I ordered you a soda, the menus are here."

"Thanks." Danny said and picked up a menu. "We gotta eat fast so we can get back to my place and we can get down to business." Danny winked. "Remember, either one of us can be called into the field anytime"

I chuckled. "Wow, that was so romantic…I'm getting all hot and bothered." I winked.

"Yeah, I just have that affect on women." Danny flexed and put an arm around me.

"I'm glad my sweet, flirting Danny is back." I smiled.

"After this you wanna catch a movie, it's still kinda early." Danny said.

"That'd be great. Almost like a date." I said.

"Hey it'll be your first 'date' with me instead of Flack." Danny smiled.

"Is that cheating on him?" I joked.

Danny smiled and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "Sei una donna bella e sorprendente."

"What's that mean?" I smiled.

"It was a compliment." Danny said.

"Well it sounded so pretty, you can say things like that all the time." I giggled. "Ready to order?"

"Yeah, what movie you wanna see?" he asked and signaled for a waitress.


	10. Playing Dress Up

_**NOTE-** I posted two chapters at once, make sure you read 9 before this one! Thanks._

_Author's Note- I apologize that there is no response to reviews here. I posted two chapters at once because I am going out of town overnight, but wanted to keep up the pace of my story. I promise that I will read and respond at all reviews in the next chapter. I enjoy them all and want to say thanks to my wonderful readers. I am enjoying this story and hope everyone else is as well. Peace and Love_

_**Spoilers- **"Crimes and Misdemeanors" _

I came in from court to find Flack wasn't at his desk. I'd spent the morning testifying about some high school kids that had been hazing for their high school baseball team. Things went too far and a freshman died of alcohol poisoning. His teammates then dumped his body in a garbage dumpster in Chinatown.

I decided to call Flack, see what he was up to and if he needed me.

"Flack." Don answered.

"You miss me?" I said.

"Of course I do. You back from court?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, spoiled little rich brats with daddy's big shot attorney's….we'll be lucky if they get community service." I said. "How's your day?"

"Woman found dead at an industrial laundry place. She was wrapped in a bundle of sheets and no one found her until they were being loaded to wash. Stella and Mac are on it." Flack said.

"Do you need me for anything?" I asked.

"No, but Messer and Burn got a case you should take over. Officer Lilly was helping them this morning. The statue man at the park was found dead." Flack said.

"On a pretty day like this, I'm on it. I am so glad spring is here." I said.

"Yeah the weather is nice today." Flack agreed.

"Not just the good weather. My BoSox womping all over your Bronx boys is a great start to spring." I giggled.

"You better hold tight to your gun talking that way." Flack laughed.

"I'll catch you later sweetie. Call me if you need anything." I hung up and went to find Officer Lilly.

(Morgue)

I walked into the morgue. Aiden and Danny were going to meet me there. Hawkes had called saying he'd finished early examinations on the dead street performer.

"Hey Rora, glad you can join us." Danny said.

"I talked to Officer Lilly. He said that the human statue at the park fell over dead when some tourists went to take pictures." I said.

"Yeah, Aiden was all flirting with him too." Danny rolled his eyes.

"Lilly also told me there was no ID on the body, so he is still a John Doe. No robbery, his tip jar was full." I said.

"He had a good spot in front of the subway entrance. Getting that spot is a possible motive." Danny said.

"Let's see what Hawkes says." I said and we walked in.

"Hey Sheldon, what do you have for us?" I asked. The corpse was lying out, some silver paint still on the face.

"There is no dignity in death." Hawkes said.

"He looks creepy without his threads." Danny said.

"No signs of recent trauma. He wasn't shot or stabbed. He's dirty though, and his pants reek." Hawkes said.

"They're too big for him. They're rolled up at the cuffs." Danny said.

"Scars on his side. They don't look surgical." Hawkes pointed out.

Danny picked up a back brace. "I'm guessing these weren't prescribed by a doctor."

"I'm guessing I'm the first MD to see him in a long time." Sheldon said and opened the corpse's mouth. "Chronic tooth decay. Hair is teeming with lice."

"I got a fast food receipt. Dinner last night was a burger and small soda. I am sure he didn't think it was going to be his last meal." Danny said as he found a receipt among the dead man's clothes. "Everything about this guy is saying poverty, but his tip jar is saying the opposite."

"Performing for tips isn't a science. 100 bucks one day, nothing the next." Hawkes said.

"Show must go on." Danny said.

"Let us know if you find anything." I said and we walked out.

(Later)

"Weren't we just here?" I asked as we walked back into the morgue.

"Hawkes finished the autopsy." Danny said.

"I hope he found something. Right now, we got nothing." Aiden said.

The silver make-up had been washed away. The corpse looked older.

"So this is who was under all that silver make-up. Does he have a name?" Aiden asked.

"Not yet." Sheldon said and handed Danny fingerprints he'd taken off the corpse.

"Right, that's my job. Huh." Danny smiled.

"Cause of death?" I asked.

"A rarity for me down here. Natural causes. A cerebral hemorrhage, quick and painless." Sheldon said.

"For him, not the Swedish tourists whose shoes he landed on." Aiden said.

"Irony is, he was dead long before they came by." Hawkes said.

"Really?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah, discoloration of the abdomen due to putrefactive gases. Blood cells are breaking down." Sheldon said.

"So the body is already in full decomp mode." Aiden said.

"How long has he been dead?" I asked.

"At least 48 hours." Hawkes said.

"Whoa, whoa, if he's been dead for two days, he wasn't eating fast food last night." Danny said.

"Receipt must belong to someone else." I said.

"Probably the same person who trimmed his beard. Take a look." Sheldon said. "Shaving cuts. Postmortem."

"Now he didn't shave his face, he didn't paint his face, don the costume or strike the pose by himself either." Hawkes said.

"Alright so a bit mysterious and twisted yes but this guy wasn't murdered so whoever did this isn't looking at a felony charge." Aiden said.

"We're done then." I said.

"Not so fast. He might have died naturally but everything that happened afterwards wasn't." Danny said. "Something's up."

"Danny abuse of a corpse is a misdemeanor. It's not our job." I said.

Danny had that determined look that made me think he wasn't going to drop this. I sighed and walked with Aiden out of the morgue.

(Station)

"Denton." I answered my phone.

"We're gonna go ahead and investigate the human statue." Danny said.

"Danny, that's a misdemeanor. Let the precinct detectives handle it." I said.

"You sound like Mac." Danny sighed. "Look Rora. Someone knew that guy was dead and put him there. There is something to this case."

"That may be but I am a homicide detective. It's not my job to chase people down for abuse of a corpse." I said.

"You can't tell me you don't want to know what happened with this guy. I know you." Danny said.

I sighed. "Here's the deal. I'll help where I can for now. But the minute a murder is called in and a victim who didn't die peaceful needs me, I'm out." I said.

"Thanks Aurora, you're beautiful." Danny said.

"Tell me something I don't know." I chuckled. "Let me know what you need."

"We need you to go with us to talk to Officer Lilly. We ran the prints and they came back to a John Hawkins. Lilly has arrested him 9 times." Danny said.

"Sure, I'll meet you." I said.

I hurried to meet up with Aiden and Danny. Danny was giving Aiden a hard time about flirting with Lilly.

"I think he likes you Aiden. He was asking me about you." I said.

"Really? What'd he say?" she asked and Danny started snickering.

"Just asking if you were single and stuff. I think he likes you. You should ask him out." I said.

"You really think so?" she asked.

Danny put his one hand on his hip and started waving the other hand dramatically while talking in a female voice. "Oh yes sister, you should definitely ask him out."

"That could be the scariest thing I've seen in NYC yet." I said and started laughing.

"Such a nice day I love this weather." I said.

"Me too. I love warm weather." Aiden said.

"Me too, all the girls start dressing skimpier." Danny smirked.

"Why do we put up with him?" Aiden laughed.

"Cause he's just so cute." I smiled

We found Officer Lilly in the park. The street performers were out again. A man rode by on his bike playing music from a boom box.

"That's Duncan; he rides by everyday. Same time, same song." Lilly said.

"You know everybody on your beat huh?" Danny asked.

"I try to remember faces. Be a good cop." Lilly said.

"Don't we all." Danny said.

I handed Lilly a picture of John Hawkins. "Does he look familiar? This is our victim John Hawkins." I said.

"Can't be. John's not a performer, he's a homeless guy. He parks himself on Chambers Street." Lilly said. "Can't be John Under all that paint."

"His fingerprints disagree." Danny said.

"He was a good guy. Down and out but he never harmed anyone." Lilly said.

"Why did you arrest him nine times on disorderly conduct charges?" I asked.

"That's a crap charge. You making collars for dollars or what?" Danny asked.

"John wasn't all there anymore." Lilly said. "Got confused a lot. Last winter it was bitter cold. Every now and then, I'd help him out."

"So you'd arrest him so he'd have a warm place to go when he didn't go to the shelter." Aiden said.

"The only thing I ever heard him say was 'thank you'." Lilly said.

"This doesn't make any sense. If he's such a nice guy, why is somebody playing dress up with his corpse?" Danny said.

"Thank you officer." I said and we headed back out of the park.

(Station)

"Hey Don, what's the matter with you?" I asked.

Don had just walked in, sat at his desk and started for the aspirin bottle.

"Dealing with these fucking diplomats. Won't tell us nothing. I know they murdered that woman. And we practically have to get permission from the president to talk to them." He yelled.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked.

"Get Bush on line two." Flack sighed. "No…I am just frustrated."

I walked over and sat on his desk. "I am sure Mac and Stella will find something."

"I know. I just want this case solved and over with." Flack said.

"Something will happen." I said. My phone started ringing. "One of these days I am gonna throw this thing in the Hudson. Denton."

"We figured it out." Danny said. "We traced an orthodic insole back to the doctor who made it by the serial numbers. We're going to get the owner of the shoes now. Chances are he knows something."

"I'll meet you here for interrogation." I said and hung up.

"You still working the dead statue guy? Mac said that case was being turned over to precinct detectives." Flack said.

"Mac said that? Has he talked to Danny?" I asked.

"I dunno, what's going on?" Flack asked.

"I wish I knew." I sighed.

"Whatta say I take you to a ballgame this weekend. Shea stadium. Mets are playing the Padres." Flack said. "Nice weather, time for baseball….and I even I ain't brave enough to take a Boston fan into the house that Ruth built."

"You got a deal." I smiled. "And I want peanuts and cracker jacks."

"You got it."

I waited for Danny and Aiden to arrive with their suspect. I stood outside the interrogation room when they went in with him. Aiden measured his arm and thigh.

"You stood a dead John Hawkins on the street. What were you trying to do scare a few tourists? Get a laugh? The guy piss you off and this was your way of getting back at him." Danny said.

"No I barely knew the guy." Mr. Scott insisted.

"Then why'd you do it?" Aiden asked.

He sighed. "I see him everyday on my way home. If I had a good day I spread the wealth, buy him some dinner."

"So you're a good Samaritan." Aiden said.

"No, just a big believer in Karma. I live off tips. If people don't give, I starve. If I don't give, he starves." He said.

"I get it, what goes around comes around." Danny said. "But how does helping the homeless become corpse on display?"

"I saw an opportunity. And I took it. He was already dead. So I took him home, dressed him up in my costume."

"Then you posed him and waited for the cash to flow in?" Aiden asked.

"This isn't about the money. Look, when I work I might not move a muscle. But that doesn't mean it's not exhausting."

"Hey we all got a making a living and it's not easy for any of us but we all gotta do it." Danny said.

"Yeah but you gets days off." Mr. Scott said. "Sick days, vacation days and sick time. I don't. For the last three years I've been out on that street 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. Hottest days of summer, coldest days of winter. I'm dead tired. I needed a day off. That's all. One day where I could be a real person and not a statue."

"Well that's that." Danny said. He and Aiden walked out of the interrogation room.

"What a drama." I said.

"I got to run." Aiden said and winked at me.

"Go ahead." I giggled.

"What's going on? Is this more girl talk?" Danny asked.

"Don't worry about it Messer." I laughed. "So what are you doing later?"

"You asking me out?" Danny smirked.

"Sorta. See I am free tonight and the weather is so nice. I am dying to just get out and relax and enjoy the evening. And Flack is off with a case and Aiden is trying to get a date. And I was wondering if you'd like to just walk around Central Park with me?" I said.

"You're asking me out." Danny smirked.

"Just as a friend. I thought it'd be nice." I said.

"Sure, I have no plans. Meet me at the lab later. I have a few things to finish up there." Danny said.

"Sure thing." I said.

Danny went back to the lab and I went to shower. With being to court and all it had been a long day.

Since it was such nice weather, I decided to wear the dress I had worn to court earlier, just without the jacket. It seemed less formal that way.

I stopped back at my desk to check for messages; finding that everything was good, I headed for the lab to meet Danny.

I walked down the hall but didn't see Danny at his desk in the lab. I shrugged and started back down the hall. I caught Aiden

"Hey, how did it go?" I asked.

"We're going to dinner." Aiden said.

"I am so happy for you. And you look great." I said and hugged her. "Tell me all the details later."

"I'll call you." She smiled.

"You seen Danny?" I asked.

"He's down the hall." She said.

"Okay, have a great time tonight." I said.

I started down the hall again, hoping to catch up with Danny. I stopped dead when I saw Mac publicly berating Danny.

"I thought we agreed you were gonna pass your case off." Mac said pretty stern.

"I agreed I'd stay on track. I did. I closed the case." Danny said.

"Against my orders. I don't tell you one thing and then you do another. That's not how it works." Mac snapped.

"You mean it doesn't count?" Danny said. "Sorry that was out of line."

"Look you got to learn you're not a one man army. We're all connected. What you do affects everyone here. You got it!" Mac practically yelled.

"Loud and Clear." Danny said and walked off. "Goodnight."

Mac saw me staring but didn't say anything. He then turned and watched as Danny walked away; pausing to look back then kept going. Mac looked back at me, as if he expected me to say something.

I took a deep breath. I thought Mac was out of line. Danny did disobey him, but Mac should've handled the situation privately. I didn't know how Danny would react, or if he'd even want to go out now. I knew it wasn't my place to say anything.

I nodded. "Goodnight Mac." I said and walked past him.

"Aurora…" Mac called after me. I turned and looked at him. He started to say something but stopped. "Goodnight."

I turned and headed back down the hall. I didn't see anyone, but thought Danny might be in the men's locker room. I stopped and knocked on the door. A few seconds later Danny stuck his head out the door.

"Oh hi Aurora. I'm almost ready." Danny said.

I smiled. "Great, I'll just wait here for you."

Danny went back inside. I leaned against the wall. If Danny still wanted to go out, that was fine with me. Maybe he didn't want to think about Mac's little talk. And I wouldn't bring it up that I knew anything. It wasn't my place.

Danny walked out of the locker room wearing jeans and a white t-shirt.

"You ready to go?" he smiled.

"Yeah. We even still got some light outside." I said.

"Wow, you look great." Danny said.

"Thanks. I like wearing light dresses in warm weather." I said.

"I see what Flack was talking about." Danny said.

"What about Flack?" I asked.

"Never mind. Let's go for that walk. I'll buy you a frozen yogurt." Danny said as we started out for the evening.


	11. Dangerous Thoughts

_Pnkrckprncss- Well here is another update for you to enjoy. I hope you do!_

_BridgetLynn- Thank you for the nice comments. I am glad you enjoy my writing so much. Thanks._

_Meadow567- I think I know what you mean. And everyone will just have to sit tight. I know patience isn't easy for you, LOL._

_Emador- Control yourself, LOL. Hope you enjoy this. And thanks for the pics. _

_XX- Where are you? I'll call Vicaro, I swear! _

(Little Italy)

"Have you been to Little Italy yet since moving to NYC?" Flack asked as we walked to a crime scene.

"No, sadly this is my first trip." I said. "Though Danny mentioned coming here a few times."

"Messer loves Little Italy." Flack said. "Top of this building is our victim."

Flack and I started up the steps of a building in Little Italy. We'd received a call of a nude woman, dead on the roof. She had been found by the building manager who'd called us.

We walked out onto the roof. The girl was laying face down, bruises on her shoulders.

"Does she live here?" I asked.

"Building manager said no. I checked his background, he's clear." Flack said. "CSI is on the way."

"No obvious COD." I said. "She looks healthy."

"You trying to be a CSI now?" Flack smirked.

"No, I am just observing a few things." I said.

"I got officers questioning people in the building." Flack said.

"What do we have?" Mac said walking up to us.

"Building manager found her this morning. He's clean. She doesn't live in this building." Flack said.

"Rora, looks like we're finally in Little Italy." Danny said.

"I wish it were under better circumstances." I said.

"Danny, take pictures. I'll see what I can get from the body." Mac said.

Danny snapped off pictures while Mac examined the body.

"She's exceptionally clean." Mac said.

"You think she was washed before dumped?" I asked.

"Possibly. Of course she could've just been undressed and carefully placed here." Mac said.

"Can you tell a cause of death?" Danny asked.

"No, she seems in good health, no signs of trauma besides these bruises on her shoulders." Mac said.

"Those bruises appear to be the shape of hands." Danny said.

"They do. Rigor hasn't set in…she couldn't have been dead long." Mac said. "We need to get her to Hawkes. Maybe he can explain to us what happened to this woman. He can fingerprint her; see if we can ID her."

"Officers in the building found out nothing. No one knows who she might be." Flack reported.

"We got nothing but her body then." I said.

"That's a place to start." Mac said.

"Well while our Jane Doe is off to visit Hawkes. I am taking Aurora out to lunch." Danny said.

"That's fine, just be ready for when Hawkes calls with autopsy results." Mac said.

"Lunch?" I asked.

"We're in Little Italy and you've never been here. I can't let you be here and not eat." Danny smiled. "Besides its lunch time and I'm starving. And anytime Mac buys dinner it's a hotdog from a street vendor."

"You said you didn't mind." Mac said.

"Aurora, I am headed back to the station. I am gonna check through missing persons for anyone she resembles." Flack said.

"Let me know if you find anything. Call me if you need me." I said.

I watched as Mac and Danny put the body in a black body bag and put her on a gurney to be taken to the medical examiners office.

"Now lunch, what do you want to eat?" Danny asked.

"You're the expert on Italian things. The only Italian foods I know are the common ones like pizza, spaghetti, rigatoni, Chef Boyardee." I said.

"Oh are you in for a treat. Come on, I know where to take you." Danny smiled.

I followed him down the stairs and out of the building. We walked down the street a few blocks to restaurant Danny walked into. I followed him and we were seated at a booth in the back.

I sat down and Danny slid in next to me on the same bench.

"So what is good here to eat?" I asked.

"Everything, Italian's don't make bad food." Danny said. "Here, I'll look at the menu with you."

I picked it up and tried to figure out what some of these dishes were. Danny leaned over and started pointing out things.

"Gnocchi is dumplings made with potatoes. Pasta Fagioli is pasta with pork, tomato sauce and cranberries. Prosciutto is specially aged ham. Ciabotta is a beef and vegetable casserole." I listened as Danny explained a list of things to me.

"What are you getting?" I asked him.

"Chicken tetrazzini. It's really good here." He said. "You?"

"Manicotti." I said. "That sounded good."

"It is." Danny said.

"Of course it all sounded great. If I get here too much I won't fit in any of my clothes." I laughed.

"You're fine, quit worrying. Besides you can't come to Little Italy and not eat…it's against the law." Danny smiled.

I laughed. "You're so cute."

"So are you. By the way, BoSox lost last night." He smirked.

"Hey! Oh you're still mad because you had us down with a lead of 3-0 and we came back and swept you, keeping you out of the World Series." I said.

"Don't bring that up!" Danny smirked.

"Oh it's brought up, and I'm gonna gloat." I laughed.

"How can someone as smart as you cheer for the Red Sox.?" Danny asked.

"I have good taste." I said.

"Obviously not, if you had good taste, you'd have asked me out the first day you saw me." Danny winked.

"I have good taste; I'm not desperate." I winked back.

Danny and I fell into a big debate about baseball. I was so used to this between him and Don. Mac was the only one that didn't ride me about cheering for Boston, although he was still a Yankees fan.

Soon our food arrived and baseball was forgotten. Danny was right, the food was amazing. I even took a few bites of his chicken.

"Danny, we have to come here again sometime." I said.

"Anytime, just let me know." He smiled. "I'll get the check and we can head out."

"No, I'll get it." I said. "You've paid the last few times we had a meal together."

"No, I am paying for lunch. End of discussion." Danny said.

"But…"

"Aurora Dawn, quit arguing and let me pay for lunch already. I'll bring up the Steelers." Danny smirked.

"Fine, you win." I said.

Danny smirked knowing he'd won and went to the counter. I smiled and got ready to leave.

"Ready?" Danny asked.

"Yes and thank you. You didn't have to do that." I said as I followed him out of the restaurant.

"Will you stop? I wanted to." Danny said.

We stopped at the corner waiting for the light to change.

"I really enjoyed that. Thank you." I said.

Danny took my hand and kissed my knuckles. "Prego, ragazza molto bella."

I smiled. "You know, every time you start talking in Italian…even if I don't know what you're saying it makes me weak in the knees." I said.

"Told you I have a way with ladies." Danny winked.

"I am telling you…talking like that you could get more ass than a toilet seat." I said and we started across the street.

Danny laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. But regular dates and girls I am trying to pick up don't get Italian. I save that for special people."

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, its Mac. Meet me at the ME's office. Hawkes called me. Is Danny still with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, Danny is here. We're on our way now." I said and hung up.

"That Mac?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. Hawkes called him. We need to get to the morgue." I said.

"I'll drive. Maybe we can find the Yankees afternoon game on the radio." Danny winked.

"You make me hear one word about Jeter, A-Rod or that turncoat Damon, and Hawkes will be doing your autopsy." I grinned.

Danny laughed and we climbed in an SUV.

(Morgue)

"Hawkes, what do you have on our Jane Doe?" Mac asked as we walked in.

"I lifted her prints." Sheldon said and handed the card to Mac. "You were right, she was a healthy female, age 20-25. Problem is her teeth are perfect so if those prints don't pan out, dental records will be unlikely."

"COD?" Danny asked.

"Other than the bruised shoulders she had no signs of trauma. All I could find was an injection wound here." Hawkes pointed to her forearm. "I ran a tox screen; she died of a heroine overdose."

"But there were no syringes at the crime scene." I said.

"Think she could've shot up somewhere else and then died on that roof?" Danny asked.

"But why would she be nude on top a roof. We found no clothes either." Mac said.

"This woman was not a junkie. She has no track marks from previous abuse, just the one injection site. And the bruises on her shoulders are post-mortem." Hawkes said.

"Someone bruised her after she was dead, that makes no sense." I said.

"You're telling me. The bruises have the thumb near the neck on both shoulders. But if these were bruises from transporting her, the bruises would have the pinky by the neck." Sheldon explained.

"So someone injected this woman with heroine to kill her, but why bruise her after she's dead? What was he trying to do?" I asked.

"That's what we have to find out." Mac said. "Any signs of sexual assault?"

"Inconclusive. I ran a rape kit. No bodily fluids but found lubricant from condoms in the vagina." Hawkes said.

"I'll check with Flack and see what he's found. Maybe that will lead somewhere." I said.

"I'll run the prints through AFIS." Mac said.

(Late Night, Station)

"Flack, we got nothing on this case. Mac couldn't find any print matches in the system. We have no evidence from the scene. And no one matches this woman's description in Missing Persons." I said.

"Yeah…we might as well call it a night. Wanna grab a drink? I think the sports bar down the street is showing the hockey playoffs." Flack said.

"Yeah sure, but I am gonna head out early. I am tired." I said.

Flack's cell phone rang. He answered it while I cleared off my desk.

"Hold up Rora. We got another call." Flack said.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Dead girl found on a rooftop in Brooklyn." Flack said.

"What? Another one. Let's roll, I'll call CSI." I said and hurried out with Flack.

Flack and I rode to the crime scene. It was in a bad section of Brooklyn. We walked on the rooftop on had a déjà vu.

A female was completely nude, lying face down. She looked clean, no obvious COD. But she had bruises on her hips.

"Don…we got a serial killer on our hands." I said.

"Yeah…two girls dead in one day." He said.

"We gotta move fast. At this rate, he'll kill again and soon." I said.

"Whoa, same thing as this morning." Danny said, walking up with Mac.

"What's the story?" Mac asked.

"Couple of teenagers snuck up here to fool around. They found her and called it in. No one from the building recognizes her, she doesn't live here. Same as this morning, no evidence lying around." Flack said.

"Serial Killer." Mac said.

"And he ain't wasting time. We have to solve this before more girls die." I said.

Mac bent down and looked at the girl. "She is healthy just like the last one……I doubt either of these girls were prostitutes."

"Maybe these girls are connected to each other somehow?" I said. Danny started taking pictures of the crime scene and body.

"Possible, but more than likely this guy is finding a way to lure women into trusting him. Women that don't easily jump in cars with strangers." Mac said.

"Flack, get on the 11 o'clock news. We need to warn the women of the city what is going on." I said.

"Yes, warn them, but be careful not to cause all out panic and riots." Mac said. "Just tell women to keep their guard up and report anything suspicious."

"You got it." Flack said.

"Aurora, you ride with me and Danny. I am gonna have Hawkes do this autopsy immediately. If we find out something, we might be able to save more girls." Mac said.

"You got it." I said. "Don, I'll call you if we get anything."

"Danny, let's get her bagged. We don't have time to waste." Mac said.

(Morgue)

Mac, Danny and I were sitting outside of the morgue while Hawkes ran the autopsy. I sighed, wishing there was more we could do.

"We'll get him Aurora." Mac said. I looked at him. "I know that determined look on your face. And I know you want to save other girls. We'll solve this."

"I hope you're right." I said.

"I am ready for you." Hawkes said.

We all walked into the morgue.

"What did you find?" Mac asked.

"Like this morning's victim, she is healthy and the only signs of trauma are the bruises on her hips. Which is also post-mortem." Sheldon said. "And they also are hard to figure out. They are hand prints, but in an unlikely place for marks left during dumping the body."

"Was she overdosed on heroine?" Danny asked.

"Yes, only her injection mark was on her neck. No defensive wounds. Nothing under her nails." Hawkes said.

"Was she raped?" Mac asked.

"I ran a rape kit. This time I found condom lubricant in her rectum." Hawkes said. "Lubricant is consistent with the brand used in the morning victim."

"The bruises are from sex." I said.

"Why do you think that?" Danny asked.

"It just came to me. Both girls showed signs of sexual activity." I said and took Danny's hands. "This morning's victim had hand print bruises on her shoulders that would be consistent with a man gripping a woman during sex face to face, like this." I put his hands on my shoulders. "And this Jane Doe has bruises on her hips. Look at the bruises they are consistent with bruises that could be left when having sex from behind." I turned around and put his hands on my hips for emphasis.

"That makes sense. I never considered the possibility of the sex taking place post-mortem." Hawkes said.

"A necrophiliac?" Mac asked.

"It's possible. I'll run pelvic and rectal exams, see if I can find any tearing that happened peri- or post-mortem." Hawkes said.

"Good observation Aurora, you wanna work on my staff?" Mac smiled.

"No thanks, just glad I could help." I said.

"I am going to run this girl's prints through AFIS. Maybe we can get a hit on her." Mac said. "Danny wait with Aurora for the results of what Sheldon is doing."

Danny nodded and Mac left. We sat on a bench and waited.

"Aurora, are you okay?" Danny asked.

"I am fine. Just tired is all. And my nerves on edge waiting for a call about another dead girl any minute." I said.

"Like Mac said, we'll get this guy." Danny said. "And until we do you are not to be out alone, or without your gun."

"Yes dad." I joked.

"I'm serious. I care about you. I don't want you to wind up dead on a roof." Danny said.

I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder. I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. Sheldon walked out.

"Aurora, you were right on the money. Rectal tears in the second victim were post-mortem." Hawkes said.

"This is some sick bastard we're looking for." Danny said.

"I'll get started looking for our registered sex offenders with a history of necrophilia." I said.

"I'm headed back to the lab. See if Mac got a hit on the prints." Danny said.

(Station)

"Don, you're never going to believe this one." I said and sat down on his desk. "I just came from the autopsy of the second victim. Yes, she died of heroine overdose. So we definitely have a serial killer on our hands."

"Christ…well at least the women of the city know to be careful. I looked great on the news." Flack said dryly.

"There's more. Good you're sitting down for this. Both victims were raped, post-mortem. We're looking for a necrophiliac." I said.

"We got DNA?" Flack asked.

"No, we're looking for a smart necrophiliac. He is using condoms, we have no DNA; just residue of the lubricant used on condoms." I said.

Don rubbed his eyes. "Danny gets a threesome and a sex party with you and Aiden; and I get the freak screwing dead girls." He said sarcastically.

I smiled. "Don't feel bad Don. If you want, you can walk around saying you're having a threesome with me and Aiden. And I ain't going to any sex parties again, but I'll walk through Spencer's with you."

Flack chuckled.

"Come on, let's look through the registered sex offender databank. Find out who has a history of necrophilia." I said.

"Right behind you…I put on some fresh coffee a bit ago." Don said.

We sat at a computer and looked over several known necrophiliacs. We compiled a list of those out on parole.

My cell rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, its Mac. We got a hit on prints from the second victim. She is Sandra Mulligan from Queens. She is a substitute teacher." Mac said.

"All teachers have to be fingerprinted." I said.

"Get Flack, we're going to her apartment. I've already woken a judge." Mac said.

"We're on our way." I said.

(Queens)

When we arrived at Sandra's apartment in Queens, we found she had a roommate at home. The roommate's name was Tammy Carlett. We told her Sandra was dead.

"Tammy, we're so sorry about your loss." I said.

"Sandra was such a nice girl. She was trying to get a new job." Tammy cried.

"When was the last time you saw Sandra?" Flack asked.

"Early this morning. She had an appointment to meet a man about a job she saw in the newspaper." Tammy said.

"Where was the interview?" I asked.

"I don't know. She just called the guy yesterday." Tammy said.

"Do you know what company she contacted?" I asked.

"No, she just said it would be more money than she was making subbing." Tammy said.

"Do you mind if we look around her room?" Mac asked.

"No, go ahead." Tammy said. Mac and Danny went to search Sandra's bedroom.

"Miss Carlett, is there anything we can get you?" I asked. "Water, can we call someone for you?"

"No, I'll have my boyfriend stay with me tonight. I'll call him." She said and went to the phone.

"Bingo." Danny said and walked out of the bedroom.

"That took two seconds." Flack said.

"We found a newspaper next to Sandra's bed. Circle around the job she called about." Danny said.

"What kind of job is it?" I asked.

"Governess. Advertises it will pay $15 an hour." Mac said.

"Does it give an address?" I asked.

"No but it does give a number, but no one answered when I called." Mac said.

"Aurora, get in contact with the paper, see who placed that add. I'll talk to the phone company and see what address goes with the number." Flack said.

"I'll go with Flack, Danny go with Aurora." Mac said.

We left the building. The sun was starting to rise. Danny drove the SUV downtown to the news paper office.

"Think they're open?" I asked.

"We'll wake them up. Girls are dying." Danny said.

Danny and I walked in to the offices of the paper. One receptionist was working.

"Mam, NYPD, we need to speak with you." Danny said.

"What is the problem?" she asked.

"We need to know who placed this ad." I said and handed her the paper with the circled article.

"Let me check the records." She said and went into the back room.

"We leave here; I'm buying us some coffee." Danny said.

"Thanks." I said.

We waited a few moments and the woman returned with a folder.

"That ad was ordered last week by an Anthony Westin. He used a credit card." She said and gave us the folder.

"Thank you." Danny said.

I grabbed my cell phone and followed him out of the building.

"Flack, the newspaper ad was placed by an Anthony Westin." I said and climbed in the SUV.

"I'll run a check on that name." Flack said.

"He paid with a credit card. Run a check on those too." I said.

(Suspect's Apt. Building)

Flack and I walked up to the apartment registered Anthony Westin. We had out guns drawn. Mac and Danny were on their way.

Flack pounded on the door. "NYPD." He yelled.

Slowly the door opened and a man peeked out at us.

"Anthony Westin?" I asked.

"He's not home. I'm his roommate." The guy said and opened the door more.

"You got some ID?" I asked.

"You got a warrant?" he sneered.

Flack pushed the door open. "You want to show us some ID like the lady asked."

The guy threw a wallet at Flack while I held my gun on him. Flack opened it. "ID says Ken Mattan."

"That's me, now what you doing here?" he asked.

I put my gun away. Flack tossed him his wallet. "Where is your roommate?"

"What do you want with him?" he asked.

"Why don't you quit with the attitude and just tell us where he is?" I asked.

"Why don't you suck my dick?" Ken sneered.

Before I could blink Flack grabbed him and pushed him against a wall. "You don't talk to her that way. She's an officer and you respect her. You understand me? Now answer the question, where is Westin?"

"Flack, calm down." I said. "Now where is he?"

"Said he had a meeting downtown at some restaurant." Ken said.

"Which restaurant?" I asked.

"Marcel's." Ken said.

"You better be telling us the truth." I said.

Mac and Danny walked in.

"I'm taking Mr. happy pants here downtown, see what else he knows. You get to Marcel's and arrest Westin." Flack said.

"I'll go with her. Danny process this place." Mac said.

Mac and I hurried down to the SUV. I drove downtown as fast as I could. When we arrived at Marcel's we walked in. The place was pretty empty this time of morning. There were only a few people in there, and only one man. The man was sitting with a woman.

Mac and I walked over to their table.

"Anthony Westin?" I asked.

"Yes." He said.

"NYPD." Mac said and flashed his badge.

Westin jumped up and attempted to run. Mac grabbed him. He punched Mac, but I grabbed his arms and twisted his wrist.

"Lady, this is police brutality. You're hurting me." Westin screamed.

"This ain't nothing." I said as Mac cuffed him. "Wait till the boys in Attica find out you're a necrophiliac."

Mac and I dragged him out. I asked the woman he was with to come with us. She was confused.

At the station, we found the woman had answered the same ad in the newspaper, and Westin had asked her to meet him there to discuss the job. Mac had patted down Westin and found heroine and syringes. Danny had processed Westin's apartment and found a trunk containing women's clothing.

"DNA from the clothes back yet?" I asked Mac.

"Danny is on it." Mac said.

"I am going to talk to Westin. Maybe he'll talk to me. Of course I'll have to play dead." I said.

Mac smiled and followed me into the interrogation room with Flack.

"Westin, want to tell us about this ad you put in the paper? You have no children. Why would you need a governess?" I asked.

Westin remained silent.

"We found the porn…you have a real fetish for the dead." Flack said.

Still Westin said nothing.

"We have those girls' clothes, we have heroine we found on you. Heroine that you used to murder two women." Mac said. "Women you lured to you with an ad in the newspaper."

"You planned this. You had a thing for the dead…you had fantasized about necrophilia….but then fantasies weren't enough anymore." Flack said.

"So you placed that ad to get women to respond. Then you would have them meet you." I said.

"And when they trusted you, you injected them with enough heroine to kill them. Once they were dead, you raped them, and then threw them away." Mac said.

"Tell us who the first woman was." Flack said.

Westin still said nothing.

"Tell her who she is so we can tell her family and give them some peace. Tell us her name, and we'll talk to the DA on your behalf." Flack said.

"Bianca. Bianca Tennison." Westin finally said.

(9:00 Sports Bar)

"Did you talk to Bianca's family?" I asked Flack as he joined us. A bunch of us were relaxing after work.

"Yeah, she was from Jersey." Flack said.

"Sheldon, easy on the drinks." I said. Hawkes had joined us and was on his third beer. I was on my first.

"Where are Stella and Aiden?" Danny asked.

"Aiden had a date." I said.

"Stella had one too." Mac said.

"Stella and Aiden have dates and I am here with you four…man I am a loser." I joked.

"You love us." Flack said.

I laughed. "I suppose it could be worse."

"Yeah, A Steelers game could be on instead of the Mets." Danny said.

"Don't go there. I'll bring up the ALCS." I said.

Mac smiled at me as Danny rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Fine, I am very happy to be here with the four greatest men in NYC." I sighed and smiled. "But I am tired."

"You haven't slept in forever, no wonder. Rora, go home, get some sleep." Flack said.

"I hate being a party pooper." I said.

"We understand you're tired." Mac said.

"A few more beers and I'll go home." I said.

"I'll take you. I am heading in early tonight too. I need to do laundry again." Danny said.

"There's a change." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Mac, how's your face? Westin hit you hard." I said.

"I'll be fine. You did a great job subduing him and assisting me." Mac smiled.

"Thanks." I smiled. "Where is the waitress? I want another beer."


	12. Good Cop, Bad Cop

_Meadow567- With guys as gorgeous as all the men on that show, you just can't go wring with any one of them! LOL_

_Emador- I knew you were going to say Flack was hot defending Aurora. Hope you like this one, and thanks for the help._

_Author's Note- Strong Language in this chapter. _

**Spoilers- "On The Job"**

"Aurora we got to go NOW." Flack practically screamed at me. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the door of the station.

"Don, what's going on?" I asked, starting to freak out.

"I just got a call, Oh my God. Fuck, how could this happen?" Don was screaming. "We gotta get there."

We ran to the nearest SUV and Don jumped in the driver's side.

"Don, what the hell? This is scaring me. What is going on?" I asked.

"Danny…Danny just shot an officer in the subway." Don yelled.

"WHAT? No, that can't be right. What the hell?" I screamed.

"I dunno, there was a shootout in the subway. Danny shot an officer. I don't know all the details. Mac was hysterical; IAB is going to be all over this." Don said.

"But…was it an accident? Danny wouldn't shoot an officer." I yelled.

"Stay calm. Danny is gonna be shook up enough. If we panic it'll only be worse for him." Don said.

"You're right. Damn!" I said.

When we arrived the subway was full of paramedics, IAB and uniformed officers. Danny was getting his head bandaged. Flack and I immediately got to work finding out what happened. I kept cool, but inside I was shaking. How could this happen? We managed to learn that Danny and Mac had been investigating a crime scene, when Danny went to open a closet. A man jumped out and ran away with Danny chasing him. Danny pursued him into the subway where the man hid behind a column and shot twice at Danny. Then an undercover officer, Minhas, the one now dead opened fire on the same man that Danny was firing on. Somehow the officer ended up dead.

"Flack, this isn't making sense." I said.

"I'll talk to Mac. You check on Danny." Don said.

I started to walk towards Danny, but overheard the uniformed officers.

"As if it isn't dangerous enough, now we gotta worry about getting shot by other cops?" one said.

"You kidding me?" Danny stood up. "He was coming at me. He fired at me first."

"Yeah, he should've done a better job." The officer said and started towards Danny.

I stepped in front of the uniformed officer. "Shut your fucking mouth and do your fucking job." I yelled.

"Hey!" Flack came over "Knock it off. Get out of here." He said to the uniformed officer. "Get out of here. I don't want anyone making up their minds until we know the facts. Aurora see these guys out."

"My pleasure, come on assholes." I said and started pushing them towards the stairs.

"I ought to file a complaint against you." One sneered.

"Oh yeah, well go fucking right ahead. IAB is out here waiting and my name is spelled k-i-s-s-m-y-a-s-s." I said. "Get out of here!"

I took a deep breath. When I was upset my temper was worse than ever. I was worried about Danny, and upset because none of this was making sense. And then these guys running their mouths didn't help.

I turned and went back into the subway. Danny was talking to Mac.

"IAB is going to want a statement. Don't talk to them until we release a preliminary report. Go the hospital and get that cut taken care of. Call me when you get home." Mac told Danny.

"I'll go with him." I said.

Danny sighed but turned to go. I waved to Aiden as I walked with Danny up the stairs. Unfortunately at the top of the stairs the head of IAB, Dwight Hillbourne, was waiting for us.

"Danny Messer, you need to come with me to make a statement." He said.

"Later, we're on our way to the hospital." I said.

"No, maybe I should go." Danny said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No, you need to go to the hospital."

About that time, Mac walked out of the subway. The head of IAB approached him.

"Detective Taylor, I am going to take a statement from your officer, but I thought I'd inform you first." Hillbourne said.

"He's got 48 hours before he's required to talk to internal affairs." Mac said.

"No only uniformed officers get that pass from IAB." He said. "Detectives don't have that right."

"He's going to the hospital for an assessment." Mac said.

"Let me tell my story, I got nothing to hide." Danny said.

"I am ordering you to the hospital. You can make a statement later." Mac said sternly.

"We'll be talking to you." Hillbourne said as I steered Danny down the street.

Once we were away from the subway Danny stopped and sat on a bench.

"What are you doing? I need to take you to the hospital. I am parked down here." I said.

"I don't need to go to the hospital." Danny said.

"Danny you're hurt. You were hit in the head and cut. You need to go to the hospital." I said.

"I am not going. It's just a scratch, I'll be fine." Danny insisted.

"But Danny…"

"I said, I'll be fine." Danny snapped.

I sighed. "Fine Messer, but if you start seeing double or blurry you go to the hospital. I'll knock you out and drag you there if I have to."

Danny sighed. "Rora, I know you care and I appreciate that. But I have to take care of this."

"Danny, you heard Mac, he said not to talk to IAB. I don't trust IAB. Stay away from them as long as you can." I said.

Danny looked down the street. "Yeah, alright. I'll be okay."

I sat down next to him and gave him a small hug. "I hope so; I really like having you around." I said. "Would your head feel better if I kissed your boo-boo?" I winked.

Danny smiled at me. "Yeah…well that and other places." He winked.

I laughed. I leaned over and kissed his forehead on the side opposite his bandage. And then kissed the bridge of his nose.

"Not the other place I had in mind, but okay." He smiled.

(Station)

I was pacing around the station. Danny had insisted on going back to the lab. Mac was supposed to call me when he found out anything. And I had left my phone off the hook because it was ringing so much with media.

"Pacing won't help anything." Flack said.

"I know…I just hate waiting. And I am on pins and needles." I said.

Flack raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I am worried about Danny too. Poor guy, the media is already crucifying him."

"I might have to find a reporter to give their rights…and lefts." I joked.

My cell phone rang. Thank god it was Mac's number on caller ID.

"Denton." I answered.

"Hey, according to Hawkes there is no way to tell who fired the fatal round. I took a bullet to ballistics but it was from a non-fatal wound. Where is Danny?" Mac asked.

"Not with me. Back at the lab." I said.

"I told him to go home. What did the hospital say?" Mac asked.

"You'll have to discuss that with him." I said, not wanting to stir more trouble.

"I just came from listening to the recording the civilian made in the subway during the shooting. Undercover officer Minhas identified himself before Danny fired his gun." Mac said.

I slumped and fell into my chair. "Oh God. What else can we do for him?"

"I'm not going to give up. I'll stay in touch." Mac said.

I slammed my phone shut, I felt like throwing it.

"Bad news?" Flack asked.

"Fuck, I hate this." I said.

"You know the madder you get, the worse your language is?" Flack asked. "I noticed that in the subway today. You were talking like a sailor. I don't think Mac knew what to make of it."

I snickered. "I know. I get mad, the gloves come off." I said.

"I know Danny. He would never make a mistake that would kill an innocent person. It'll be okay." Don said.

"I hope you're right. I mean IAB is involved and I hate those bastards. I don't trust them any farther than I could throw you." I sighed.

"As mad as you are now, I think that could be pretty far." Flack smiled.

I laughed despite myself. "You never know."

"It'll be okay." Flack said.

I shook my head and hoped he was right.

My cell rang again. I saw it was Danny's number.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Aurora, listen, I am gonna head to the hospital." Danny said.

"Oh okay…are you feeling light headed? Do you need me to go with you?" I asked.

"No, I just think it'd be better if I go. It'll get me away from the lab for a bit and give me time to think. And Mac ordered me to go." Danny said.

"You call me if you need anything, okay?" I said.

"I will, but I should be fine. This is just a scratch. Women have done worse to me." I could hear the attempt at a joke.

"Well if you quit using lame come-on lines they wouldn't." I said.

"I'll talk to you later." Danny said.

"Okay, and Danny…I am not giving up on this. I am going to get this all straight." I said.

"Thanks, I know you'll try." Danny said and hung up.

I busied myself trying to catch up on paperwork. I tried writing a letter to my brother. But nothing was working. All I could do was worry about Danny.

"Aurora." Flack got my attention. "That was Mac. He wants me to go to the subway with Aiden and look for anything they missed. They're really trying to clear Danny."

I nodded. "That's good. I'll go with you. If I sit here much longer, I am going to rip my hair out."

(Subway)

When we arrived at the subway, Mac sent Aiden down to the subway. Flack went with her. I stood with Mac, waiting to ask about the case when Danny walked up to us. Mac looked at Danny.

"You're off this case Danny. Why are you here?" Mac asked.

"I don't know I thought maybe I could help while my memory is still fresh." Danny said.

"You know the drill. You're assigned to a desk If I were you, that's where I'd be." Mac said.

I bit my lip and wished I were anywhere else but here. Heinz Field in January would be better than this.

"Why? What do you know? Do you know something?" Danny asked.

"Your story doesn't match the witnesses. We have an audio tape of the shooting. The evidence is damaging to you. You said Minhas didn't say anything and he did." Mac said. "He ID'ed himself."

"Mac I didn't hear anything." Danny insisted. "I swear to you on my mother's grave."

"One of your bullets is still missing. My fear is, it's the one that killed the officer." Mac said. I swallowed hard and breathed deep, willing myself to stay calm for Danny's sake. "Come here."

Mac pulled a card out of his wallet and gave it to Danny. "I want you to go home. I want you to call this guy. He's a good lawyer." Mac said. "He's expecting your call."

"I don't need a lawyer, Mac." Danny said.

"The DA decides to prosecute you will. Give him a call." Mac said. "It'll do you good to talk to someone. Go on."

"I'll walk with him a bit." I said and ran to catch up with Danny.

"Hey Danny, what'd they say at the hospital?" I asked.

"I didn't stay, they took too long." He mumbled.

I sighed. "How's your head?"

"Fine, I bandaged it myself. I am great." Danny said.

"You want to talk." I asked.

Danny sighed and stopped. "Here you are trying so hard to be nice and help me and I am out of it. I'm sorry."

"No don't apologize. I understand. I just want to be there if you need anything." I said.

"It's all a mess right now. I can't sit still. I feel like I am going crazy." Danny said.

"Just hang in there. We're all fighting for you. Mac and Aiden are killing themselves to get evidence to clear you. Flack and I are helping them in any way we can. And Flack has dragged me away from a few different officers that were running their mouths and I lost my temper." I said.

Danny half-smiled. "You know this morning in the subway you were cursing a blue streak. I didn't know such a pretty little mouth could say such things."

"Yeah, Flack has been telling me the same thing." I said. "Go get some rest Danny. I know it's not easy but please try."

Danny nodded and walked down the street.

(Station)

"Hey Rora, I bought us dinner. It's Chinese. I know how stressed we both are. Thought this might cheer us up." Flack said.

"You heard from Danny?" I asked.

"No, I hope he's resting." Flack said and spread dinner out on my desk.

"This is all so frustrating." I sighed.

Flack looked at me strangely. "Don't worry, Mac will get this all worked out right."

I nodded. "I hope so."

I had just started eating when my cell phone rang.

"Denton." I answered.

"Aurora…I got more bad news." Mac said.

I sighed and fell back in my chair. "Go ahead."

"Aiden and Flack found a casing in the subway. There was no blood on it. However, it matches the bullets used on our victim in the apartment. The only bullet left unaccounted for belongs to Danny and it's the fatal bullet." Mac said.

"What do we do now? We're running out of options." I said.

"Go back to the apartment. There has to be a reason Minhas was in that closet." Mac said.

"Thanks, keep me posted." I said and hung up. "Here Flack, take this." I said and handed him my phone.

"Why?" he asked and took it.

"Because I am about the throw the fucking thing and it's a goddamn expensive phone." I yelled.

"More bad news I can tell." Flack sighed.

"That bullet you and Aiden found wasn't from Danny's gun." I said.

"Fuck!" Don yelled.

I hung my head in my hands. "We're all gonna be visiting Danny in prison. Visiting hours isn't even enough time for me to argue with him about the Yankees."

"Don't give up yet. If Mac is still fighting, so am I and you better too." Flack said.

"I am not giving up until a judge sends him to Attica." I said.

"Thatta Girl." Flack said.

Then Flack's phone rang. He answered it and I tried to eat. I wasn't hungry and decided to shower. Maybe I could unwind.

"I'm gonna shower. Thanks for dinner." I said.

"That was Danny. I am going to go meet him. He wants to talk." Don said.

"Good, he needs somebody right now. And you guys are old friends." I said.

Don walked out and I headed for the shower.

I stood in the shower for about an hour. I just let the water run over me and tried to think positive. When I finally emerged, I put on comfortable clothes, not even caring how I looked and went to my desk. Don was walking in.

"How is Danny?" I asked.

"I've known him long enough to know he's about to do something stupid." Flack sighed and sat in his chair. "I talked till I was blue in the face."

"What's he going to do?" I asked.

"I dunno. He feels like no one has his back. He thinks Mac is more worried about the reputation of the lab than him. He won't call the lawyer Mac recommended. He says he feels like he's already been hung." Flack rubbed his eyes.

"How can he not know how hard we're all pulling for him?" I asked.

Don shook his head. "I got to go. Aiden and I are headed to that apartment. This is the worse day since…."

"I know…since Gavin." I finished.

Don walked out and I picked up my cell phone and dialed Danny's number. It was shut off and immediately went to voicemail.

"Hey Danny, its Aurora. Give me a call later, just to talk. I know things are rough right now and I just want you to know, I do got your back. Whatever comes, I'll help you through it. You've been a great friend to me; I care a lot about you. I'll do whatever I can for you, you know that. Talk to you later."

I hung up and sat down again. I sighed and tried some more paperwork.

(Later)

Flack returned to the station later.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Bullet in a tree across the street from the apartment where Knight was killed. There had to be three people in that apartment. If Minhas was shot through and through in that apartment…"

"Then that accounts for the missing bullet and Danny didn't kill Minhas." I said. "Oh I hope this is it."

"God I hope so. Danny is running out of options." Flack said.

"I tried calling him got his voicemail. I'll try later." I said.

Flack and I sat going over the case. Trying to find something, anything else we could to help Danny.

Aiden walked in, smiling brighter than a Christmas tree.

"What's up?" I asked.

"The blood spatter on the wall of the apartment and the bullet in the tree belonged to Officer Minhas. He was shot there, so Danny didn't kill him." Aiden smiled.

"Oh my god that is so great." I jumped up and hugged her.

"Yeah, Mac is on his way to IAB now to present the evidence and clear Danny." She said.

"Oh I am so happy. Does Danny know?" I asked.

"Still can't reach him." Aiden said.

"Damn…I am buying that man a beer." Flack smiled.

"Hell I am so happy I might buy him a stripper. After this, he deserves it." I laughed.

"I was worried there for awhile." Aiden said.

"I am just glad Danny is cleared." I sighed.

"Flack, we need to head back to the apartment and find the connections between Knight, and Minhas. Rora, why don't you head over to the lab later? To pick up the lab results and all for your reports?" Aiden said.

"I'll do that. And call me when you get all the connections filled in. I wanna know exactly why we all went through this hell." I said.

Don and Aiden left. Feeling much better I went to get a soda and then finished some paper work. I was actually smiling.

I left to go to the lab. If Aiden wasn't back yet, Mac could fill me in. I walked into the lab and saw Danny sitting at his desk and he looked to be fighting back tears. This made no sense; we'd just got the evidence to clear him. I walked into the lab.

"Hey Danny, how's your head?" I asked.

"Just fine." He muttered, not even looking up.

"What's the matter? I thought you'd be jumping for joy, we just got evidence to clear you in Minhas' death." I said.

"I made a statement to IAB." Danny said and shook his head. "Mac was there…he told me that if IAB goes after me for this, the evidence he found is useless. And I disobeyed a direct order."

I stared at him, not sure to hug him or smack him. "Mac told you to stay away from IAB. It's full of blood sucking vultures. Even I told you not to go. Why did you go?"

"I had to do something. I couldn't just sit back and be crucified." Danny snapped.

"We were all pulling for you. Listen to your voicemail." I said. "Damn! Why did you have to go and talk to IAB?"

"Look, I know all that. Didn't I just tell you I just got chewed out for this? There's nothing more for me to hear about this" Danny snapped.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Danny. I am just worried is all. IAB has been riding Mac for awhile now, and Stella's little stunt with the rich people last week didn't help. I just don't want you to be made an example of. Besides, I care about you. I don't wanna see you unhappy or lose your job."

Danny's face softened. "I'm sorry Aurora. This is all so stressful. And I just want it all to be set right as soon as possible."

I hugged him. "I know and it will be. Mac has evidence to clear you even if IAB won't listen. And I'll personally start screaming on the evening news if they try to take your badge." I smirked. "But seriously if you need anything, let me know."

Danny gave a small smile. "Thanks Rora."

"Anytime…now before I break into a chorus of 'That's What Friends Are For', I need the lab reports for this case." I said.

"I'm off the case. You'll have to wait for Mac or Aiden." Danny said.

My cell rang.

"Denton." I answered.

"Aurora, Minhas had a partner in this. He was waiting to get into a car, bled out a lot there, and then took off for the subway. We found the owner of the car; he has a gun like the one we're looking for." Flack said.

I walked out of the lab so Danny couldn't hear me. "You mean Minhas was a dirty cop? Was it about drugs?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but Minhas wasn't innocent, that's for damn sure." Flack said.

"Thanks…I'll call you back." I said and hung up. I looked in at Danny, who was wiping tears.

I clenched my jaw and headed for IAB.

It didn't take me long to arrive at their offices. I knew the leech I wanted to see. He was in his office. I walked right past his secretary.

"You can't go in there." She said.

"Go to hell." I said and marched right in.

"Can I help you?" Hillbourne said and looked confused.

"Shut up and listen because I got something to say. Detective Danny Messer is one of the finest detectives I have worked with in NYC or Pittsburgh. And he has done nothing wrong; there is evidence to prove that!" I yelled.

"You're out of line." Hillbourne said.

"This office is out of line if they pursue charges against Danny Messer. The cop killed in the subway was a dirty cop. He played outside the law and died and I don't give a flying fuck. You wanna investigate somebody, why don't you investigate the officers that didn't properly secure the apartment crime scene. That man in the closet should've been found long before Messer and Taylor were on the scene. Why don't you investigate Minhas and see what dealings he was involved with?" I yelled.

"You wanna lose your badge?" he yelled.

I laughed. "You don't have the balls. But I'll tell you this, you pursue charges against Danny…I'll be on every news channel and newspaper in the city screaming that Minhas was a dirty cop and that the NYPD has evidence to exonerate Detective Messer."

"I can have you stripped of your badge, loss of pension." Hillbourne said.

"No you won't. You won't do a damn thing to me…because I am partners with Detective Donald Flack, Jr. And you don't have the guts to go after the son of a NYPD legend. Because this office is all about PR and public image, and you couldn't give a rat's ass about the real heroes of NYC. The brave men and women that put their lives on the line every day to keep snakes like you safe." I said. "Have a nice day."

I walked out, slamming the door behind me.

I went back to the station and took another shower. I needed to calm down. All this work to clear Danny and it might not do any good. I was glad I had given IAB a piece of my mind.

After my shower, I walked out to my desk.

"I just got a call from IAB. Apparently you made quite a stir." Flack said.

"Cocksuckers gonna do something about it?" I asked.

"No, they just asked me to speak with you about professional courtesy." Flack said.

"Bastards, I knew they wouldn't have the guts." I said.

"Why are you taking this so hard? I know you're worried about Danny, I am too. But you're…"

"Minhas was a dirty cop. I've been here five months and we've had three cases involving cops committing crimes. I left Pittsburgh to get away from that." I said.

"Aurora, cops are like that anywhere. But you have to be a good cop and protect innocent people from bad cops." Flack said.

I sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into my tantrum."

"Are you kidding? I wish I could've seen old face when you barged in there. I've always hated him." Flack smirked.

I smiled. "Night Flack, I am heading to the lab. Check on Danny, talk to Aiden."

"You need a ride home?" Flack asked.

"No, I'll catch a cab and I got my gun." I said. "Thanks anyway."

I walked to the lab, but I couldn't find Danny. I searched everywhere, even braving a peek into the men's locker room.

I finally spotted Aiden in the break room. She looked upset.

"Aiden, what's up? I came to find Danny, he's no where around and you look upset." I said.

"Danny left a bit ago, apparently things are…well DA isn't pressing charges and IAB isn't either." She said.

"That's great." I said.

"But Mac came down REALLY hard on Danny. Told him some story about he was told he shouldn't have hired Danny a few years ago. Said Danny shot wild in the subway. And then he told Danny he was off the promotion grid." Aiden said.

"Oh no." I said. "Where is Danny?"

"I dunno, he was upset, he just mumbled that much to me in passing and headed out." Aiden said.

"Damn…well at least they didn't fire him or press charges." I said.

"This is so messed up." Aiden said.

"Look, I need to get going. You okay?" I asked.

"Fine, just long bad day is all." She said.

I hugged her and hurried downstairs. I rode the subway into Brooklyn.

(Brooklyn)

I walked up to Danny's building. I looked at the buzzers and pushed the one next to Danny's name. It took a long time before he answered.

"Who there?" he asked and sounded strange.

"Danny, its Aurora, buzz me in." I said.

The buzzer sounded and I walked into the building. I hurried up the stairs to Danny's I knocked on the door. After awhile Danny answered. He looked like hell. His head was still bandaged; he had a bottle of some liquor I didn't recognize in his hand. He was wearing sweats and a black t-shirt. Behind him were empty bottles of vodka and several beer bottles.

"Hey Aurora, guess you're here to congratulate me on my big fuck up!" Danny said. This wasn't a Danny I recognized.

I shook my head. "Danny, this isn't the way to deal with this."

"What are you, my mother?" Danny snapped.

I took a step back. "No, but I care about you. I came to see if you were okay. If you needed anything."

"Well thank you very much, but I got all I need and want right here." Danny said and held up the bottle. He took a big drink from it.

"Danny…..All that can do is make you sick in the morning. When it wears off, reality will still be the same. It won't cure your problems." I said.

"But it makes it fucking easier to deal with right now." Danny snapped.

I stepped back again. I realized there was no helping him if he wanted to get drunk.

"Do you want anything from me while I am here?" I asked.

"Well if you don't mind, go down to the corner store and get me some more Vodka and Everclear. I am out." Danny said.

I shook my head. "I won't do that Danny. I want to help you, not make you worse."

"Well there is nothing you can do then." Danny said.

"So you want to be alone then?" I asked.

"Yeah…unless you want to do a few friendly favors to make me feel better." Danny winked.

I hung my head. "Normally I'd laugh and think that was cute and flirtatious….but I don't like you this way Danny."

"Well excuse the fuck out of me for not pleasing you." Danny yelled and slammed the door shut.

I drew a deep breath and walked down the stairs. I sighed and left the building and went home. I walked through my front door and started crying. The whole day caught up with me. The stress, the hurt, the worry. And now I was worried about Danny.

I went to my bedroom and got ready for bed. I decided against calling anyone, Danny wouldn't thank me and he was already in enough trouble.

(Next Morning)

The next morning I went back to Danny's apartment to check on him. I hoped he was sober. I pushed the buzzer again.

"Who is it?" Danny said, he sounded like I woke him up.

"Danny…..its Aurora." I said.

I heard the buzz and I went in the building. I walked up the stairs and knocked on his door. He answered, still in the clothes from last night. The apartment was cluttered in bottles, food wrappers and glasses. Danny looked tired and hung-over.

"Danny….ummm is it okay that I am here?" I asked, remembering last night.

"Oh sure, yeah yeah. Come in." Danny opened the door further and I walked in. "Sorry about the mess. I just woke up."

"It's okay. I'll clean it up. You must be…" I stopped not sure what to say and not wanting to be rude. "Not feeling well."

I started picking up bottles and garbage, trying to clean up.

"Yeah, I feel like I was hit with a Mack truck." Danny said and sat on the couch.

I grabbed a couple aspirin out of his cabinet and got him a glass of water. I walked over and started to hand them to him. "Here take this. I'll close the blinds so the sun doesn't bother you." Then I pulled back. "Do you mind me helping you?"

Danny took the water and aspirin and swallowed them. "No, no Aurora you're fine." Danny said and pulled me down beside him. "I am so sorry about last night. You were trying to help and I was a bastard."

"I was so worried about you...part of me wanted to just take your bottle and smash it but...oh I am ashamed to say it...I was afraid of you. I'd never seen you like that." I said and bit my lip to keep from crying again.

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair again. "Aurora, I am so sorry. The last thing I ever want is for you to be afraid of me. I am just….I am so sorry. But I wouldn't have hurt you."

"I... I had just never seen you like that and…." I leaned over and hugged him tight. "It's okay. I was more worried about you than anything. I didn't want you to be mad at me. I care about you. I am on your side in all this."

"I know, I feel horrible about what I said last night." Danny sighed.

"Its okay...I know you didn't mean any of it…that it was just the alcohol and stress talking. I know you'd never dismiss me like that. You're too good to do that to a friend...that's why I came back this morning. I wanted to be here for you and help in any way I could." I said.

Danny smiled. "Thanks Rora."

"Hey, I know you'd do the same thing for me." I said. "Okay, you'd try to comfort me with sex." I joked.

Danny smirked. "Hey you know me, anything I can do to help."

I laughed. "One of these days I am just going to agree to all your sex talk, just to see your reaction."

"Hey, I got no problem with that." Danny winked.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" I asked.

"I was never mad at you…just the situation." Danny said.

"That's good. You mean a lot to me." I smiled and hugged him again. "How's your head?"

"My head is fine. The headache is from the hangover." Danny said.

I took his hand. "I know this is rough...but we're all on your side. And I'm here for

anything you need...day or night. Please don't turn to getting drunk again for comfort."

Danny nodded. "Alright Rora, I won't I promise." He said. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Thanks for everything…I mean that."

I smiled. "I'll make us breakfast. It'll help the hangover. This afternoon there is a Yanks game on if you want to watch."

"Sounds great." Danny said as I headed to the kitchen.


	13. NYC at Night

_trblmkr831- Glad you are reading and enjoying. Thanks for the review, I love getting them._

_Emador- Curses, I was hoping something would be shocking…I am getting as bad as you know who._

_Meadow567- They just have to? And which two? LOL and what is killing me smalls mean? Sorry for being dense._

_BridgetLynn- On The Job is one of my favorites too. So glad you liked it. I am glad to have something for you before class too. I'll probably be updating at weird times because I just started a new job. But I will still update everyday._

I finished up my reports from the day and leaned back in my chair. It was mid-May in NYC. We'd had a light day. Flack and I responded to suicide at Columbia and that was it. Mac and Stella had worked the quick case with us. Danny was on a few light cases only pending his psychiatric exam that he seemed to be putting off. It had been a week since the subway shooting. Aiden had a case across town with Vicaro. She called me at lunch complaining about him.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Hey Aurora, how are you doing?" Danny asked.

"I am fine. Just finishing up a few things for the day." I Said. "What's up with you?"

"Not much. The cases I am getting suck. I am so bored." Danny said.

"I know sweetie, just hang in there. It'll get better." I said.

"So do you have plans for tonight?" Danny asked.

"No, why? Did you have something in mind?" I asked.

"Actually I have a little surprise for you. But it's too early yet. Wanna grab some coffee in the meantime?" Danny asked.

"A surprise? What are you up to?" I asked.

"It's something I thought you'd like…will you just trust me?' Danny said and I could tell that he was smiling.

"Alright, but if this is something that is gonna hurt, I'll strangle you." I laughed. "Where do you want to get coffee?"

"The usual. Meet you there in a half hour or so?"

"Sounds great. See you there." I said and hung up.

I finished up my work and went to change. The weather was beautiful and warm outside so I had put several light dresses in my locker. I was now glad for that as I went to change.

I picked out a light blue dress that was ankle length. I dug until I found the sandals I had stashed in my locker. I changed and then touched up my hair and make-up.

The café Danny was meeting me at was just down the street from the station so I set out on foot. The sun was still peeking through the clouds. The days were getting longer as summer rapidly approached. I walked in and saw Danny sitting in our usual booth.

"Hey Danny." I smiled and sat down across from him.

"Rora, you look great. You didn't have to dress fancy or nothing." Danny said.

"This isn't fancy. While I am off-duty in warm weather I love to wear spring and summer dresses. Besides, after being cooped up so much this week, I just wanted to get out and have fun tonight." I said.

"I ordered you one of those soy latte things you insist on drinking." Danny said.

"Thank you. How much do I owe you for it?" I asked.

"Aurora, I got it. Don't worry about it." He said.

I shrugged and noticed the magazine under his hands. "What's that?" I asked and reached for it. "Cosmo?"

"It was in the booth when I sat down; I was just breezing through it while waiting." Danny shrugged.

"Sure, sure." I giggled and opened it to read myself.

"You have a long day?" Danny asked.

"Nah, just a suicide at Columbia. Some girl just couldn't live without her boyfriend who'd already gotten a new girlfriend type thing. So she takes apart her Schick, goes to shower and is found two hours later when her roommate got worried." I shook my head.

"Sad case." Danny shook his head.

"How about you? How are things going?" I asked.

"I'm okay. Some cops still look and whisper. Mac and I are on strained friendly terms. Aiden and Flack and you are being supportive as ever." Danny said.

"But how do you feel?" I asked.

"Better. The shock has worn off and I am looking forward to putting it all behind me and moving on." Danny said.

"You go see the shrink yet?" I asked.

"Not yet." Danny sighed.

"Don't put it off too long that just makes it worse." I said.

Danny nodded.

"What are you guys doing here?" Flack asked. He and Sheldon had just walked in and saw us at the booth.

"Just having some coffee." I said.

"What are you guys up to tonight?" Danny asked them.

"Just out to relax." Sheldon said.

"Why don't you guys join us?" I asked and slid to make room for them.

Hawkes sat next to me and Flack sat next to Danny. They ordered their drinks.

"Aurora, what are you reading?" Hawkes asked.

"Some magazine Danny found. It's one of those quizzes about 'How Comfortable with Your Friends Are You?'." I rolled my eyes. "It's silly because I am so comfortable with all you guys."

"Are those things ever accurate? Flack asked.

"Some women swear by these things. I think they're a goof." I said.

"I can't believe the way some people take these things so serious." Hawkes said.

"Oh I know. You let some crazy woman take a magazine quiz and the next thing you know she is dragging her husband off to some sex therapist because the quiz says he was Caligula in another life." I rolled my eyes.

"What are some of the questions?" Danny asked.

"Like this one here. 'Do your friends know what you do to relax?'." I read.

"Shower." Flack said. "Every time she gets upset at work, into the shower she goes."

I nodded. "He's right; I do that often because it gives me a few minutes to myself to relax."

"And when she showers while happy she sings...she'll turn up a radio and sing." Flack laughed.

"And how do you know that?" I asked.

"I passed by the women's locker room on my way to the break room the other day. I could hear the radio was loud so I poked my head in. I didn't see anything but heard you singing along to some horrible country shit….something about mud on tires." Flack said.

"That was Brad Paisley and you hush about it. He's from a town in West Virginia not far from Pittsburgh, so he is sort of a hometown guy." I said.

Hawkes and Danny were both smirking at me.

"What's the next question?" Sheldon asked.

I looked at the magazine. "If you suffered a tragedy, who would call to comfort you first, friends or family?"

"Friends." Danny said. "You're not close to your family and we're all here with you."

I nodded. "You got that right."

I saw Mac walk in the door. He spotted us and walked towards our table.

"Hey, I stopped in on my way home. Mind if I join you?" Mac asked.

"Sure." Flack answered and scooted to make room for Mac to sit.

I looked at Danny who seemed to be enjoying everything and not letting the problems at work bother him here.

"So what are we doing?" Mac asked.

"Relaxing, listening to Rora take some quiz out of a magazine." Hawkes shrugged.

"Aurora, great job calming the roommate at Columbia today." Mac said.

"Thanks, I just knew that she was blaming herself for not checking on the girl sooner. So I explained that even if she had found her sooner, the cuts were so deep, she couldn't have been saved." I said.

"See Rora, I told you bad news comes easier from women." Flack smirked.

"Way to go Mac, he'll use this as an excuse to never again tell someone their family member or friend has died." I sighed.

Mac smiled as his drink arrived.

"So next question Rora." Danny said.

"Oh right, this 'insightful' quiz." I joked. "How many of your friends know your darkest secret?"

"Do you even have dark secrets? You're too sweet for bad secrets." Flack said.

"Nothing bad, just a few little private things." I said.

"Well do we know any of them?" Hawkes asked.

"Well I can only think of one thing you guys don't know. Aiden knows though." I said.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"I am not telling. If you men knew, I'd never hear the end of it." I said.

"Oh you gotta tell us now. Come on, we would never say anything to really hurt you, you know that." Flack said.

I gritted my teeth. "This isn't something I can admit in front of Mac."

Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, Mac is a CSI detective and former marine. He's seen it all, nothing shocks him." Flack smirked.

I took a deep breath. "Oh alright, I signed up at that new gym and they had a class that caught my attention, so I signed up for it and I really like it."

"What kind of class?" Danny asked.

"Strip Aerobics." I said. I could feel myself blush.

Flack started laughing. "Thatta a girl."

Danny looked at me wide-eyed. "Are you serous?"

Mac was smirking.

Hawkes put an arm around me. "You really take strip aerobics?"

"Yes, a few nights a week." I said.

"Will you marry me?" Hawkes winked.

"Get out of here." I laughed.

"I've heard of those classes, but never knew anyone who actually took them." Mac smiled.

"Will you demonstrate for us sometime?" Flack asked.

"We need to go." Danny said suddenly. "I promised to take Aurora somewhere and it's time to leave."

I was startled. "Oh is it time for…whatever you mentioned earlier already?"

"Yeah, now would be a good time to head out." Danny said.

"Okay, well guys it was fun. I'll see you at work." I said as Hawkes let me out of the booth.

"Take it easy you two." Hawkes said.

"And Aurora, I want to see some of these Aerobics." Flack winked.

"We really need to go." Danny said.

"Night guys." I said and followed Danny out of the café.

"So where are we going?" I asked as we walked down the street.

"Just someplace I thought you'd like." Danny said. "We can take a cab."

I waited as Danny hailed a cab, then I climbed in beside him.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Empire State Building." Danny said.

We took off down the street.

"Why the Empire State Building?" I asked.

"You'll see." Danny smiled. "So, with all that's been going on, I haven't checked on you much, you okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine." I said.

"Heard from your mother?" he asked.

"Just long enough for her to carry on about going to Angie's oldest son's sixth grade graduation." I sighed.

"You know some mother's have kids that are delinquents they defend that kid till they're blue in the face. And then someone gets a wonderful daughter like you and doesn't appreciate you…..I don't get it." Danny said.

"I don't either but I have learned to deal with it. Now that dad is gone and I can no longer hurt him, I have as little to do with my mother as possible." I said.

"You know, if you ever need to talk, I am here for you." Danny said.

"Hey, that's my line the past week." I smiled.

"And I am thankful for every time I heard you say it." Danny smirked.

We pulled up in front of the Empire State Building and stepped out of the cab. Danny paid the driver while I stared up at the building. Night had fallen while we were at the café.

"Ready to go?" Danny asked.

"Where?" I asked.

"Just come on." Danny said and guided me towards the doors. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"No." I answered.

We walked into the building and stepped onto an elevator. We rode to the top floor. It took awhile to descend over 100 floors.

"Danny, what is this all about?" I asked.

"Have you been here before?" he asked.

"No, I've been meaning to but never got around to it." I said.

"Then just hush and enjoy it." Danny smiled.

We stepped off the elevator. "We have to walk up stairs to the observation deck." Danny said.

I nodded and followed Danny up the stairs. He held the door open and we stepped outside. I looked around; the city was all lit up and looked beautiful.

"Wow, what a beautiful sight. It's breathtaking." I said.

"I thought you'd like it." Danny said. I looked at him. "I figured that you being still pretty new to the city wouldn't have had the chance to just enjoy the view of the city at night. I am sure you've seen it, but never just been allowed to enjoy it."

I smiled. "You're right. I hadn't."

Danny smiled. "So I thought with the weather being nice tonight and no work…it'd be nice to bring you up here, let you look around, enjoy yourself."

I turned and hugged him. "Thank you so much. This is so sweet."

"I am glad you like it." He said.

I looked around the city. All the lights…it was unlike anything I expected. "You know, there are times I still catch myself looking for Mellon Arena."

"Well you can see the Gardens." Danny said.

I shivered and rubbed my arms. "Well the Rangers tend to be rivals with the Pens."

"You cold?" Danny asked.

"A little. The wind up here is making me shiver." I said.

Danny took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. "That should help."

"Thanks." I smiled.

Danny rubbed my arms a bit through his jacket. "Well I don't want you to be cold."

"Being up here makes me think of that Cary Grant movie…the one where he is waiting for the girl if she still loved him, but she's been in an accident and can't meet him." I said.

"Yeah, 'An Affair to Remember'…that was one of my mom's favorites." Danny said.

"Would you wait for a girl like that and then go looking for her?" I asked.

"The right girl I would." Danny said.

I walked over to the balcony and looked out at the city. I turned around and looked at Danny who was looking at me.

"Do you come up here often?" I asked.

"Not really." He said and walked over to me.

"I bet you bring all kinds of girls up here, then start speaking in Italian and have your wicked way with them." I winked.

"Would it work on you?" he smirked. "Una bella notte e una bello donna."

I smiled. "What does that mean?"

"A beautiful night and a beautiful lady." Danny smiled.

"You're sweet." I said and smiled.

(Later)

"Thank you for tonight that was a lot of fun." I said as Danny walked me to my building. "You wanna come up for a bit?"

"I'd like to but I really can't…I feel like maybe I can actually sleep tonight." Danny said.

I nodded, knowing in the past week his sleeping was interrupted with nightmares.

"Here's your jacket back." I said and took it off my shoulders and handed it to him.

"So I guess I'll see you at work." I said.

"Yeah…if things are slow this weekend…..Flack and I were planning on watching the Mets game Sunday afternoon, why don't you stop in?" Danny said.

"I will." I smiled. "Thanks again for tonight."

"Don't mention it. It did me a lot of good too. Getting away form work, relaxing…it was good all around." Danny smiled.

"Well then, Buona notte." I said.

"Buona notte." Danny smiled and I walked into my building.


	14. Take Me Out To The Ballgame

_Meadow567- Well I was guessing on a lot of that. And just relax, everything will happen in good time. And make beautiful Italian?_

_BridgetLynn- I never take those quizzes too seriously either. Glad you're still here._

_Emador- Oh you and your melting. I don't know if this chapter has anything that will make you melt or not…try to keep it to a minimum, LOL. And relax about Hawkes…he's single! ;-) _

_**Spoiler**- "The Closer"_

_Note- In "The Closer" there is a blooper. The victim's name is Gilbert but a few times Stella and Danny call him George. Naughty Jerry for not catching that, LOL. _

I was sleeping soundly when the covers were suddenly pulled off of me.

"Rise and shine." Flack said.

I opened my eyes; he was standing over me smirking.

"What are you doing here Don? And what time is it?" I asked.

"Do you always sleep in that?" Don asked, referring my boy cut panties and baby doll top.

"Flack, when I gave you an extra key to my apartment it was for an emergency situation, not so you see me in my underwear." I said.

"The underwear is a bonus." Flack smirked. "You know I can get Vicaro to take your case and we can just stay here."

"Are you lonely?" I laughed.

"You have been my only date since…I don't want to talk about it. Don't you have some girlfriends you can hook me up with?"

"Stella and Aiden are my girlfriends. Other than them you can choose from Danny, Mac and Sheldon." I said.

"Then I say I call off and jump in there with you. We've already dated a few times. It wouldn't even make you a slut." Flack winked.

"What do you want?" I asked and stood up.

"A call just came in while I was driving to the station. And it's all yours. I just had to come tell you about it." Flack smirked.

"What about the woman that was hit in the middle of the street yesterday afternoon?" I asked.

"I'll handle that…this new case was tailor made for you. You're going to love it." Flack smiled.

"Oh really? What, somebody murder Jerome Bettis?" I rolled my eyes and pulled some clothes out of my closet.

"We have a dead body in the parking garage of Yankee Stadium." Flack smirked.

"Oh no! I…..but…..oh I just hate you." I said and Don cracked up laughing.

"You'll be fine. Besides, some time in the Bronx, you might become a Yankees fan." Flack was still smirking.

"That wouldn't happen even with an exorcism performed by the pope himself!" I said and went in the bathroom to get dressed.

"Since when do you have a cat….get out of here you mangy thing." Flack yelled.

"Hey, you leave my cat alone. I'll shoot you over him. I've always had him, you just never came any farther than the building entrance." I yelled.

"I'm allergic to cats." Flack said.

"Then just don't pet him or pick him up. He's very sweet though." I called back.

"He's rubbing my leg…is he gonna start humping me?" Flack asked.

I rolled my eyes. "No, he's not a dog. And besides that he's been fixed and declawed. He's just very affectionate. Talk to him, his name is Rammer."

"Talk to a cat?" Flack sounded unsure. "And what kind of name is Rammer?"

"It was the nickname of Mike Ramsey, defenseman on the 1980 Miracle team." I said.

"I thought you liked the goalie from that team, what was his name again? Craig Patrick?" Flack called.

"Jim Craig was the goalie. Craig Patrick was the assistant coach." I explained. "And I like them all."

I stepped out of the bathroom. "I suppose I should get to the outer layer of hell."

Flack laughed. "I'll give you a ride there. I have to meet with Mac about the dead woman from yesterday."

(Yankee Stadium)

At Yankee Stadium, there was a dead man in his SUV in the parking garage. I had the area roped off. The uniformed officers had some information for me. Soon Aiden and Danny showed up with kits.

"ADD, you're finally at Yankee Stadium." Danny smirked.

"I don't want to hear it. I am being a good little public servant by being here." I sighed.

"Ignore Rora. When he found out you would be here, he started thinking up ways to torture you." Aiden said.

"Well the DOA is Gilbert Novotny from Brookline Massachusetts." I said.

"He's a long way from home." Aiden said.

"Most likely a Boston fan too." Danny said.

"Which means I have to get justice for this man, he's one of my own kind." I said to Danny.

They began processing the SUV. When the doors were opened you could see Gilbert was dressed in Red Sox clothes.

"He was a Boston fan." I said. "Can you tell what killed him?"

"Nothing obvious." Aiden said.

Stella walked up to us. "Hey what do we got?"

"Gilbert Novotny from Massachusetts." I said. "Found by stadium security."

"Boston fan in the Bronx. That's brave." Stella said.

"Or stupid very stupid. Boston's tough. New York better get it together." Danny said while dusting for prints.

"I am wearing off on you." I giggled.

"I just admitted they were tough is all." Danny said.

"It's a start." I smiled.

"This guy has been dead and in this position for over 12 hours." Stella said.

Aiden walked up. "Probably since yesterday's game." She had a ticket in her hand that she had found. "And he didn't sit in the cheap seats. That's field level."

"Boston won yesterday….I let Danny hear about it for 15 minutes on the phone last night." I said.

"So Boston wins a game. Gilbert's the only one with a reason to celebrate. He doesn't make it out of the parking lot." Danny said.

"So you think some New York fan is a sore loser and takes it out on this guy? Pretty extreme." Aiden said.

"Sports rivalries can be intense. Fights break out between rival fans often at sporting events. And it's no secret about the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry." I said.

"There's no blood around the vehicle. That bloody nose happened elsewhere. Chances are Novotny got himself in the SUV and died there." Stella said.

"He could've been placed there. The SUV was unlocked when police responded." I said.

"Still, if you kill a guy and place him in the driver's seat, would you take the time to strap him in and put the key in the ignition?" Stella asked.

"Theory number two." Danny said while swabbing a baseball he'd found in the SUV. "Official major league ball…and mud. Delaware River mud to be exact."

"The umpires rub that on all the baseballs before every game to help beak in the ball." I said.

Aiden shook her head. "That's it. You two and baseball scare me." She smiled.

"So that's a foul ball or homerun and Novotny came down with it." Stella said.

"Right, but maybe someone thought this ball rightfully belonged to them." Danny said.

"Maybe someone with brown hair." Stella said, noticing a hair on the ball.

"Okay, I say we check out Gilbert's seat in the stadium. See if anything was left behind." I said.

"Danny and Aiden, go with Aurora. I'll get the body to Hawkes and the hair to DNA." Stella said.

Aiden and Danny grabbed their kits as I spoke with stadium security to let them know what we were doing.

"So Yankee Stadium….how you feeling Rora?" Danny hollered as I looked for the right seat.

"I am getting justice for a fellow BoSox fan." I said.

Danny launched into telling Aiden a bunch of baseball stories about himself. I'd heard most of them over the past few weeks of watching ball games with Danny and Flack. Although Danny still wouldn't tell me about the fight that broke his wrist, ending his baseball career.

"Hey, this is the row." I said.

Danny and Aiden set about looking for anything left behind. Aiden collected gum stuck to the seat. Danny found something red. Then Danny found blood on the concrete.

"This is definitely where Gilbert got hit." Danny said.

"But nobody dies from a bloody nose." Aiden said.

"We'll have to wait till autopsy to see what killed him." I said.

(Station)

I was sitting at my desk when Danny walked into the station.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I just came from Novotny's autopsy." Danny said.

"Well what killed him? Was it natural causes or something?" I asked.

"No it was foul play." Danny said.

"A Boston fan was murdered….I demand the death penalty." I said dramatically.

Danny smirked. "You're cute. Bad taste in ball clubs, but cute."

"Yeah, yeah, what killed him?" I asked.

"A ruptured spleen. Something with a lot of force hit Novotny in the ribs, broken rib punctured the spleen. He died of internal bleeding." Danny said.

"Rough way to go…..damn Yankee fans." I grumbled. "Can't trust none of them."

"Relax. I am getting footage from stadium security to trace Novotny's movements, and footage of foul balls." Danny said.

"That will show us who was around him." I said.

"We also found something in his hair. We're gonna run it now and find out what it is." Danny said.

"Let me know what you find. In the meantime, I have contacted Novotny's family in Brookline." I said.

"How'd they take it?" Danny asked.

"Pretty bad. They already want to sue the Yankees franchise for not properly protecting Gilbert." I sighed.

"Ain't that just great." Danny sighed.

"Well I don't know what happened here. But I do know that too often home venue security will turn a blind eye to rival fans getting hassled and often smacked around." I said. "Back when the Steelers played in Three River Stadium, people would brag about Browns fans getting beat up while security watched."

"We'll see who is responsible for Gilbert's death. I got to get to the lab." Danny said.

"Okay, call me." I said as he waved and walked out.

I finished my reports to Yankee Stadium security. And started going on a case file in preparation for an upcoming court date. I had to testify against a man who in a drunken rage had thrown his wife out their apartment window.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, you're never gonna believe what was in Gilbert's hair. Crackerjacks." Danny said.

"Ah yes, that old gag. Geez, can't Yankee fans come up with anything new? I asked.

"You know, we found one Boston fan dead today. Pipe down before you're number two. Anyway there is a big twist here." Danny said. "Remember the lady hit in the street yesterday, Margo Trent?"

"Yeah Flack is still working the case with Mac. I thought she died because of the truck accident?"

"She did. But it was her hair on the ball found in Novotny's car." Danny said.

"That is quite a twist. What's the connection between them?" I asked.

"We dunno yet. Wanna help us find out?" Danny asked.

"I'm on it." I said, and hung up to go meet with Danny.

I walked to the lab. Mac, Aiden and Danny were in there with Stella. Mac seemed distracted.

"What do we got?" I asked.

"There is no reason for these two people to have ever come in contact." Stella said.

"She is a sports agent. He's from out of town. This doesn't make sense." Danny said.

"Mac?" Stella got his attention.

"Yeah…..oh yeah. Yet they both came in contact with the same baseball." Mac said.

"I can tell you how. I got the foul ball footage from the game." Aiden said.

I watched the screen as it showed the stands from yesterday's game.

"There is Gilbert Novotny and Margo Trent on the left; they're sitting a seat apart." Aiden said.

"Alight, so they're sitting in the same section." Danny said.

"Aiden, play this frame by frame." Stella said.

The film was replayed frame by frame. It became easy to see that Gilbert had caught the ball near Margo's head and accidentally pulled a hair of hers' out when he caught it.

"Well that explains the hair being on the ball and ultimately in his SUV." Danny said.

"But they both end up dead just hours after this game?" I asked.

"Margo died from the car accident. Emphasis on accident. We have no evidence to prove otherwise." Stella said.

"Not from the scene." Mac said. "But what was she doing an hour before she was hit by that truck. Who was with her?"

"Well we know it wasn't Gilbert." Aiden said. "He was already dead."

"Alright, Aiden and Danny I want to know everything we can find out about Gilbert Novotny. Stella and I will find out about Margo Trent." Mac said.

I followed Danny and Aiden out of the office.

"Where should we go from here?" Aiden asked.

"My question is, why would Gilbert come to NYC to see a Red Sox and Yankees game. Why not go see them play at Fenway?" I asked.

"Some people like the rush of invading rival territory." Danny said.

I raised an eyebrow. "There is nothing in heaven or hell to make me go to Yankee Stadium in full Boston gear."

"Let's find out what Gilbert was doing in NYC then." Aiden said.

"Best place for that would be seeing when he bought his ticket. Trace his movements." I said.

We called the box office and traced Gilbert's ticket to being purchased by a local sports talk radio station. They had Gilbert on tape gong at it with some Yankee fan and offered Gilbert a seat at Yankee Stadium. Some kind of giveaway.

"We need to hear that tape." Danny said.

"Let's go then. WNYD." I said.

Danny, Aiden and I went to the radio station. I walked in and asked for the manager.

"I'm Detective Aurora Denton, NYPD." I said. "This is Detective Danny Messer, Detective Aiden Burn. We need to hear some aired tape."

"What tape?" he asked.

"The one with a guy from Boston getting a seat to a Yanks game and going at it with a Yankees fan." Danny said.

We were lead to the studio to listen to the tape.

As we listened it was obvious that Gilbert was bragging about being a Boston fan and some 'Tony from the Bronx' had called in and got into it with Gilbert. It was then that the radio offered Gilbert the ticket and Gilbert told Tony to come find him.

"That is something to be proud of Rico." Danny said to the DJ.

"Listen I am sorry the guy's dead." Rico said.

"Well the guy had two kids and a widow. Try to think about that the next time you get two fans pumped up like that, okay." Danny said.

Danny's phone rang and he went off to answer it.

"Do you keep records of your incoming calls?" I asked Rico.

"No, we get over 50 calls an hour. We don't have time for that kind of paperwork." Rico said.

"Results on DNA from the crackerjacks are back, got a hit in CODIS, one Anthony Reanetti." Danny said.

"Anthony…Tony. Seems like our guy." I said.

"Let's find out." Danny said.

We ended up driving to some packing warehouse where Anthony was supposed to work. We got out and started looking at the employees, trying to match up a picture of Tony. He hadn't met with his parole officer so we technically could arrest him for violation of parole.

Suddenly one of the employees saw us and took off running.

"That's him." I yelled and took off after him.

"Call for backup." Danny yelled and ran right behind me.

Tony plowed through other people loading trucks and Danny and I were crashing into people as well.

We turned down this back alley, near the warehouse. I caught up with him enough to grab his arm. He flung his arm hard, knocking me to the ground. Danny kept after him while calling out that we were the NYPD.

Tony started climbing the fence at the end of the alley. Danny jumped up and pulled him down.

"Easy man, easy." Danny yelled and subdued him to cuff him. "If there's one thing I hate more than running, it's leaping."

Danny pulled him up and started walking Tony down the alley towards me.

"And you never ever push her." Danny said and pulled on the cuffs. "You're not my favorite person today."

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay? You're the one that went down." Danny said.

"I'm fine. Just startled you know." I said.

(Station)

I went to change clothes. My outfit had gotten muddy when Tony knocked me down. I left Danny and Aiden to interrogate Tony.

I walked out of the locker room and went to meet them.

"What's the deal with Tony?" I asked.

"He says he has nothing to do with Novotny being dead. That we look like cops so he ran because he thought we were there about parole violations." Danny said.

"And that he was tossed out of the game in the 5th inning because he and Novotny got into a shoving match." Aiden said.

"You believe him?" I asked.

"I dunno. But we need to see if his alibi checks out." Danny said.

Aiden's phone rang and she went off to answer it.

"You sure you're okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I didn't even get scratched. Might have a bruised butt tomorrow, but that's okay." I laughed.

"Might make those strip aerobics a little rough." Danny winked.

"I'll be fine." I laughed.

"That was Mac, we got to go." Aiden said.

"Keep me updated. I want to know everything." I said as they walked off.

I watched them leave then went to get some coffee before settling down to finish my reports. I had no more than sat down till my phone rang.

"Denton"

"Rora, Novotny's ribs were broken by a fastball thrown from less than 50 feet away." Danny said.

"Oh wow…for that kind of speed someone had to have an arm like Nolan Ryan." I said.

"There was a door in Margo's apartment that was also smashed with a baseball. Whoever we're looking for...got a pitching arm." Danny said.

"And now Mac is gonna make Danny throw fastballs so we can judge the speed needed to cause that kind of damage." Aiden's voice came over the line laughing.

"Give me my phone." Danny muttered. "Aiden is right, we have to see what speed was needed to damage a door like Margo's' was."

"I gotta see this. I am coming to the lab." I said and hung up.

I hurried to get to the lab. I knew Danny had great baseball talent. I wanted to see for myself.

I got there as Mac was setting up a door for Danny to throw at while a radar gun measured speed. I hurried to stand next to Mac.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Baseball scouting." I winked.

Mac raised an eyebrow but started the gun. Danny had a bucket of baseballs. He took off his jacket.

Danny threw a few, 82 MPH. It didn't break the door.

"Harder and faster." Mac told Danny.

Danny had a good arm to have not been in baseball training. I smiled watching him concentrate and throw with such force.

Danny threw several more but was still unable to break through the door.

"That's not going to cut it. We need more power." Mac said.

Stella brought in a baseball throwing machine. Danny joined me by Mac to watch the speeds on the gun.

The machine threw a few balls and one at 94MPH finally broke through the door.

"Where were you twenty minutes ago?" Danny asked Stella.

"We find someone who can throw like that, we find out murderer." Mac said. Then he was distracted by a package being delivered.

Stella and Mac walked off. Danny was rubbing his shoulder.

"Are you hurting?" I asked.

"Yeah, I am not used to that. Damn that hurt." Danny said.

"Oh my god, let's get you some ice. Come on." I said and put an arm around him. "I'll ice down your arm just like Jeff Porter would John Smoltz."

"I'll be okay." Danny said but walked with me.

"I'm icing down your arm. I don't want you to be in a lot of pain. Icing it now will help." I insisted.

Danny and I walked into the lab. I sat him down in the break room.

"There must be an ice pack here somewhere. You know how organized Mac is." I said and started plundering through the freezer.

"Rora, you don't have to take care of me. I can ice it later by myself." Danny said.

"Oh quit worrying about it. I don't mind." I smiled. "You know…a Boston fan would've been able to throw like that and not get hurt doing it."

Danny smirked. "I don't think so. Boston fans throw like girls."

"Are you implying girls throw badly?" I asked.

"No, just not as hard as men." Danny smiled.

I found an icepack. "I knew Mac would have a few here."

I walked over and put it on Danny's shoulder. "How does that feel?"

"Cold, but it'll help the throbbing." Danny said.

"Just keep it on there. Do you want some aspirin? I'll get you some." I said and started looking through a cabinet.

"You really don't…."

"Danny…I like helping you. Besides, when you feel better I ain't letting you live this down." I laughed. I handed him a few aspirin and water.

"Thanks." He said and swallowed the pills.

"You feel better?" I asked.

Danny smiled. "Yeah having a pretty nurse always heals me." He winked. "That's why I hate going to the hospital. I always get some 300 pound, 80 years old nurse named Myrtle who wants to give me a shot in my ass just for her own amusement."

I started laughing. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Well…when I cut my head you offered to kiss it and make it better." Danny winked.

"I ain't kissing your sweaty arm." I laughed.

"But…it hurts." Danny gave me puppy eyes.

"Oh…you're cute sometimes." I giggled and leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"No, I'm cute all the time." Danny winked.

(Station)

I was eating dinner with Flack when my phone rang. "Denton"

"Rora, we got some more off the footage from the game. There was a guy sitting between Gilbert and Margo at the game. And he had a few dirty looks for Gilbert." Danny said.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Some ball player that Margo was trying to sign. Stella saw him at the stadium. We're headed to talk to him now." Danny said.

"Good, let me know if anything pans out. I'll tell Flack." I said and hung up.

"What's up?" Don asked.

"Danny and Stella are headed to Yankee Stadium to talk with a ball player that sat next to Novotny at the game. Apparently Margo was trying to sign him." I explained.

"You know, you and Danny been hanging out a lot lately." Flack said.

"Yeah. I've tried to be there for him through this whole subway shooting mess. So many people still look at him and whisper." I said.

"He go for his eval yet?" Flack asked.

"No, it's been two weeks. I guess it's up to him when he goes." I said.

"You sure all this hanging out is just friendly?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

Don raised an eyebrow. "Just curious. Danny is a good guy. I understand why you like hanging out with him."

"Hell we all hang out a lot. Well Aiden has the new man, but the three of us hang out a lot." I said.

Don nodded. "We do."

(later)

"Rora, we got the son of a bitch." Danny said.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"We're bringing him in now. He's the ball player I told you about, Ruben Derosa. We got his DNA off a ball he pitched at practice." Danny said.

"Yankees fan?" I asked.

"Aurora…you're adorable. If you hadn't said that, I'd have worried about you." Danny smiled. "We'll figure out why he killed Gilbert and assaulted Margo. I watched this guy pitch and its 94 MPH."

"You interrogate. I'll call central booking and have a car sent." I said.

"Flack called, we're all going out after this. You're my 'date'." Danny winked.

"Aiden has a real date." I said.

"Then Flack is free to flirt. Actually we're just going for drinks across the street." Danny said. "See you later."

I called central booking and finished up my reports. It had been a long day and I was looking forward to that drink. I stood up when Danny walked out.

"Hey how did it go?" I asked.

"Derosa threw that ball at Novotny because Gilbert kissed him when their section was on the big screen. Gilbert meant it to be funny." Danny said.

"He killed a guy over a kiss?" I couldn't believe it.

"And he assaulted Margo because she laughed about it and brought it up during foreplay." Danny said.

"What a crazy story. So two people died because Derosa has no sense of humor." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, you ready to get out of here?" Danny asked.

"Sure…how is your shoulder?" I asked as we walked out.

"Still sore. But someone iced it up really good so it could have been worse." Danny smiled.

"Sounds like a great person." I laughed.

"She's the best." Danny winked.

We walked to the small bar close to the station. Flack was waiting for us.

"Hey Don, Rora is my date tonight." Danny said and sat down beside me.

"But I saw her in her underwear this morning." Don protested.

"You What?" Danny asked.

"You should see she sleeps in these cute little…."

"Shut up Donald." I said. "Danny order me a drink."


	15. 1980's Again

_LC4- So glad to get your review. And I love when people catch the humorous lines I work on. Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Meadow567- What a nice thought…maybe we'll just have to see how my grand plan works out! LOL_

_BridgetLynn- I love the banter too, its fun to write so I love when people like reading it. _

_XX- No need to withhold, I updated. It just took awhile to find time to get it written. You got enough ships to start your own navy! Jerome Bettis is one of the Steelers. Most male cats are fixed so they don't mark territory…I dunno why that is amusing either. And you haven't failed out of school yet so I am still not telling you anything. And I am glad you're being a good sport about the baseball stuff. I didn't want you to get offended. Nothing significant that Danny and Don knew so many answers, they're just with her so much that they knew is all. On The Job is one of my favorites too. When Aurora confronted Hillbourne she brought up Flack because she knew if they went after her Flack would either stand up for her or his name would be involved since they are partners. Aurora is one tough girl. And I loved Johnny Damon until he cut the hair. (I like long hair! LOL) And leave Flack's dirty mind alone, I like it. I loved all your reviews, thank you so much for them. It was like one big present._

_Emador- Thanks for your help here. I dunno what to think of this one._

(TPPOV)

"So everything from today wrapped up?" Aurora asked Mac. Mac and she had worked a case together. A woman found dead in the Hudson.

"Yeah, her brother confessed pretty easily. I am recommending he be evaluated, he didn't seem sane.

"Then we're good to go?" she asked.

"Yeah, you got plans for tonight?" Mac asked.

"Yes, Aiden and I are dragging the guys out." Aurora said.

"Then I'll see you around I guess." Mac said.

"Yeah…I should get going. Have a good weekend Mac." Aurora said.

She walked down the hall. Aiden and Danny were in the lab. Danny had called her last night saying he'd decided he couldn't put his psychiatric evaluation off any longer. He asked me if they could all go out tonight to take his mind off of it.

"Hey hey. What are we doing tonight?" she asked.

"Where is Flack?" Danny asked.

"Finishing up with Stella. He'll be right in." Aurora said.

"I'm already here." Flack walked in.

"Great, we're all here. What are we doing tonight?" Danny asked.

"Aiden, why aren't you out with Lilly?" Flack asked.

"He and I aren't speaking right now." Aiden said.

"Why not?" Danny asked.

"I asked him if we could start dating exclusively…he hasn't called me since." Aiden said.

"That is so like a man. Just once in my life I want to fond a man who isn't afraid of commitment to one woman." Aurora said.

"Me too. Obviously he wasn't one of them." Aiden sighed.

"Hey quite putting all men in one category." Flack said.

"So you're saying you could commit to one woman?" Aiden asked.

"I didn't say that." Flack said.

Aiden and Aurora rolled their eyes.

"It's okay sweetie. You come out with us tonight. It's going to be fun." Aurora told her.

"What are we doing?" Flack asked.

"I want to go to 80's night again." Aurora said.

"That does sound fun." Aiden said.

"Are you kidding? We have to do that again?" Flack pretended to whine.

"You said you had fun last time." Aurora said.

"I did, but…..Danny help me out." Flack said.

"What? I just want to get out tonight. If the girls want to go to the 80's club, that is fine with me." Danny said.

"Yes, we got Danny on our side." Aurora said.

"Come on Don…it'll be fun." Aiden said.

"Oh okay. Not like I have anything better to do." Flack sighed.

"And just to keep things interesting, why don't we switch 'dates' tonight." Danny said. "Don, you take Aiden and I'll take Rora."

"Fine with me. I was getting bored with Rora anyway. It was time to let her go." Don winked.

"Hey!" Rora made a face.

"Thank God, I am finally free of Messer. Now I got a real man." Aiden joked.

"Danny, I think we're unloved." Aurora joked.

"It's okay. They're just jealous because we're the better looking couple." Danny smirked.

"So we can all shower, get ready whatever and meet in the break room, say an hour?' Aiden asked.

"Sounds great." I said.

(locker room)

"Aiden, what should I wear?" Aurora asked.

"I don't know. What makes the difference? It's just Danny and Don." Aiden said.

"I just want to look nice." She said.

"How about jeans and a tank top?" Aiden said. "Cute and sexy."

"I like that idea." Aurora said and pulled the clothes from her locker.

"You keep more clothes in your locker than anyone I have eve seen." Aiden laughed.

"I like being able to have a variety to choose from." Aurora said.

"You know you've been smiling a lot lately." Aiden said.

"I always smile a lot. Funny considering our job." Aurora said.

"Not what I meant." Aiden said. "How are things with Danny?"

"He's finally going for his psych evaluation. That's why I talked everyone into going out tonight. He wants something to take his mind off it." Aurora said. "Do you think these strappy heels look okay with this?" Aurora asked.

"You look great." Aiden said.

"I was so sorry to hear about you and Officer Lilly. I thought he'd be different." Aurora said.

"Me too…oh well." Aiden sighed.

"I am so glad the weather is warm tonight. I shouldn't need a jacket." Aurora said and looked in the mirror.

"Black pants and red top is good enough for me." Aiden said.

"Are you ready to go? I am anxious to hit the dance floor." Aurora said.

"And Danny is your 'date'." Aiden said.

"And Don is yours." Aurora said and hurried out of the locker room.

Danny and Don were waiting for the girls.

"Aurora, you look nice." Danny said.

"To paraphrase one of your lines...I always look nice." Aurora winked.

"Are we ready?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah let's go." Don said.

"I still say you guys could've dressed like 'Miami Vice'." Aurora laughed.

"I don't own a suit that brightly colored." Don said.

The four of them walked out of the station and down the street.

(80's Night)

When they walked in the club, 'Ghostbusters' was playing on the TV.

"I hated that theme song." Aiden said.

"Me too. And did you know it was thought it ripped off Huey Lewis' 'I Want a New Drug'." Aurora said.

"We should find a table. What do you girls want to drink?" Danny asked.

"Beer." Aurora said.

"Me too." Aiden said.

"There is a table in the corner." Aurora said.

"We'll meet you there." Don said.

The girls made their way to the open table while the guys went to the bar to get their drinks.

"I am glad the guys agreed to come here." Aurora said.

"I think they give us a hard time just to be funny." Aiden smiled.

"They're great guys. I adore them both." Aurora said.

"Where are the single men in here?" Aiden said.

"I don't know. I hadn't planned on looking for any." Aurora said.

"Well I am free and on the hunt." Aiden started looking around.

The guys returned with the girls' drinks.

"You know the music in this place still sucks." Danny said.

"You just don't like 80's music." Aurora said.

"What the hell is a Karma Chameleon?" Danny asked, referring to the sing playing.

"I never did understand this song." Aiden said.

Danny casually put his arm on the back of Aurora's chair.

"I wish they'd show 'The Terminator' in here some Friday." Aurora said.

"That was a good movie." Don said.

"Now they're playing Billy Ocean…I had the biggest crush on him as a kid." Aiden said.

"When I was a kid…my first crush I think was a pro-wrestler…maybe Brutus the Barber." Aurora said.

"My big crush of the 80's was Tawny Kitaine." Don said. "Remember her Danny?"

"How could I forget? Sometimes I still dream about her dancing on the hood of that car." Danny said.

Aurora laughed. "My brother was the same way. When Tawny hit it big, we couldn't get into the bathroom for two years."

"You guys want to dance?" Aiden asked.

Don shrugged and stood up.

"Rora, since I'm your 'date' tonight, will you grind on me?" Danny winked.

Aurora laughed and pulled Danny out onto the dance floor. Rick Springfield was playing. Aiden and Aurora would sing along and laugh. Danny and Don smiled at each other watching the girls.

The Thompson Twins started playing, followed by Steve Winwood. Danny actually pulled Aurora against him to dance, despite the music being upbeat. Aiden and Don raised their eyebrows, but shrugged.

"How long you been dancing?" Danny said in Aurora's ear so she could hear him.

"I've always liked to dance. Daddy said when I was a baby, I'd dance to commercial jingles on TV." She said.

"After this, you want another drink? There are so many people in here, I'm getting thirsty fast." Danny said.

"That would be great." Aurora said.

When the song ended, the guys went to the bar again and the girls took a seat.

"You having fun?" Aurora asked Aiden.

"Yeah…although I think Don grabbed my ass." Aiden said.

Aurora laughed. "Better him than a stranger. Besides Don's got nice big hands. And you know what they say, big hands big..." Aurora winked.

Aiden started laughing.

The guys brought the girls their drinks. Danny sat down and put his arm on Aurora's chair again.

"Thanks Danny, do I owe you anything?" Aurora asked.

"No, quit asking that. Besides, you're my 'date'." Danny smirked.

Danny pulled his chair closer to the table.

"Careful letting her drink Messer." Don winked. "Rora gets a few in her and she gets all snuggly."

"Hey I can buy her straight Everclear if that is the case." Danny winked at Aurora.

Aurora laughed and shifted her feet. She moved to put her feet on the table legs.

"That's my foot." Danny smiled.

Aurora looked at him. "Oh…sorry." She smiled and after a moment moved her feet back under her.

Danny looked away. "Aiden, you miss me?"

"Not at all. I got a real man now." Aiden said.

Danny rolled his eyes and hugged Aurora. "Just like I finally got a real woman."

Milli Vanilli started playing.

"I can't believe they're playing Milli Vanilli." Aiden said.

"Me either. I haven't heard this song since…..15 years?" Aurora said.

"Does it really count as Milli Vanilli if they were lip-singing? So technically right now aren't they playing someone else?" Danny asked.

"I heard the real singers were like middle-age studio singers." Aurora said.

"Come on Aurora. We got to dance to this just for kicks." Aiden said.

"Guys, keep an eye on our drinks." Aurora said as she and Aiden made their way to the dance floor.

As 'Girl You Know Its True' blared throughout the club, Aiden and Aurora danced and laughed.

"Hey Danny, check out this girl in green. Do you think those are real?" Don asked.

"Hmm? Probably not." Danny glanced at the girl Don was looking at.

"And look at the redhead by the speaker." Don said.

"What? Oh…yeah. Yeah." Danny said, but kept looking out to the dance floor.

"Danny, you okay?" Don asked.

"Yeah, she's hot too." Danny answered.

Don raised an eyebrow. He followed Danny's line of vision. He could see Aurora and Aiden laughing and trying to sing while dancing.

"Danny, I am trying to point out hott women in the club." Don said.

"Huh? Oh, I hear you….lots of pretty girls here." Danny smiled at Don.

"I was surprised you agreed to come here again so easily. Last time you protested up a storm." Don said.

"I just wanted out for the evening and Rora loves this place. Aiden likes it." Danny shrugged and took a drink of his beer.

Don went back to looking at girls across the club.

"Messer, check out those twins over there. Think we should approach them?" Don asked.

"What? Twins….they're cute." Danny said. Don noticed he was watching Aurora and Aiden again.

"Danny, do you have a thing for Rora?" Don asked.

Danny blinked twice. "Come on Don, are you kidding me? No…I mean she's a great cop and great friend and all…but that's it."

Don raised an eyebrow, not at all convinced. "You sure you're not getting attached to her? I mean you've been with her a lot the past few weeks."

"Like I said, she's a great friend. She's really been there for me through this whole mess. You know how it is; she was there for you when Gavin got in trouble." Danny said.

"I've heard a few guys talk about asking Aurora out. I am surprised someone hasn't." Don said.

Danny leaned back and sipped his beer again. "Who?"

Don smiled and took pity on Danny. "Vicaro."

Danny laughed. "She'd rather go out with Jason Giambi."

Don let the subject drop and watched the girls himself. Even he had to admit that both girls were pretty. And they're dancing led to naughty thoughts…especially after he saw Aurora in her underwear.

A slower song started. Aiden and Aurora made their way back to the table.

"We decided to switch dates for a dance." Aiden said. "Guess that means I get Danny."

"Come on Flack." Aurora said and grabbed his hand.

Danny and Aiden started dancing, close to where Aurora had dragged Don.

"So Messer, you having wet dreams about Aurora or what?" Aiden asked.

Danny rolled his eyes. "No more than I am having about you."

Aiden smacked the back of his head. "You don't have to always be an ass. I just thought I'd ask."

Danny shrugged.

Aurora was dancing with Don, laughing as he pointed out random girls he thought was hott.

"Don, you should just talk to some of these girls." Aurora said.

"Eh, I'm here with Aiden and she's having a tough time." Don said.

"You're sweet. You and Danny both are great guys." Aurora smiled.

"You and Danny seem to be having fun tonight. You sure there is nothing going on between you two?" Don asked.

"Oh, we're just close friends." Aurora said.

Don nodded knowing Aurora wouldn't lie.

(Later)

The four were sitting at the table, having their fourth round of drinks. Aiden was telling them some big story about her brother's new girlfriend.

"Foreigner, I love them. Danny we have to dance." Aurora said, and jumped out of her seat.

"Sure, I guess we'll be back." Danny said as Aurora pulled him towards the dance floor.

Aurora found a spot she like and snuggled against Danny who rested his hands on her back.

"You enjoying yourself?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, thanks for getting everyone to come out." Danny said. "I feel more relaxed."

"That's good. I'm sure you'll be fine." Aurora smiled.

Aurora laid her head on Danny's shoulder and he pulled her closer to him.

"Is it me or has Danny pulled Aurora close several times tonight?" Aiden asked Flack back at the table.

"Yeah, but who knows. They are on a 'date' after all. And Aurora is a snuggly little thing when she gets a few in her. I don't know." Flack said.

Aurora rubbed her cheek on Danny's shoulder. She took a deep breath.

"Wow, you smell really good. That is some cologne you got on." She said. "I bet you drive girls crazy with that."

"Actually it's something new I just bought and thought I'd try. Is it driving you crazy?" Danny asked.

"Well if this was a real date and I smelled that…I'd drag you home and let you pin me to the couch." Aurora winked.

"Well what are we waiting for? Your place or mine?" Danny winked back.

Aurora laughed. "This isn't a real date. And you couldn't handle me anyways."

"Damn….and I could handle you." Danny smirked. "The offer is always there if you want to prove me wrong."

Aurora giggled and shook her head. She then laid her head back on Danny's shoulder as 'Waiting for a Girl Like You' played on.

When the song was over, Danny and Aurora danced a few more as the DJ seemed to have taken a break and left slow songs playing. When the fast music returned, Danny and Aurora went back to the table.

"Don and I are headed out." Aiden said. "We're going for an early breakfast."

"You guys can join us?" Don said.

"No, I'd rather head back to my place. My feet are getting tired." Aurora said.

"I'll go with her. Make sure she gets home safe and then head home myself." Danny said.

Danny and Aurora left the club and walked to the subway. It was late and empty except for them.

"Thanks again for tonight. I just didn't want to sit home worrying about that evaluation." Danny said on the train.

"It was no problem. I love going out dancing. And it helped you out so it's an all around win situation." Aurora said.

"You know, the other day you were upset about something…everything okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah…my mother had called and had me upset is all. It's why I try to avoid her." Aurora said.

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"She was pitching a fit because dad's daughter from his first marriage called wanting something or other. Like what am I supposed to do about it from NYC?" Aurora said.

"What's the deal with that sister again?" Danny asked.

"Joy is my half-sister from my dad's first marriage. She is a whore and I mean that. Her and her mother chased anything in pants and used my dad for every penny they could get. When dad divorced her mother it was nasty. She left dad thousands of dollars in debt and married some guy she'd been chasing for years. Then dad and my mom got pregnant with me and got married. Joy flipped out and was so jealous. She cried the whole first month after I was born…started carrying on that she had an abortion…it was a mess." Aurora explained.

"Cried the first month?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, she was sp upset that I existed my mom was actually afraid to let her hold me." Aurora said. "Anywho, all these years later she stills hates me."

"How did you come from all that and still so normal?" Danny asked.

Aurora shrugged. "I have always been my own person. And I had a great dad."

The train stopped at Aurora's stop and they left the train. They walked out of the subway station and down the street.

"This weather is really nice. Although we've had a few really hot days." Aurora said.

"You'll be begging for December when the really hot days hit." Danny said.

Their hands bumped each other while walking towards her apartment. Aurora smiled at Danny when that happened.

"What do you have planned for the weekend?' Danny asked.

"Just relaxing and waiting on our next call mostly." Aurora said. "You?"

"Don and I are shooting hoops Sunday if nothing happens." Danny said.

Their hands brushed again and this time Danny smiled at Aurora.

"Well, this is my stop. You want to come up for awhile?" Aurora asked.

"You mind?" Danny asked.

"Of course not. I'll fix us a snack." Aurora said.

"Then I'd love to come up for awhile." Danny said.

Danny followed Aurora up the stairs to her apartment. She let them in.

"Make yourself at home." She said.

"Thanks…your cat is greeting me already." Danny said and sat on the couch.

"Yeah, Rammer is friendly." She smiled and looked for soda.

"Aurora can I ask you something?" Danny asked.

"Sure, you can ask me anything." She said.

"Your mom….did she ever abuse you? I am sorry to ask but it's been gnawing at my mind." Danny said.

"Physically, no. Emotionally…probably by technical standards." She shrugged. "I don't want to be a victim, so I just out it behind me. I am my own person and if that isn't good enough for mom…I don't need her."

Danny nodded. "You're really amazing, you know that?"

"I am?" she smiled.

"Sei una donna bella e sorpredente." Danny said.

Aurora smiled and sat next to Danny handing him a soda. "I have no idea what you just said."

"I said 'You are a beautiful and amazing woman.'." Danny smiled.

"Thank you. You know you're going to ruin me for other men. I get a real date I am going to be upset when I don't hear Italian." Aurora laughed.

"Ti meriti il meglio." Danny said.

Aurora smiled. "What does that mean?"

"Can't tell." Danny smirked.

Aurora laughed. "It sounds beautiful."

"Carino vocabolo per ragazza carina." Danny said.


	16. Can't Win Them All

_Meadow567- Hmm, both my stories have you impatiently waiting, LOL. Hang in there._

_KFF- Hmm, I'll have to listen closer. Glad you like the story and hope you continue to enjoy it! _

_Jordayna- Loved your email. Thank you so much. You can review or email comments anytime, I love reading them. Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Emador- Take a deep breath from the vapors. LOL The Italian seems popular. Hehe. _

_**Spoilers-** Mild "What You See is What You See"_

"Flack are you sure Mac is okay?" I asked. Mac had just called in a shooting at a café he was having breakfast in.

"He was not hit." Flack said.

"Good, that's good." I said and took a deep breath.

"We'll never have a better witness than Mac. Should make a few things easier." Flack said.

"Yeah…man my friends need to stay out of trouble. First Danny now Mac…my heart can't take it." I laughed from nervousness.

"Well that leaves Aiden, you or me to get in trouble next." Flack smirked.

"What about Stella?" I asked.

"She gets in different kinds of trouble." Flack shook his head.

When we pulled up at the scene ambulances were everywhere and Mac was being checked out. I leaped out of the SUV and ran over to him.

"Mac are you okay? Oh my god, you scared me to death." I said and hugged him tight.

"Aurora, I'm fine. I was more worried about the waitress that got shot." Mac said.

"Are you sure?" I stepped back and looked him over.

"Really, I am fine. You don't need to worry about me." Mac gave a small smile.

"I always worry about my friends. And when I get a call that one of them is involved in a shooting, I get scared." I said and hugged Mac again.

"I'm fine…I want to get started on the case." Mac smiled.

"Okay…but if you need anything you let me know." I said and squeezed his hand.

"How about this weekend we have breakfast together?" Mac asked.

"That sounds good." I said and my cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Detective Denton, we got a dead female found in the Hudson."

I sighed. "Yeah, I'll be right there."

I hung up. "Flack, I got another call."

"Okay, keep in touch. I'm gonna handle this case myself." Flack said.

"And you stay out of trouble. If one more of my friends is involved in a shooting, I'm changing jobs." I smiled. I looked over at Mac one more time to be sure that he was okay. He was talking to medics.

I jumped into an open car and headed back to Manhattan. The dead woman had been pulled from the water several blocks from my apartment.

When I arrived at the scene NYPD water patrol was with her.

"What do we have?" I asked.

"We found her in the water about an hour ago. No telling how long she's been there." The officer said.

"Anything found with her or on shore? Clothes, a purse?" I asked.

"No, we've searched the coastline for three miles both directions."

"Okay, I'll look around. Doesn't seem to be a reason to call in a CSI unit. Call the Medical Examiner's office, have them pick her up." I said.

"What, little miss be nice to the CSI's isn't calling them?" Vicaro walked up to me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"This is my case too." Vicaro said.

I sighed. "No need to call the CSI unit. She was pulled from the water nude. All evidence will have been washed away. Anything left will be found by Dr. Hawkes during autopsy."

Vicaro smirked. "Don's teaching you well."

I rolled my eyes and started looking around. "Chances are she floated here…was dumped in the river somewhere else. Not many bodies are found in this section of Manhattan."

"She looks to be in her 30's." Vicaro said.

"No obvious COD. We'll know more after Hawkes examines her." I said.

"So how do you like working with Donnie?" Vicaro said.

"I love it. Don is a great guy, great partner…I couldn't ask for anyone better." I said.

Vicaro raised an eyebrow. "Need a ride to the ME's office."

"No, I have a car." I said. 'And I'd rather hitchhike than be in a tiny space with you.' I thought.

(Morgue)

"Dr. Hawkes, tell me you have something for me on my Hudson River Jane Doe." I said.

"She is quite interesting. I was able to lift a few prints. I'll run them through AFIS myself later." Sheldon said.

"Cause of death?" I asked.

"That was a tough one. She had no obvious signs of trauma. I ran a tox screen. Came back rat poison." Hawkes said.

"Rat poison?"

"Yeah, so I analyzed her stomach contents. The only thing in her stomach was a hamburger, barely digested. The poison killed her quickly." Hawkes said.

"So someone fed her a poisoned hamburger." Vicaro said. "Anything else?"

"Now it gets disturbing. She has been dead for at least 5 days." Hawkes said. "However, her tissue cells show signs of being frozen. Whoever killed her, kept her several days in a freezer."

"Oh that is sick." I said.

"It gets worse. Her tongue has been cut out. At least for her, it was post-mortem. But the sickest thing of all…her genitalia has been cut away." Hawkes said.

I shuddered. "Was that post-mortem as well?"

"Yes, which is probably the only streak of luck this woman has had in a long time." Hawkes said.

"So someone poisons this woman and then butchers her up?" Vicaro asked. "What kind of sick case is this?"

"Could you tell anything else about her?" I asked.

"She wasn't in the water long. Most likely dumped last night. However, she has track marks along both arms….looks like a long time abuser." Hawkes said. "Also, her teeth are badly decayed, many of them missing."

"She was a street person." I said.

Sheldon nodded. "Most likely a prostitute."

"That eliminates the chances anyone has reported her missing." I sighed.

"But if she's been arrested for prostitution her prints will be in AFIS." Vicaro said.

"Get me a name as soon as possible Sheldon. I want to notify her family, if she has any." I said.

"I'm on it. I'll call you if I get anything." Sheldon said.

I sighed and walked out of the morgue.

"If we get a name, we can at least go ask around the red-light district See if any other working girls know anything." I said.

"What? You'd actually go tramping around down there?" Vicaro asked.

"If it means questioning potential witnesses and finding out what happened to that girl, yes." I said.

"Come on…another dead prostitute in New York City." Vicaro said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

"It's impossible to trace the movements of these girls. They get into cars with anybody…and do you know who witnesses to stuff like this are?" Vicaro asked.

"Yes, they're other hookers, and pimps, and johns, and drug addicts and drug dealers. But you know what…I'm willing to talk to them and listen and give them a chance if it means getting a killer off the streets." I said.

"You can't believe a thing they say even when they will talk to you." Vicaro said.

"But that isn't going to stop me from trying. You know, it's your kind of attitude that is the reason prostitutes are easy targets and don't get justice." I snapped.

"Come on…that girl in there…"

"That girl in there had a right to her life. Sure she was a prostitute but that doesn't give anyone the right to harm her. And somewhere in her life someone was her mother, she had family and friends and people cared about her…..now I care about her." I said. "So either you get over yourself and dedicate yourself to getting justice for her, or you ask to be removed from the case. But I am going to investigate this case to the best of my ability, follow every lead and not brush her aside because she was a hooker."

Vicaro stepped back. "Whoa, you got Donnie's temper…..I'm with you on this."

"Good…and one more thing. You have respect for that girl in there, she's suffered enough."

"Yeah…is Donnie banging you?' Vicaro asked.

I groaned. "That's between me and Don."

(Station)

"Denton." I answered my cell phone.

"Rora, I got a hit in AFIS. The girl pulled out of the Hudson River is Karen Armstrong. 38 years old. Last known address is a homeless shelter in the Bronx. Picked up several times for prostitution over the past few years." Hawkes said.

"Any family?" I asked.

"None listed." Hawkes said.

I sighed. "Damn…thanks Sheldon."

I hung up. "Vicaro, we're headed to a homeless shelter in the Bronx. It was our dead girl's last known address."

"Let's go…no one will talk to us, but if you insist." Vicaro said.

Vicaro and I drove to the Bronx. I ignored him the whole time, playing the radio so loud it made my ears ring.

When we arrived at the shelter we went in to speak with the staff. They were serving dinner to the homeless, hookers, and other street people. I found the manager of the shelter in the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm Detective Denton. This is Detective Vicaro, NYPD homicide." I said and handed them an autopsy photo of Karen. "Do you know this woman?"

"Yeah…Karen, she never told us a last name." she said.

"When was the last time you saw her?' Vicaro asked.

"It's been a couple of weeks. Up until then she was a regular." She said.

"What can you tell us about Karen?" I asked.

"Not much. Our job is to provide food and protection. Karen was the same as so many other prostitutes we see on a daily basis. She'd come eat meals often. Stayed the night when she wasn't working the streets….but that's all I know." She said.

"Did Karen hang out with anyone in particular? Did she have friends or a certain group of hookers she hung out with?" I asked.

"Not that I can think of." She said.

"Thank you. We're going to stick around through dinner and talk to some of your regulars." I said.

We walked out of the kitchen into the dining area. I scanned the room looking for the girls that were obviously hookers.

"Denton, we're wasting our time. You heard the manager; Karen Armstrong was the same as hundreds of hookers in the city." Vicaro said.

"I told you earlier, if you don't want to help me, get the hell off this case." I gritted out.

"You are one stubborn woman." Vicaro said.

I walked to the end of one table where a few hookers were sitting together. I sat down beside them.

"Good afternoon, may I speak with you?" I asked.

"You a cop?" one asked.

"Yes, I'm investigating the murder of Karen Armstrong. Did you know her?" I asked.

The women wouldn't answer.

"Did any of you hang out with her?" I asked.

Still no answer.

"If you don't answer, we can take you ladies downtown." Vicaro sneered.

"That's it." I jumped up and dragged him towards the door. "Get out of here. Go wait for me in the car. Get. Go pick your nose, listen to the radio, masturbate, I don't care just get out."

"What I was trying to help?" Vicaro said.

"We'll never get any answers with you threatening to arrest them. They need to trust us before they open up." I said and pushed him towards the door.

"Fine, have it your way." Vicaro said and walked out.

I shook my head and walked back to the table and sat back down with the hookers.

"I'm sorry about him. He's an ass. And he's not my partner…my partner is a sweet and compassionate man. Listen, I am not here to arrest you, or judge you. I just want to help out Karen Armstrong." I said.

The women still didn't say anything.

"If you're afraid of someone, I don't have to know your names, just point me in the direction of something." I said. "You can trust me."

"I knew Karen a little." One finally said.

"Did anyone you know have a problem with Karen?" I asked.

"No, she kept to herself a lot. She worked the street to feed her drug habit." She said.

"Do you know who her dealer was?" I asked.

"She didn't have a regular one. She'd score from anyone who had it. Sometimes she'd accept it as payment from a john." She said.

"When was the last time you saw Karen?" I asked.

"Couple weeks ago. She needed a fix, went out to work the street despite the fact it was raining like a motherfucker. That was the last I saw her." She said.

I took out one of my cards. "If you think of anything else, call me. It'll be kept quiet. No problems from me." I said. "Thanks for your time. Enjoy your dinner."

I got up and walked outside. Vicaro was leaning on the car waiting for me.

"Well hotshot, did you find out anything?" Vicaro asked.

"Karen didn't have a steady dealer. No one has seen her in a few weeks. It's a sick and weird case. Someone kept her frozen before throwing her away…but there is just no trail. No where to start." I kicked the tire.

"I got to hand it to you. You hate admitting defeat." Vicaro said.

"We got nothing. This poor woman was murdered and mutilated and….fuck, I can't do anything." I yelled.

"You tried your best…a lot harder than most would." Vicaro said.

"You know…a good friend of mine keeps unsolved case files on his desk. Goes over them every now and then. I am going to do that with Karen Armstrong. Someone out there knows something." I said.

Vicaro shook his head. "I don't know Donnie does it…but I envy him."

"Let's head back. It's getting late. The case is going no where." I said.

I climbed in the car and let Vicaro drive. I was frustrated. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. My cell phone rang.

"Denton."

"Hey Rora, what are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Hey Danny. Just heading back to the station. My case is a dead end." I sighed.

"I went for my evaluation." He said.

"How did it go?"

"Like everyone said it would. I answered questions and now its over." Danny said.

"Well it's all over and you don't have to worry about it anymore. I am sure it went fine." I said.

"I hope so." Danny said.

"You know I am here if you need anything." I said.

"I know…and I can't thank you enough for everything." Danny said.

"Hey…you'd do the same for me." I said.

"So you okay other than your case being hard?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I am fine." I said.

"That's good. I gotta go; I have to meet with Mac later." Danny said.

"Okay, I'll catch you around. If you see Don, kiss him for me and tell him I miss him." I joked.

"That's just wrong." Danny laughed and hung up.

(Station)

I was sitting at my desk when an older woman approached me. "Excuse me, are you Detective Denton?"

"Yes, what can I do for you?" I asked.

"I saw in the evening paper that a woman was found in the Hudson River…its believed she was a hooker. I was told you were handling the case." She said.

"Yes…do you know something about the case?" I asked.

She sat down beside my desk. "Do you know the girl? Has she been identified?"

"Yes, we were able to identify her." I said.

"Was she Melanie Anderson?" she asked.

"No…no she wasn't. What is this all about?" I asked.

The woman handed me a picture. I looked at it; it was a young girl with brown hair.

"Melanie is my daughter. She has been missing for two months." The woman said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. But I am a Homicide detective. You need to speak with Missing Persons." I said.

"I have many, many times. They won't do anything." The woman said and started to cry. "Melanie was a good girl…but she went through a rebellious stage and ran away when she turned 18…she started working the streets. I begged her to get help, to come home…but she wouldn't."

I handed the woman a tissue. "I'm sorry. Melanie is a beautiful girl."

"She was…and even when she was on the streets, she'd call on Sundays. Two months ago…the calls stopped. I checked all her usual hangouts. Spoke to her friends…no one had seen her." She cried. "I reported her missing…and the cops haven't done anything."

I took a deep breath, knowing what she would say next.

"I kept calling and asking about Melanie's case…they told me that she was a street person and they disappear all the time. That they couldn't waste time tracking down all of New York's hookers who go missing." She cried.

I clinched my jaw.

"Mam, I'll get a copy of Melanie's file. I'll follow a few leads on my own time, see what I can find." I said. "I am going to be honest, missing street people cases are hard to crack, especially without a body."

"But you'll try?" she asked.

"You bet I will. And if we find her body, I promise you the best CSI team in the state of New York will be working the case." I said.

"Thank you…you're the first person who has actually listened to me." She hugged me.

"I'll call you if I find anything, but don't get your hopes up. But I'll give it my best." I said.

"Thank you. All I ever wanted was someone to care about Melanie." She said.

I nodded as she walked out. I sighed. One day and now two unsolved cases for the corner of my desk. I looked up and Hawkes was walking in.

"Hey Sheldon." I said.

"I just wanted to let you know that since no one claimed Karen Armstrong's body. I'll be sending her off for cremation in the morning." Sheldon said.

I sighed. "Have her ashes sent to me."

"Why?" Sheldon was confused.

"She deserves better than to sit in a jar on a shelf with other unclaimed people. I'll find a nice place to scatter her ashes. Give her some dignity." I said.

Sheldon nodded. "I'll do that. That's a very nice gesture."

I nodded. "Thanks Sheldon. Have a good night."

Sheldon leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"What was that for?" I asked.

He smiled. "After the rough day you had, and the generous thing you're going to do for a person you never knew…you deserve it."

"Thanks. You're cute." I smiled.

"I thought I was cute?" Flack walked in.

I ran and threw my arms around him. "You promised me you'd never leave me. I spent all day with Vicaro…I am not letting you out of my sight ever again. You might have to marry me." I said.

"Fine, but I want sex at least 8 times a week." Don winked.

I laughed. "I dislike that man. By the way, he wants to know if you're banging me."

Flack smiled. "You should be flattered."

"Better he thinks you are then him trying to." I said.

"Oh he wants to trust me." Don said.

I shuddered. "Yuck! Guys, I am out for the night. See you around."

(Apartment)

I was fixing myself dinner when my apartment buzzer went off.

"Hello?" I called.

"Rora, its Danny. Can I come up?" he asked.

"I'll buzz you in." I said and hit the button. A few minutes later he knocked at the door.

"Danny, what's up?" I asked.

"I just came from my meeting with Mac…I am worried about keeping my job." Danny said.

"You're not thinking of getting drunk again are you?" I asked.

"No, I promised you I wouldn't do that…and you were right last time. All it did was give me a hangover." Danny said. "But I didn't want to sit alone in my apartment, so…can we hang out for a bit?"

I smiled and hugged him. "Of course. I had a rough day too. I'd love a distraction."

"Well I can think of a great distraction." Danny winked.

"I knew that was coming." I laughed. "I was about to make dinner, want to join me?" I asked.

"Why don't we go out? You play pool?" Danny asked.

"No."

"I'll teach you. We can grab dinner; play a few games of pool, sound good?" Danny asked.

"I'd like that." I said. "Let me grab my keys."

I grabbed my keys and followed Danny out of my apartment.

"So what exactly did Mac say?" I asked.

Danny shrugged. "I asked him if we were okay. He said, 'We'll see.'."

"Danny, Mac isn't going to fire you. He knows you weren't responsible for Minhas' death. He's angry that you disobeyed him and talked to IAB. The incident with the statue man didn't help." I said.

"How did you…"

"I was there. I was looking for you and overheard." I said.

Danny sighed. "I just don't want to lose my job."

"You won't. Just go by the book, listen to Mac…keep you nose clean. You'll be back on the promotion grid before you know it." I smiled.

"When you say it, I can almost believe it." Danny said.

We walked a few blocks to a pizza/pool parlor. It was a bit crowded. But we found an open table in the back.

"I'll order us a pizza, you rack them. Just put all the balls in the triangle thing." Danny smirked.

"Yes, I knew that much." I rolled my eyes.

Danny walked to the counter and I racked all the balls. Danny came over and pulled a few sticks off the wall.

"Have you ever played before?' he asked.

"A few times in high school, my friend had a table. But that was goofing off." I said.

"Okay, I'll break and then show you how to shoot. We won't keep score or nothing until you catch on." Danny smiled.

I nodded and watched as Danny tossed his jacket aside and leaned down. He hit the cue ball and sent the rest of the balls scattering.

"Okay Rora, come here." Danny said and handed me the pool stick. "You want to cradle the stick between your fingers loosely so the stick can slide through."

I leaned down and did like Danny said. "Now how do I aim?"

"We'll start easy." Danny put his hands over mine on the stick. "You want to aim for the center of the cue ball."

"Which ball am I shooting for?" I asked.

"See that 6 ball right there. Here I'll help." Danny said. He leaned forward. "Just pull back the stick…hit it medium."

Danny kept his hands on mine and we both pulled the stick back and hit the cue ball. It made contact with the 6 ball which went into the corner pocket.

"We did it." I laughed.

Danny and I stood up and he let go of the stick to hug me from behind. "Good job. Let's try for the 12 ball next."

We walked around the table to where the cue ball was.

"Hold the stick the same…just like last time." Danny said and leaned over to guide me again.

We hit the cue ball with the stick and the 12 ball went into the side pocket.

"You're a good teacher." I said and leaned my head on his shoulder. "Thanks…this is fun."

"It's why we're here. Want to shoot a few more before our pizza gets here?" he asked.

"Yeah, which one?" I asked.

"The 2 ball looks like a good shot." Danny said. "I'll help you."


	17. So Much Hate

_Meadow567- Yes I do. I hope you like this chapter too. Also your PM cracked me up._

_Jordayna- Rest assure the angle will return. Loved your review! _

_Emador- Poor Vicaro…he's like the Verchota of CSI land, LOL. _

**Author's Note- **_Strong Content and Language in this chapter. Rated R just to be safe! _

"Wow, this is nasty. Somebody was really trying to make a statement." I said.

Don and I had got called out first thing to a man found dead hanging in an abandoned building. He'd been found by homeless people trying to get in from the summer heat.

"This isn't a suicide. Look at his back." Don said. "This is a mess."

"And in this heat…the smell is killing me." I said and covered my mouth.

"It's June in NYC." Flack said.

I looked closer at the corpse. "Don, does this scene remind you of anything?"

"I don't follow." Don said.

"An African-American male, gashes across his back and left hanging…this almost looks like a lynching from the south." I said.

"You're right…but the local neo-Nazi groups haven't targeted the black community as of late. Since 9/11 they're targeting Muslims and Middle Easterners." Flack said.

"Still, I think we should make known hate organizations something to be looked at." I said.

Danny and Mac walked in with their kits in hand.

"I hate summer, all the scenes smell god awful." Danny said.

"What do we have?" Mac asked.

"African-American male, found early this morning by some homeless people. They check out. They just wanted out of the sun." Don said.

"Nothing has been touched, we left everything for you. No ID found around him, might still be on him." I said.

"Danny take some pictures. What is this building?" Mac asked.

"Just an old abandoned building. Last business in here was in the 1970's." Don said. "It'll most likely be demolished in the next few years."

"I'll get started on the body. See what I can find." Mac said.

Mac walked over and gloved up, while looking at the corpse, hanging lifeless.

"Mac, I don't know much about local hate groups. But I was telling Flack that this scene is very reminiscent of a lynching in the south. The kind you see on documentaries." I said.

"I thought the same thing myself when I walked in." Mac said. "Found ID."

"Who is he?" Danny asked.

"Charles Duncan…age 44. He's from Harlem." Mac said.

"We'll have to notify his family." I said.

"Mac I got something." Danny said. In the corner of the room we were in there was a pile of garbage. "Looks like a bloody handkerchief."

Danny picked it up. Mac swabbed it and tested to see if it was blood. The q-tip turned purple.

"Positive for human blood." Mac said.

"Dusting for prints in here would be useless if the homeless use this place to hide out in." Danny said.

"Yeah, let's get this guy to Hawkes, see what he can find." Mac said.

"We'll contact Charles Duncan's family." Flack said.

(Station)

I walked to Flack's desk and handed him a folder. "This is everything I can find on Charles Duncan. Married, father of three. Deacon in his church, 15 years at the same job."

"You call the wife?" he asked.

"Yeah she is on her way down here." I said. "There is nothing in his life that would show reason to kill him. He was in charge of his kid's Cub Scout troop. Everything about this guy says family man."

"Well somebody didn't agree with him." Flack said. "Mac called, Hawkes is ready for us."

"Let's go." I said.

Don and I walked into the morgue. Danny and Mac were right behind us.

"You're here about Charles Duncan…he was quite a case." Sheldon said.

"What can you tell us?" Mac asked.

"He took one serious beating. Cracked ribs, broken arm, broken toes. Heavy peri-mortem bruising on his abdomen." Hawkes said. "And then there were these slashes on his back."

"Can you tell what caused them?" Danny asked.

"Not off hand, but the pattern is uneven." Sheldon said. "Also he has what appears to be rope burn on his wrists."

"COD?" Mac asked.

"Asphyxiation. He was hanged, but not properly. Instead of his neck breaking and him dying quickly…he hung and slowly suffocated over several minutes." Hawkes said.

"I have reason to believe this was a hate crime." Mac said.

"Well you're looking for more than one perp. No one person could do this much damage to a man Duncan's size." Sheldon said.

"Charles' wife is here. We need to speak with her." Flack said.

"I'll start to work looking for what made these marks." Mac said.

Flack and I walked out of the morgue and down the hall to where Mrs. Duncan was waiting for us.

"Mrs. Duncan, I'm Detective Aurora Denton, this is my partner Detective Don Flack." I said.

"You said you found my husband…he's dead isn't he?" she asked.

"Yes, we're so sorry for you loss." I said.

She broke down crying. "What happened?"

"He was murdered…his body was found this morning." Don said. "Can we get something for you? Water, juice?"

"No...no thank you." She cried.

"Mrs. Duncan, we realize this is a very difficult time for you. If you feel up to it, we'd like to ask you a few questions." I said.

"I guess so. When can I have his body? I have to call his parents, I need to make arrangements." She said.

"Calm down. When the medical examiner releases Charles' body, he'll have him sent to the funeral home of your choice." I said.

"Mrs. Duncan, when was the last time you saw your husband?" Flack asked.

"Last night…our little boy had a sore throat…we were out of cold medicine. Charles left the house to walk two blocks to the pharmacy…he never came home." She cried.

"What time did he leave the apartment?" I asked.

"About 9PM. He should've been home in 15 minutes." She cried.

"Did you husband have any known enemies? Anyone who would want to hurt him?" Flack asked.

"No…Charles was loved by everyone. He sang in the church choir…and next month he was taking our son's cub scout troop to the Adirondack's for a camping trip." She said.

"Mrs. Duncan, everything about your husband points to a good family man. We're so sorry…can you think of anything else that might help us find out who killed your husband?" I asked.

"No…he wouldn't have harmed anyone. This doesn't make sense." She cried.

"Thank you for coming down here. I'll take you to speak with our ME. He can help you with the arrangements for Charles' body." Flack said.

I watched as Don led her down the hall. I took a deep breath and wondered how such a descent man met such a horrible end.

I walked back to the station. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and then decided to find out what I could about local hate groups.

The more I looked, the more it was obvious that like Flack said, most recent hate crimes had been against Arabs.

"Hey Rora, what are you doing?" Flack walked in.

"Looking up local hate groups. In a city this size there is a long list of them." I sighed.

"Hate crimes are the worst, they are so random." Flack said.

"I don't understand hate crimes. I've never understood hating whole races of people, or whole religious groups, or whatever." I said.

"We're not supposed to understand." Flack said. "If we did, we'd be like them."

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, DNA came back on the bloody handkerchief…the blood was Duncan's. There were a few hairs on it too. They were not Duncan's. No match in CODIS." Danny said.

"Now we just need a suspect to match it to." I said.

"You got anything new?" Danny asked.

"Nothing really. Flack and I spoke with the widow. She is really shook up. There seems to be no motive at all for killing this man. Everything about him says outstanding citizen." I sighed. "Now we're looking through information on local hate groups…this had to be a hate crime. I'd say the only reason Duncan was killed was he was black."

"I'm going to see if I can help Mac. He was working on finding what made those marks on Duncan's back." Danny said.

"Okay, let us know if you find anything." I said and hung up.

"Blood on the handkerchief found at the scene is Duncan's. We got a few hairs that aren't, but no match in CODIS." I told Flack.

"Well that leaves us with about 200 hate groups to investigate." Flack said.

"Want to grab some lunch before we jump into Hitler-land?" I asked.

"Yeah, how about the diner on the corner?" Flack said.

"Good enough." I said and went to my desk. "Maybe by the time we finish eating Mac will have something for us."

Flack and I were headed out the door when a scared looking woman walked in, looking around. Flack and I glanced at each other.

"Mam, can we help you?" I asked.

"I need to speak with the police." She said.

"What's the problem?" Flack asked.

"I am worried about my older brothers…I think they…well….something is wrong." She stuttered.

"Are they missing?" I asked. "Are they hurt?"

"No, no…but you see. I upset them last night…..and well…I think they killed somebody." She said.

"Come with us." I said.

Don and I turned and walked her over to our desks. She was shaking. I sat her down in a chair and Don handed her some water.

"First, tell us your name." I said.

"Barbra…Barbra Camden." She said.

"Barbra, why do you think your brothers killed someone?" Don asked.

"Well…last night they showed up unannounced and….caught me with my new boyfriend." Barbra said.

"Is your boyfriend now missing?" I asked.

"No…but…well he's black and…..my brothers don't believe in that kind of thing." Barbra said.

"What kind of thing?" Flack asked.

"White and Blacks dating each other." She said.

"Did they threaten your boyfriend?" I asked.

"Yes, they tore through my apartment. Busted up some of my furniture and threatened to kill my boyfriend…his name is Lequan. Lequan ran from my place and hid at a friend's house all night. But after Lequan ran out…my brothers told me I couldn't see him again and then….they said they were gonna go 'kill a nigger'." Barbra said.

"Do you have a reason to think they carried through with their threats?" I asked.

"This morning…I stopped by their home to see if they had calmed down…there were bloody clothes soaking in water in their bath tub. I left quickly. I called Lequan and he was fine…then I came here." Barbra said.

"Do you really feel your brothers are capable of murder?" Flack asked.

"I don't know, ever since they joined that Aryan Brothers of a…"

"Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus?" I asked. "They belong to that group?"

"Yes, for about five years now. They said it was people of their own kind." Barbra said.

"Flack, can I see you a moment?" I asked.

Flack and I walked away from Barbra.

"Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus is on that list of hate groups I made. They are some kind of KKK, neo-Nazi white supremacy group." I said.

"That girl is here because she is scared probably for herself and her boyfriend." Flack said.

"Think she would volunteer a DNA sample? They could compare her DNA to the hairs found on the handkerchief. That would at least tell us if she is a sibling to the killer. If she volunteers, we don't need a warrant. We get a match, that gets us a warrant to search her brothers' home." I said. "Sounds to me like they could be who killed Duncan."

"It's a good idea. In the meantime, we should get her to talk Lequan into pressing charges against her brothers for threatening him." Flack said.

We walked back to where Barbra was sitting.

"Miss Camden, would you be willing to give us a sample of your DNA…we want to compare it to some found at a crime scene. If your DNA is similar to that at the crime scene, we can focus on your brothers. Now this is voluntary and we understand how hard it is to go against family…"

She interrupted me. "I'll do it. Anything to get rid of them. I am terrified they'll kill Lequan."

"What are your brothers' names?" Flack asked.

"Matthew and Andrew Camden." She said.

"I'll call Mac." I said. "Flack, talk to her about Lequan."

I walked to the back to give them some privacy. I dialed my cell phone.

"Taylor."

"Mac, its Aurora. I have a woman at the station who believes her brothers killed someone last night. Apparently they hate blacks; they're members of the Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus white supremacy group. She said this morning they had bloody clothes at their house. She is terrified. But she has volunteered her DNA. I thought you could compare that to the hairs found and see if you get a sibling match." I said.

"I'll send Danny to collect a swab. I have some news for you. I was about to call you." Mac said. "This was definitely a hate crime…and it was meant to be symbolic of the old south KKK lynchings."

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Those marks on Charles Duncan's back were made with a bullwhip. Most likely he was tied by the wrist and whipped." Mac said.

"Just like the slaves." I groaned.

"After he was whipped, they hung him. This was meant to have all the markings of a Klan killing." Mac said. "It was a message."

"From the way it sounds…these brothers could be our killers." I said. "I'm going to run their names, see if anything comes up."

"Danny will be there soon…we need to move fast. If these men are members of a white supremacy group…chances are they've been taught to get rid of evidence." Mac said.

I hung up and went back to my desk.

"Did you get anywhere on getting Lequan to press charges?" I asked Don.

"She's on the phone with him now, but he's scared shitless. He's scared if he stands up to the Ku Klux Klan, they'll come after him and his family." Flack said.

"Damn…I feel like it the 1950's again…I didn't expect this in NYC now days." I said.

"These skinhead bastards show up everywhere. They give the whole human race a black eye." Flack shook his head.

"Mac told me those gashes on Duncan's back were from a bull whip. He was tied up and whipped, then hung. This was meant to be a message." I said.

"Summer brings out all the freaks." Flack sighed.

"Excuse me?" Barbra said. "Lequan will only press charges if my brothers are charged with murder. He doesn't want this to be the only charges against them."

"He's afraid of them coming after him." I sighed. I saw Danny walk in.

"Hey, Mac sent me to get a DNA sample." Danny said.

"Barbra, this is Detective Danny Messer, Crime Scene Investigation. He's going to get some of your DNA. He's very nice." I said then leaned in to Danny. "She's very nervous, just be patient."

"I'm going to swab your mouth…won't hurt a bit." Danny smiled and knelt down beside her.

"Flack, I am going to run Matthew and Andrew Camden through the computer, see what I find." I said.

(Later)

"What did you find?" Flack asked.

"Matthew Camden age 28, arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest at a Klan rally in 2004. Andrew Camden age 26 arrested for same." I said.

"But what motive would they have to kill Charles Duncan? They didn't know him." Flack said.

"These skinheads don't care if they know you or not. They see the skin color and that's it. I think that Andrew and Matthew set out to kill Lequan and couldn't find him. So they decided to kill any black man…Duncan just happened to be wrong place, wrong time." I said.

"They'd kill Barbra if they knew she was here. I sent her upstairs to make a formal statement." Flack said.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"The DNA is a sibling match. Barbra is a sister to the killer." Mac said.

"Flack is getting the warrant now." I said as Don picked up his phone.

"Danny and I will meet you two there. We have to move fast and be prepared for anything." Mac said.

I hung up. "Flack, we got to go. Mac is afraid they're going to do away with evidence."

"The judge is signing the warrant now." Flack said.

We hurried to where the Camden brothers lived in Tuckahoe. Danny and Mac pulled up right behind me and Don.

"Danny, Flack go around back in case they try to run. Aurora, come with me." Mac said.

Mac and I approached the front door. I founded on it. "NYPD, we have a warrant to search the house!"

The door opened. Before us stood a tall bald man, covered in tattoos.

"Matthew Camden?" I asked.

"Andrew…Matt's in the kitchen." He said.

"Mr. Camden, we have a warrant to search your home. You and your brother need to sit in the family room while we conduct the search." Mac said.

"What's this about?" Andrew asked.

"The murder of Charles Duncan." I said. "Now step aside."

Andrew stepped back. Mac and I walked into the house.

"Matt come see this…they got a lady cop." Andrew yelled.

I rolled my eyes. Matt came out of the kitchen. He had blonde hair covered with a bandanna.

"Sit down, both of you." I said.

"Aurora, let Danny and Flack in the back door. I'll stay here with them." Mac said.

I nodded and walked to the back door. Danny and Flack were waiting, hands on their guns.

"Come on in. Mac has the brothers seated in the living room. Wait till you see how this place is decorated." I said.

"That bad?" Danny asked.

I shook my head. We walked back into the living room. In the room were swastika flags and firearms hanging from the walls. Hate messages were spray painted around the room.

"Flack, watch them. We'll search the place." Mac said.

"Can I shoot them if they move?" Flack smirked.

We walked to the back of the house.

"Start with the bathroom. Barbra said there were bloody clothes in the tub." I said.

Danny opened the door to the bathroom. We all stepped back. The smell of bleach was overwhelming.

I covered my mouth. "You were right Mac; they know how to destroy evidence." I said.

We walked into the bathroom. The bath tub was full of bloody water and clothes…but the bleach smell was potent. All DNA was destroyed.

"Take pictures Danny. This shows they were trying to cover their crime." Mac said.

Mac and I walked farther into the house.

"We need to find that bull whip." Mac said.

"Think they were dumb enough to hang on to it?" I asked.

"Let's hope." Mac said.

We walked into one of the bedrooms. It seemed to be a tribute to the old Klan. A hooded white suit was displayed in the corner.

"What sick people." I said.

"Look everywhere…we need that whip." Mac said.

Mac started looking through a closet. I noticed a trunk in the corner of the room. I walked over to it. I lifted the lid.

"Found it." I told Mac. Lying on top of other souvenirs was a bull whip.

Mac picked it up. "Looks like dried blood."

Mac swabbed some of the blood and tested to see if it was human. "It's human blood."

"We got enough to arrest them. That blood is going to match Duncan's. And the hairs will be a match to Matthew." I said.

"We can swab them and rush the DNA." Mac said.

I walked into the other room. "Flack get them up. They are under arrest for the murder of Charles Duncan."

"You got nothing on us lady." Andrew said.

"That's detective to you." I said. "Get up."

(Station)

Danny and I had Andrew in one interrogation room. Mac and Flack and Matthew in another. Mac had rushed DNA from Matthew to the lab and was waiting for the results. As well as the results from the blood on the bull whip.

"So, you're a white brother of Jesus? Funny you don't look like those pictures of him." I said.

Andrew sneered at me but said nothing.

"Tell us about Charles Duncan." Danny said.

"I don't know him." Andrew said.

"You killed a man and didn't even ask his name?" I asked.

Andrew stayed silent.

"That's fine. You don't have to say anything. When the DNA comes back we'll have Duncan's DNA found in your house. You or your brother's DNA found at the crime scene. And your sister's testimony." Danny said.

"Barbra?" Andrew's head snapped up.

"Oh yeah…apparently she didn't appreciate you threatening her boyfriend." I said.

"That nigger loving bitch!" Andrew screamed.

"Settle down!" I snapped. "Now…why don't you tell us exactly what happened?"

Andrew was tight-lipped.

"Danny, who do you think will talk first? Andrew or Matthew? I mean you know one of them is going to start talking and blame the whole thing on the other." I said.

"I don't know. Andrew here seems like he isn't going to talk." Danny smirked.

Andrew still said nothing.

"Who is Lequan James?" I asked Andrew.

Andrew stared but said nothing.

"I heard you walked in last night and saw him fooling around with your sister." Danny said.

"Shut up you fucking wop!" Andrew yelled.

Danny smirked and shook his head. "You can call me what you like…I don't care. Your hate doesn't affect me."

"You walked in and saw your little sister in bed with a black man…that pissed you off." I said.

"That nigger was raping my baby sister!" Andrew yelled.

"That MAN was making love to his girlfriend. No rape, it was consensual and she liked it." I said.

"Shut up!" Andrew yelled.

"Must have really upset you that your sister was with the kind of person you hated…you wanted to kill him." Danny said.

"Fucking right I did." Andrew yelled. "But I didn't!"

"Because you couldn't find him." I said. "So you and Matthew decided to make a statement…to say loud and clear to the black community that they still weren't equal to whites."

"So you two set out looking for a black man…any black man and Charles Duncan just happened to be walking down the street." Danny said.

"Those things have no right being with our women. White women are not for breeding half-breed niggers!" Andrew screamed.

"Women have a right to date anyone of any race they choose! That includes your sister!" I yelled.

"Fucking Bitch!" Andrew yelled and spit across the table at me.

Danny jumped up and pulled Andrew out of his seat and slammed him against the wall.

"You fucking asshole!" Danny screamed.

I ran over to them. "Danny, calm down. This is what he wants. He would love nothing more than for you to slap him around and lose your badge."

Danny was red in the face and breathing hard.

"Danny! Let him go." I said and touched Danny's shoulder.

Danny dragged Andrew away from the wall and pushed him back in his seat.

"Don't you ever spit on her, or threaten her in any way!" Danny yelled.

"Danny, calm down. I'm okay." I said and took a deep breath.

Danny walked around, starting to pace trying to calm down.

"So let me tell you what happened last night. You and Matthew set out to kill Lequan but you couldn't find him. So you decided any black man would suffice. You found Charles Duncan walking down the street and attacked him. You tied him up and used a bull whip on him…just like you've seen the KKK do in movies….you must've felt like you were doing something great." I snapped. "Then you decided to hang him…but Matthew made a mistake. He used his own bandanna to wipe Duncan's blood off him and threw it away."

"Just one less nigger." Andrew said.

"And when the state of New York puts a needle in your arm…it'll be one less bastard." I said. "We're done here."

I pulled on Danny's arm and led him out of the interrogation room with me.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah I just lost my temper in there." Danny said. "Are you okay? Where did that spit land?"

"Just on the front of my shirt. I'm fine." I said.

Danny nodded.

"I'm going to change out of this…you want to go out for a late dinner? Grab Mac and Don when they're done with Matthew." I said.

Danny nodded. "Yeah that sounds great."

"Okay. I'll change. I'll meet you in a few minutes." I said.

I walked to the locker room and took a deep breath. What a day…I was glad those brothers were off the streets. I changed my shirt and freshened up my make-up.

When I walked out, Danny, Don and Mac were waiting for me.

"Lab called. DNA on the whip matches Duncan…hair matches Matthew." Mac said.

"I'm glad it's all over." I said.

"Ready for dinner? I'm starved." Don said.

"You're always hungry." I laughed.

"How about Chinese?" Mac asked.

"Sounds great." I said and we started for the door.


	18. Shea Stadium

_BridgetLynn- Glad you liked the last few chapters. All I can say is a lot will be happening in the next several chapters._

_Jordayna- Suffering? I didn't think the story would cause pain, LOL. Thanks for the sweet comments about Aurora, I enjoy writing her._

_Meadow567- You confused me about Kylah. I'll try to get her updated in the next few days. In the meantime here is more Aurora._

_Emador- Yeah, I thought it'd be a good crime. And in this chapter control yourself, LOL._

"You got plans for tonight?" I asked Aiden.

"No. I might go see a movie or something." Aiden said.

"No date?" I asked.

"Nah." She smiled. "How about you?"

"Nope, ballgame tonight." I said.

We walked out of the locker room.

"Aiden, Aurora wait up." Don called down the hall at us.

We turned and saw Don and Danny walking towards us. They had also changed into casual clothes and seemed to be headed out.

"We got a surprise for you two." Don smiled.

"What you two actually got real dates tonight?" Aiden asked.

"No, just you two again." Danny said.

"Whatever it is, I need to take a rain check. Braves play the Mets tonight. I have been looking forward to watching it all week." I said.

"Well, how would you like to watch it from field level?" Don smiled and held up tickets.

"Field level of Shea Stadium the Brave against the Mets?" I jumped and read the tickets. I grabbed Don's face and kissed him quickly on the mouth. "You are a beautiful, wonderful man!"

Don laughed.

"Hey, it was my idea!" Danny said.

"Fine, Don kiss him." I said. Don rolled his eyes.

"I haven't been to a ballgame in ages." Aiden said.

"Field level to see Chipper Jones, Marcus Giles, Andruw Jones…"

"Rora, calm down." Flack smiled.

"This is great. I am so glad I am 'dating' you two." I giggled.

"We should probably get going before Aurora hurts herself." Flack smiled.

"I am so excited." I said. "Seriously this is the sweetest thing."

"Figured we might as well sneak in a game before the All Star break next week." Danny said as we started out the door.

"I just love the Braves…I've been a Braves fan since 1991 when they beat the Pirates in the NLCS….That Sid Bream….People in Pittsburgh still talk about it." I said.

"Wait, wait…you started cheering for the Braves when they beat your hometown team?" Danny asked. "You hate the Pirates too?"

"I don't hate the Pirates…they don't win enough for me to have an opinion either way. I just ignore them. And of course I LOVE the Penguins because of Craig Patrick." I smiled.

"Amazing, even talking about baseball she sneaks in hockey." Don laughed.

(Shea Stadium)

"The Braves have really started to come alive the past month. They always start out slow and then run away with the division." I said.

"Yeah then blow it in the play-offs." Danny rolled his eyes.

"But we've never had a 3-0 lead and then been swept…oh wait…That had never happened to any major league team in history except the Yankees." I laughed.

"She's got you Messer." Aiden smiled.

"That's fine…wait till the Steelers win another Superbowl." Danny smirked.

"That won't happen. This year was all fixed. Anyone could see that…they promised Bettis a Superbowl win if he'd play one more year. And wasn't it just fucking convenient that the Superbowl was held in his hometown of Detroit!" I scowled. "And after all that bawling Hines Ward did on TV when they got knocked out of the play-offs the year before."

"Don't hold back, Rora. Say how you really feel." Don laughed. "And for the record, if the Steelers win another Superbowl, I ain't going near her for a month."

"You were with me just a few days after they won this year." I protested. "I started just a few days after they won."

"But now I know how afraid I should be." Don winked.

"Okay if we can forget Aurora's raging hate for the Steelers…when does this game start?" Aiden asked.

"Opening pitch is 7:30." Danny said.

"Smoltz is pitching tonight. I still can't believe he came out of the bullpen." I said. "He was such a good closer. Now we're struggling to find a good one."

"Atlanta lost all their good pitching. Maddux, Glavine, Avery." Don said.

"Yeah, but we've hung in there." I said.

"I feel so left out. I have no idea what you guys are talking about." Aiden said.

"It's okay. I'll point out the hot guys for you." I smiled at her.

"You girls need to quit watching so many celebrities and get real dates." Don said.

"Look who's talking. You've been 'dating' me long enough to introduce me to the family over Sunday dinner." I laughed.

The teams took to the base lines for the singing of the national anthem and we all stood. It was played by a trio of trumpets. I was thankful for that because last time Don brought me to Shea stadium it was sung by some woman who sounded like she was being strangled while giving birth.

Finally the Mets took the field and the Braves were up to bat.

"Now isn't this so much better than wrestling?" Don smirked.

"It is just as much fun. Besides, don't you miss the bra and panties match? The Mets don't offer that." I winked.

"Hey you and Aiden can have one of those matches." Danny smiled.

I rolled my eyes. "Hush, Marcus Giles is up to bat." I said. "Okay Aiden, he is really hott. Married, had a baby girl but it died."

"That's sad, what happened?" She asked.

"Too premature, they couldn't save her." I said. "I felt really bad when that happened. He's an awesome player though. If he gets on base, watch him. He steals all the time."

Giles hit a single down past the third baseman.

"He's on…watch him. Ten bucks says he steals 2nd." I said.

"I'll take that bet." Danny said.

I raised an eyebrow as Chipper Jones came to bat.

"Okay Aiden, this is Chipper Jones. Very hott. Got in a scandal a few years back when he had a child out of wedlock with his mistress. He has since remarried and had more kids." I said.

"Why is that so scandalous?" Don asked. "Don't lots of celebrities do that?"

"Yeah, but Chipper was an outspoken Christian athlete and all that stuff…then boom he has this kid by another woman." I said. "Giles is getting a wide lead off first."

The pitcher threw over the plate. It was called a ball and despite the catcher throwing to 2nd, Giles beat the throw and was safe.

"How did you know?" Danny asked.

"Never bet against Aurora when it comes to sports. She knows her stuff." Don said.

"Tell you what Messer. After the 2nd inning, go buy me one of those large tubs of popcorn, and we'll call it even." I smiled.

"Can I share it with you?" Danny asked.

"You betcha." I smiled.

"If the Braves win this game, we might never hear the end of it." Don said.

"There is no IF about it. Braves will win." I said.

By the second inning the Braves had a 1-0 lead over the Mets on a solo homerun hit by JT Drew.

"Where is my popcorn?" I asked Danny.

"I am going. You want anything else with that?" he asked.

"A soda…I need to wash it down." I said.

Danny got up and headed up the stairs. I watched as the Mets tossed balls around between innings.

"Don this was nice of you and Danny to bring us." Aiden said.

"Actually it was Danny's idea. He wanted to bring Aurora to see the Braves play. He asked me if tickets were still available and here we all are." Don shrugged.

"It really was Danny's idea?" I asked.

"Yeah. He brought it up Tuesday or so." Don said.

I smiled and went back to watching the guys on the field.

Danny returned a bit later with a huge tub of popcorn and my soda.

"Thank you." I said.

"Glad to do it." He smiled. "You want to hold this or want me to hold it?"

"You can hold it." I said. "Aiden, this is Andruw Jones again. He started playing with the Braves when he was 19."

"He's way overpaid." Don said.

"I think that too sometimes. Andruw was in a scandal with some strippers in Atlanta a few years ago." I said.

"Is there anything about these guys you don't know?" Aiden laughed.

"Hey I love the Braves. More than the BoSox." I said. "But don't tell Danny that."

"I heard that." Danny laughed.

"No you didn't. You heard me say ALCS blew a 3-0 lead." I winked.

"If Danny hates Boston that much, I'll start cheering for them." Aiden smiled.

"You girls always gang up on us." Don said.

"And you love it." Aiden laughed.

By the end of the third the Mets had tied the game 1-1.

"Mets are coming back, they're gonna win." Don said.

"I am telling you…Braves will win." I said.

I reached for popcorn. Danny reached at the same time and I ended up grabbing his hand. I looked up and smiled at him before grabbing popcorn and looking back at the game.

"Smoltz is looking good tonight." Don said.

"I still think he was better as a closer. His days of being in the rotation should be over." I said.

"I give him a few more years." Don said.

I reached for a large handful of popcorn, only to get my fingers twined with Danny's.

"Danny, can't you wait three seconds until my hand is out of the way?" I joked.

"You're the one in the way." Danny smiled and nudged my hand.

"Ladies first." I laughed and nudged his hand back.

"Brains before beauty." Danny nudged back with a smile.

"I got both." I nudged his hand again and winked.

I shook my head and took some popcorn.

(Later)

By the 8th inning, the game was still tied 1-1. Smoltz had been taken out of the game and the bullpen was trying to hold it together.

"Mets are gonna win. I can feel it." Don said.

"Are not. You just wait." I said.

"They are sending in a pinch hitter for the pitcher." Danny said.

"The Braves score this inning they can bring in their closer for the 9th." I said.

The pinch hitter was walked.

"No outs and a runner on first." Aiden winked at Don.

"Don't encourage her." Don laughed.

Furcal hit a blooper into left field. He was at first and the pinch hitter at 2nd.

"Here is Giles again." I said. "His brother used to play for Pittsburgh."

Giles hit a single down the first base line. Now the bases were loaded.

"Chipper Jones is up and the bases are loaded!" I said and nearly bounced in my seat.

"He'll choke and strike out." Don said.

I scowled at him and he smiled.

Chipper took a homerun swing and missed the first pitch.

"See I told you so." Don smiled.

"Flack…I used to like you." I joked.

Chipper caught a piece of the next pitch.

"That one's going the distance!" I yelled.

"No way in hell." Don said.

"Where's it going?" Danny jumped up.

The ball went into the stands in left field…a grand slam.

"Grand slam baby. I love you Chipper!" I yelled.

"I'll be right back!" Danny said and took off practically running up the stairs.

"I can't believe…" Don started.

"Oh believe it!" I laughed. "I told you Jones wouldn't choke. Chipper got a grand slam."

"I am never going to hear the end of this." Don sighed.

"Where is Danny?" Aiden asked.

"I dunno, said he'd be right back." I shrugged. "Grand Slam for Atlanta and we lead 5-1."

Don smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Guess Chipper can score on and off the field." Aiden said. I started laughing.

It was top of the 9th before Danny came back to his seat and he was carrying a paper bag.

"What's in the bag?" I asked.

"Something I picked up for later." Danny said.

"Danny thank god you're back. Rora is still going on about Jones' grand slam. She is more excited about it than he is." Don laughed.

"Hey Chipper is one of my favorite players and I got to see in person him hit a grand slam." I smiled.

"She told you the Mets would lose this game." Aiden said.

"Yeah…she was right…this is sad." Don sighed.

"Yeah not even the Braves can lose them all." Danny smirked.

"ALCS 3-0." I said.

Danny smiled.

"You know I used to date a guy that would always take me to Yankee Stadium to games and want to make-out." Aiden said.

"I used to do that with girls in high school." Don said. "You do that Danny?"

"No, when I went to a ball game back then, I watched." Danny said and put an arm around me. "Course I could make up for that now."

I rolled my eyes. "I want to watch the Braves finish this game. If you want to make out with someone, there's Aiden."

"Stay over there Messer." She said.

"I am so unappreciated." Danny pretended to pout.

"Oh, we love you." I giggled and laid my head on his shoulder for a few seconds.

When the ball game was over and the Braves had won 5-1, we stood up and headed out of the stadium.

"That was so much fun." I said.

"That was good. We have to do it again sometime." Aiden said.

"Flack, you want to share a cab from here?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah might as well." Flack said.

"Danny and me have to take the subway." I said.

"Okay, we'll see you later." Aiden said.

"Night guys…and Flack watch SportsCenter. I am sure they'll show highlights of the game including that grand slam." I laughed.

"Yeah yeah yeah." He said. "I'll see you at work."

Danny and I walked to the subway and got on a train. It had several people on it coming from the ball game but we managed to find two seats.

"I really had fun tonight." I said.

"Me too." Danny said.

"You know, Don told me that coming to the game tonight was really your idea." I smiled. "Thank you so much."

Danny shrugged. "I know how crazy about the Braves you are and while they were in town…thought it'd be nice for you to see them in person."

"Well it was really sweet." I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much. I had a great time."

Danny touched his cheek. "Io arbitrio mai lavare mio guancia anche."

"What'd you say?" I asked.

"Not telling." Danny smirked.

I smiled and sat back to relax on the short ride home.

When we arrived at my stop, Danny and I stepped off the train and left the station. It was a hot night.

"Do you have any plans for the 4th?" Danny asked.

"No, Mac said something about having a barbecue on the roof of his building if we don't get any cases that day." I said.

Danny nodded. "I'd heard that too."

"I'd like to see fireworks somewhere. I know that they'll be lots of them." I said.

Danny smiled. "Yeah, big festivals for the 4th."

We stopped in front of my building. "You want to come up?"

"No it's late…but I have something for you." Danny said. He handed me the paper bag he'd been carrying.

"What is this?" I asked

Danny shrugged. "Something I thought you'd like."

I opened the bag and inside was a dirty baseball. I pulled it out of the bag and looked at it.

"It's Chipper Jones' grand slam ball." Danny said.

"But how did you…"

"I watched where it went then hurried down there and found who caught it. Luckily they weren't Braves fans. A few bucks later, it was mine." Danny shrugged.

I looked up at him. "Danny, you didn't have to…"

"You like him so much and were so excited about that grand slam…just a souvenir." Danny smiled.

"That's one hell of a souvenir and the nicest thing anyone has ever done." I felt like crying. I leaned forward and kissed his cheek and hugged him. "Thank you so much. I don't know what to say."

"I'm just glad you had fun." Danny said.

"Seriously, thank you for everything. The game, the ball, the popcorn…I had a wonderful time." I smiled.

"Me too." Danny said. "Sei bella tra chiaro di luna."

"I don't know what you said, but I liked it." I giggled.

"So I'll see you at work." Danny said.

"Yeah, thanks again." I said.

"Buona notte." Danny said.

"I know this one." I laughed. "Buona notte, Danny."


	19. Summer Madness

_Jordayna- Well, this probably isn't what you had in mind for the 4th, but I hope you like it anyways. It is important to the plot! _

_Meadow567- Your theories is what confused. And let's wait and see what you think of this chapter! LOL_

_Emador- Put the Easter Bunny down and relax, LOL. Thanks for your help with this. I think its coming along great._

_XX- Where are you? (Looks for Vicaro's muse's phone number! LOL)_

"Damn, this is sick…what a way to spend the 4th of July." I cringed.

Don and I had been called out because a dead woman had been found in the Bronx in someone's back yard. The hysterical residents had called it in after finding her this morning. When we arrived at the scene the young girl was nude, her hands cut off and 'Happy 4th' cut in her back.

"This girl can't be more than 20 years old." Don said.

"No chance of printing her." I sighed. "I called Mac. He's on his way."

"This is not what I had in mind for the 4th." Don said.

"Doesn't look like any of her belongings are around. This is a dump job." I said.

"Odd place to dump a body…an upscale neighborhood." Don said.

Mac and Danny walked up.

"Whoa, someone did a number on her." Danny said.

"What do we have?" Mac asked.

"No ID, female found this morning by the family who lives here…nothing more." I said.

"Hawkes will have a time with this one." Mac sighed. "Danny take pictures. Damn, can't scrape her nails, print her, nothing."

"Maybe she has been reported missing. At least we can look through missing persons for her." Flack said.

"I hate the weird murders." I said.

"Rora, you go to autopsy. I'll start through missing persons." Don said.

"Okay…let me know if you find anything." I said.

(Morgue)

Mac, Danny and I walked into the morgue to see what Hawkes found about our Jane Doe.

"Sheldon what do you have for us?" Mac asked.

"This was a mess. Your Jane Doe is young, maybe 20 years old. Been dead about a day." Sheldon said.

"Cause of Death?" I asked.

"Asphyxiation. Hemorrhaging in the eyes and damage to the nasal cavity indicates that someone held her nose and mouth shut." Hawkes said.

"Harsh way to die." Danny said.

"And if she tried to fight off her attacker…that evidence was cut off with her hands." Mac sighed.

"Speaking of which. Her hands were cut off post-mortem. The cut is uneven and jagged, most likely from a hand saw." Sheldon said.

"What about the words on her back?" I asked.

"Also post-mortem. I'd say a knife or scalpel." Sheldon said.

"Someone suffocates her, then cuts off her hands, cuts words into her back and dumps her….what kind of sicko is this?" Danny asked.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Rora, I got a match in Missing Persons. Amber Jenkins age 19, student at NYU. She's from Maine. She was reported missing last week by her roommate at NYU." Don said.

"Okay, we need to speak with that roommate and get a positive ID. Have her come down here. I'll tell Mac and Danny." I said and hung up.

"Tell us what?" Danny asked.

"Flack got a possible match in Missing Persons. Amber Jenkins, a 19 year old NYU student went missing last week and was reported missing by her roommate." I said.

"Good possibility this is her." Hawkes said.

"Flack is having the roommate come down for a positive ID. Amber was from Maine so family will have to be notified if this is her." I said.

"I'll cover her except for her arms. Her roommate shouldn't see her like this." Sheldon said.

I walked upstairs and waited for Flack and the roommate to arrive. Sheldon was going to allow a private viewing of the body for ID.

"She should be here in a few minutes." Flack said.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Lori Katz." Flack said. "She was pretty shook up."

"I can imagine." I nodded.

A few minutes later Lori walked in.

"Miss Katz, I'm Detective Flack, we spoke on the phone. This is Detective Denton." Flack said.

"Hi Lori. Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

"Yes, I just don't know what to expect." She said.

"Detective Flack is going to pull back the curtain and in the other room you'll see a body. Just stay calm and look at the body and tell us if it's Amber or not." I said. "It's unpleasant but it'll only take a few seconds."

She nodded. Don pulled the curtain back.

"That's her…that's Amber." Lori started crying.

Don shut the curtain and called Danny and Mac to let them know we had a positive ID.

"Come on, let's go sit somewhere and talk." I said and led her from the room.

Mac and Danny met us in a reception area. Lori sat down.

"Lori, when was the last time you saw Amber?" I asked.

"Last weekend…there was this huge rave being held at some frat house…Amber was so excited to go." Lori said.

"Did you go to the rave with Amber?" Mac asked.

"No…I wasn't feeling well. I watched Amber get dressed up and leave. She never came home. After two days I called the police." Lori said.

"Do you know who Amber was hanging out with at the rave?" I asked.

"No…she didn't go with anyone in particular, she just wanted to meet people and have fun." Lori said.

"Was she aware that raves are illegal?" Danny asked.

"Yes, but during summer session there are raves a couple times a week." Lori said.

"Would Amber have been involved in drug use that often goes on at raves?" Flack asked.

"No…she just wanted to party was all." Lori said.

"Did Amber have a boyfriend?" I asked.

"Yes, but he is in the military, stationed in Alaska." Lori said.

"Rules him out." Danny said.

"You know of anyone Amber was having problems with? Anyone that would want to hurt her?" Mac asked.

"No…she had a lot of friends." Lori said.

"Do you know anyone else who was at this rave?" Danny asked.

"A few people." Lori said.

"We'll need their names." Flack said.

I walked out and Mac followed me.

"A college rave...should make for an interesting investigation." I sighed.

"A bunch of college kids doing something illegal and none of them willing to admit they were there." Mac said.

"Not just college kids. All kinds of people show up to these things anymore." I said.

"You going to contact her family?" Mac asked.

"Yeah…Flack can canvas NYU with you." I said.

(Station)

"Did you find anything at NYU?" I asked.

"Everyone who admits to being at the rave all says they didn't see Amber. They all claim they don't know what happened to her." Flack said.

"They're probably telling the truth. I mean hundreds of people partying; it's hard to keep track of people." I said.

"How'd it go with her folks?" Flack asked.

"They took it pretty hard. They are making arrangements for her body to be flown back to Maine as soon as possible." I said.

"Whoever killed Amber, left little evidence behind." Flack said.

"This case is bugging me…something isn't right. I feel like I am missing something." I said.

"You're just frustrated…come on. I'll buy you a drink. It's getting late." Don said.

I nodded and followed him out of the station.

(Three Days Later)

"Aurora, we got a call. Dead body found in Manhattan…found near a community pool." Flack said.

"Male or female?" I asked and followed him out of the station.

"Unknown at this time. Apparently the caller was screaming and dispatch barely made sense of any of it." Don said.

Don and I drove out to Manhattan to the little activities park where the pool was located. We walked to where the body was. It was a gruesome sight. The head of the body had been skinned; all that was left was a skull with eyes, attached to a body. The rest of the body was nude.

"Don, do you think this is connected to Amber Jenkins?" I asked.

"I dunno…but it's worth a look. I'm calling Mac." Don said.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. I knew in my gut this case was related to Amber Jenkins from three days ago.

"They're on their way." Flack said.

"Don…I think we have a serial killer on our hands." I said.

"Me too. In three days we've found two girls, both dumped, both in found naked, both had body parts cut away." Flack said.

"With this level of brutality…he'll only get worse." I said.

"Some days I hate this job." Don said.

Don and I looked around and questioned a few by-standers. Finally Mac and Danny arrived.

"This is a bad as Flack said." Mac said looking at the scene.

"We think we're dealing with a serial killer. This case seems similar to Amber Jenkins." I said.

"Summer brings out the weird ones." Danny said.

"At least we can print her." Mac said.

Danny started snapping pictures.

"None of her belongings are in the area. No one knows anything. Apparently she was dumped last night and the first people in the park this morning found her." I said.

"Whoever cut the skin away from her face had some anatomical knowledge. That is a pretty clean job." Mac said.

"No obvious cause of death. Hawkes will have to tell us that." Danny said.

"Can you tell her age?" I asked Mac.

"Hawkes will have to do x-rays to be sure, but a guess…I'd say 20ish." Mac said.

(Morgue)

"Sheldon, what do you have for us?" Danny asked as we walked into the morgue.

"I was able to print her." He said and handed prints to Danny.

"Could you tell what killed her?" I asked.

"Her neck was broken, can't tell how yet." Hawkes said.

"Any signs of sexual assault?" Mac asked.

"Rape kit showed nothing." Sheldon said.

"What about the damage to her face?" Danny asked.

"Post-mortem. But I agree with Mac, whoever did this knew what they were doing. The skin was removed with clean precision and the muscle was removed from the face as well. It's not sloppy either." Sheldon said.

"How old is she?" I asked.

"From the fusion of her bones, I'd say 21." Hawkes said.

"Close in age to Amber Jenkins." I said.

"But she was killed differently." Mac said.

"Maybe we can get something from her prints." Danny said.

"Run them through AFIS." Mac said.

"Could you tell what was used to cut on her face?" I asked.

"I'd say a scalpel…something very precise." Sheldon said.

"Call me when you ID her." I said and walked out of the morgue.

I went back to the station and sat at my desk for awhile. Something about this case just wasn't sitting well with me.

I sat at my desk and before I realized it an hour had passed and my cell phone was ringing.

"Denton."

"Prints were in AFIS on our Jane Doe." Danny said. "She's Rachel Timmons, age 21. And you'll never believe this. She's a student at NYU."

"Son of a bitch. They are connected." I sat up. "Where is she from?"

"Jersey."

"What was she in the system for?" I asked.

"Assault…got in a fight last year." Danny said.

"I'll get Flack and we're headed to NYU to find out what we can." I said.

"Rora, you okay?"

"Yeah…just frustrated you know? Someone is mutilating these poor girls." I said.

"We'll get him." Danny said. "I'll contact her family."

"I'll let you know what we find out." I said and hung up. "Don, we gotta roll."

On the ride to NYU, I filled Don in on what Danny had told me. He agreed that we were dealing with a serial killer.

When we arrived at NYU, we went to the registrar's office and found out where Rachel Timmons had lived on campus. We walked across campus and found her dorm room.

"NYPD." I knocked on the door.

The door opened and a girl peeked her head out. "Can I help you?"

"We were told Rachel Timmons lived here?" I said.

"Yeah, but she's not here now. I am her roommate." She said.

"We need to speak with you." Flack said. "I'm Detective Flack this is my partner Detective Denton."

"What has Rachel done now?" she asked.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but Rachel was found murdered this morning." I said.

"She's dead…what happened?" she asked.

"What's your name? How long you lived with Rachel?" Flack asked.

"My name's Jessica Lyons. We lived together for about a year." She said.

"When was the last time you saw Rachel?" I asked.

"Sunday night." She said.

"Why didn't you report her missing?" Flack asked.

"She and I hadn't been getting along I thought she was purposely staying away." Jessica said.

"What were you two fighting about?" I asked.

"Lovers quarrel." Jessica said.

"Okay, so did Rachel say what her plans were when she left?" Flack asked.

"Some big rave across campus." Jessica said.

Flack and I looked at each other.

"Did she go to a lot of raves this summer?" I asked.

"Every one she could. Two a week here lately." Jessica said.

"Did you know of anyone who would want to hurt Rachel? Did she have any enemies?" Flack asked.

"None that I know of." She said.

"Was this the rave held in the frat house?" I asked.

"No, this was a rave held in the old gym that is scheduled to be torn down. Police busted it up around midnight." Jessica said.

"Thanks." I said. "We'll call if we need anything else."

Don and I walked out of the building.

"Another rave…these girls are disappearing from raves and getting murdered." I said.

"Whoever our killer is, he knows when the raves are and is picking up girls there." Flack said.

"We need to get in one of those raves." I said.

"We do. We could go to one, go in undercover and look around." Don said.

"You think that would work?" I asked.

"It's worth a shot. Girls are being taken from there…it'd be our best chance to blend in and look around." Don said.

"Sounds good, we'll get Mac and Danny to keep an eye on things outside…could work." I said. "Now you go find out when the next rave is."

"Me? How am I supposed to find out?" Flack protested

"With those pretty eyes and sexy smile…waltz up to some girl turn on the charm and ask!" I smiled.

"Are you serious?" Flack asked.

"Yeah…just take off your tie and jacket…untuck your shirt…you don't want to look suspicious." I said.

Don sighed and handed me his tie and jacket, gun and badge. He untucked his shirt.

"Now where do I find a girl to ask?" Don sighed.

"Let's head to one of the classroom buildings." I said.

Don and I walked and found a building of classrooms.

"In you go. Have fun." I smiled.

Don raised an eyebrow but walked into the building and I stayed outside and waited. Less than five minutes later he walked back out.

"Tomorrow night, sorority house of the Chi Omega's." Flack said.

"That was fast." I said.

"I sat down in some computer lab next to a real dork. She was so happy I talked to her I think she pissed her pants. But she knew when the rave was." Flack said.

I handed him his things. "Let's go."

(TPPOV)

(The Rave)

Aurora was changing in the back of a police van, getting ready for the rave. She and Don were going to pose as a college couple and go into the rave. Danny and Mac were going to hang around outside and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Don and Aurora had both decided to dress like college kids at a rave and blend in as best they could.

"Don, you look…different." Danny said.

"I got so much goop in my hair." Don laughed. "The things we do to save lives huh?"

"I hope this works." Danny said.

Flack was wearing jeans, a tight black sleeveless shirt, and had spiked his hair. He and Danny were going over a few things while waiting on Aurora to get dressed.

Finally Aurora climbed out of the van. She was wearing her hair down, but had put temporary streaks of pink in it. She was wearing an extremely short skirt that had two ruffles barely below her butt. And a white short t-shirt that bared her stomach. She had on heeled sandals.

"I'm ready for the rave." She said and walked up to the guys.

Danny and Don both stared.

"Wow, Rora you should wear that to work more often." Don smiled.

"Yeah, that would go over well." She rolled her eyes. "I'll be back; I need to talk to Mac."

Aurora walked to where Mac was looking over the hill to the sorority house. The rave was already in full swing.

When she was out of hearing distance, Flack leaned over to Danny. "See what I mean. Don't you just want to wrap her legs around your waist?"

Danny stared at Aurora talking to Mac. "You have no idea."

"Looking like that, college guys are gonna hit on her left and right." Don said.

"They're not her type…besides isn't she supposed to be your girlfriend?" Danny mumbled still staring.

Aurora walked back over to the guys.

Rora put her arm around Don. "Well 'boyfriend' ready for this?"

"Yes." Danny said. They looked at him. "I mean Don is ready to go find what he can."

"Don, I love your hair like that. You look great, really." Aurora smiled.

"So do you…seriously…'my girlfriend'." Don winked at her and she snuggled on his arm laughing.

"Maybe Rora going in isn't such a good idea. I mean girls from these raves are being murdered." Danny said. "Maybe Don and I should go…we could pass for two college guys looking to score some action."

"No, really I'll be fine. I have Don with me. And with me being female, someone might approach me or something that can clue us in. Besides, it's my job. I gotta do what I can to keep other girls from being murdered." She said.

"Well maybe we should both go with you…" Danny started.

"Danny, she is a trained officer and she can handle herself. Besides, I need you out here with me to watch things." Mac stepped in.

Danny sighed but nodded.

"Okay Flack, neither of you is armed; keep a close watch on Aurora. If anything gets too suspicious or dangerous both of you get out of there." Mac said.

"You got it." Don said and wrapped an arm around Aurora. "Ready girlfriend?"

"Yes dear." She laughed.

Aurora and Don linked hands and took off down the hill to the rave. Mac and Danny watched them walk away.

"If they were a real couple and she was dressed like that…five minutes he'd have her in a corner and that skirt hiked up." Mac said.

Danny did a double take.

Aurora and Don walked into the rave. Music was blaring and there were people everywhere. Couples lined up against the wall making out, people dancing, and others doing drugs.

Don pulled Aurora tight against him as they walked through the party. Both smiled at other people.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary." Don said in her ear.

"Me either. Let's just be patient." She said.

Don put an arm around her waist and she laid her head on his shoulder. They walked around a bit more, making their way through the crowd. They still saw nothing suspicious. Don held tight to her.

"Maybe we should dance…blend in a bit." She suggested.

"Okay, you watch one way and I'll watch the other." Don said and pulled her towards the makeshift dance floor.

Aurora and Don started dancing, both keeping an eye out. He kept both hands on her waist and she held to his neck. To the casual observer they were any college couple grinding on the dance floor.

The music changed to a more techno sounding stuff. Aurora pulled herself tighter against Don and changed her grinding to match the beat of the music. Don groaned and leaned in and kissed her.

She let him for a few seconds then pulled back and stared at him.

"For effect." He smiled.

She laughed and leaned her head against his neck.

Don and Aurora stayed another hour dancing and walking around the rave before they gave up. They walked out of the sorority house and started up the hill.

"You got me excited, now you have to finish it." Flack winked.

She laughed. "Yeah right. You're on your own."

They walked up to Mac and Danny who were still watching from the top of the hill.

"What happened in there?" Danny asked.

"We didn't see anything out of the ordinary." Flack said.

"Neither did we. Maybe our guy just didn't hit this rave." Mac said.

"We should head back." Flack said.

"Aurora, you might want to cover up now." Mac said.

(Station)

Don was getting ready to shower to get the gunk out of his hair. Danny was finishing changing clothes into fresh ones.

"So what happened inside the rave?' Danny asked.

Flack raised an eyebrow. "You know the usual...college girls wearing next to nothing. Dancing and drinking. I wanted to make a few drug busts, but couldn't because it wasn't what we were there for."

"Any girls come on to you?" Danny asked.

Don shrugged. "No, not really. I think they stayed away because Rora was with me the whole time."

"Was she a good girlfriend?" Danny asked.

"Yeah I guess so…I was busy keeping an eye out." Don said.

Danny made a face and walked out of the locker room. He walked to Aurora's desk. She was still wearing her rave outfit despite Mac thinking she should change. It was late and no one else was around. Danny stared at her until she looked up and saw him.

She smiled. "Hey Danny."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Just trying to figure out this case." She said.

"So what happened inside that rave?" Danny asked.

"I was actually pretty scared going in. I mean girls from these are being murdered. But Don didn't let go of me the whole time which made me feel better." She said.

Danny rolled his eyes. "So Don stuck pretty close huh?"

"Yeah…I was glad too." She said.

"So other than holding on to you, did you two do any other play acting?" Danny asked.

"We danced. As usual I was grinding. We had a quick kiss. Then Don started joking that I'd gotten him excited and had to finish it." She laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes again. "You know, I am starting to feel left out here. Flack getting all the action." He joked.

Aurora smiled and stood up she came over and hugged him. "Don't worry Danny. Next time I go under cover, you can be my boyfriend and I'll grind against you."

"Really? I think I could find us a case." Danny winked.

"You're so cute." She smiled.

"It's getting late. Flack is showering. You gonna change and head home…not that I mind this outfit." Danny smirked. "I wouldn't mind taking you home in that outfit."

She laughed at him.

"I just wish we'd made more progress with this case…I am so frustrated. Two girls killed and with this level of violence, I doubt these are his first victims….." she suddenly stopped.

"Rora?"

"Oh my god Danny. These aren't his first victims. He's too skilled and comfortable with what he's doing for these to be his first." She said.

"But we don't have any similar victims." Danny said.

"Do you realize why these two are getting so much attention?" she asked. Danny shook his head. "They're white…and college students from good families."

"I don't follow." Danny said.

"Who is the easiest victims and the ones that when killed or reported missing police often ignore?" she asked.

"Hookers." Danny said.

"Exactly…I bet we look back through some dead prostitute cases, and missing hookers we'll find a pattern." She said.

"It's possible." Danny said.

"Karen Armstrong, Melanie Anderson…son of bitch." She yelled and started rifling papers on her desk.

"Rora what is it?" Danny asked.

"I have two unsolved hooker cases on my desk. One of which was mutilated. I just now put it together." She said and picked up the folders.

**To Be Continued…**


	20. Summer Madness Part 2

(5:00AM)

"Aurora, have you been here all night?" Mac asked.

I was crouched down in the records room going over cases from the past year finding ones that fit the pattern of the dead college girls.

"In the past 8 months there has been 7 prostitutes found dead with different kinds of mutilation." I said.

"I wonder why no pattern was picked up?" Mac frowned.

"All the women were found in different areas and all were mutilated in different ways. And how many times is hooker murders really looked into?" I asked.

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?" Mac asked.

"Seven prostitutes dead…Karen Armstrong makes eight and no one bothered to look into anything." I said. "I ought to go on the news screaming."

"You'll get things done come hell or high water, won't you?" Mac half-smiled. "You must be exhausted. You haven't even changed from the rave yet."

"I'm fine. Danny gave me his jacket before he went to grab a few hours of sleep. I had to find out about this case." I said.

"Give me the files of the other mutilated girls." Mac said. "I'll go over them and make a list of people we should start questioning."

"Mac, there are at least 20 prostitutes that have been reported missing in the past 8 months….that means lots more are missing, because rarely are they reported missing." I said.

"We could be dealing with a bigger case than any of us realized." Mac sighed.

"Look at these women." I said and handed him the folders. "Some had their feet cut off. Some had patches of skin removed. And several of them had their genitals cut off. Karen Armstrong had that done." I said.

"Any other connections?' Mac asked.

"All the prostitutes were killed with rat poison in a hamburger. Just like Karen Armstrong." I said.

"But the college girls weren't poisoned." Mac said.

"I know. Most likely the hookers went with the killer willingly. Thinking he was just another john." I said. "You know as well as I do that lots of those street walkers are practically starving…"

"And would've gladly accepted a meal." Mac finished my thought.

"I am still not sure how he got Amber and Rachel. Chances are they didn't go willingly and wouldn't eat. That's why he killed them differently." I said.

"Why switch his type of victim?" Mac asked.

"I'm not sure. But I've heard that when there is a particularly violent john, after a while the hookers know who he is and avoid him. Maybe the prostitutes have figured something out and quit going with him." I said.

"We need to question some of the city's working girl." Mac said.

"When Flack gets in, he and I can do that together." I said and looked down at myself and laughed. "I'll have to change before that or I might be mistaken as one of the hookers."

Mac raised an eyebrow but smiled. "You might want to change so some of the men around here actually get work done."

"Okay, I am going to shower and change. Go over those files and let me know what you think." I said.

Mac nodded. I brushed past him and hurried to the locker room. I was surprised that I wasn't tired. I realized how important finding this killer was. I also had an uneasy feeling that we were getting in for more than we'd bargained.

I showered, washing the pink streaks out of my hair. I changed into jeans and a t-shirt and walked to find Mac. It was still too early for Flack to be in yet.

Mac was in his office.

"I knew you'd be here. I poured you a cup of coffee." Mac said.

"Thanks…what do you think?" I asked.

"This killer collects things from his victims." Mac said.

"What bothers me is he seems to have a sexual motivation, I mean he dumps them naked and he cuts away their female parts. But yet none of these women were raped or had any signs of sexual contact." I said.

"Most killers who want to de-sex women cut out the uterus…this guy cuts away the labia, clitoris and vagina…I've never seen this before." Mac sighed.

"I don't think this guy is going to fit in any profile. We seem to be dealing with an original, one of a kind." I said.

"And whoever he is…he has some medical knowledge. These bodies were cut up with some precision and knowledge. This isn't random mutilation. He knows which body parts he wants and knows how to remove them." Mac said.

I nodded. "He's killing at a fast pace too. Few serial killers kill this fast."

"This means we got to get him off the streets as soon as we can." Mac said.

"Flack should be getting here soon. We'll go around and talk to some of the city's hookers. See what they know or are willing to tell us." I said.

I walked downstairs and sat at my desk. Danny walked in carrying coffee and doughnuts.

"What is all this?" I asked.

"I knew you'd be here all night. So I brought you breakfast." Danny smiled.

"You didn't have to…"

"I wanted to. You can't get so wrapped up in this case that you forget to eat." Danny said.

"Thank you." I sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you and Don sometimes."

Danny sat down beside my desk and handed me a cup of coffee. "You frustrated?'

"Yes…I am so angry that no one paid more attention to these women being murdered. If we'd caught the pattern earlier we could've saved some of these girls." I sighed.

Danny laid his hand over mine. "I know you, I know how you work. You'll figure this out and save other girls. Like Mac says, 'it's all connected'." Danny said.

"I hope so." I said and leaned over and put my head on his shoulder. It felt good just to relax for a minute.

Mac walked in and cleared his throat. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "I'm sending for all the evidence collected from these cases. Going over everything with a fine tooth comb. Danny and Aiden will be working on it with me. You and Flack let me know everything you find out."

"You got it." I said.

Mac walked off.

"I better get to the lab." Danny said and hugged me again. "We'll get this guy Rora."

I nodded and watched him walk away.

Don and I walked into the homeless shelter I'd visited a few weeks earlier with Vicaro. It was still early and they were serving breakfast.

"We should speak with the people who run the place. Let them know what's up. See if they know anything." I said.

Don nodded and followed me into the kitchen.

"NYPD. Sorry to bother you again. I was here a few weeks ago." I said.

"Of course detective. Have you found who killed Karen yet?" the manager asked.

"Not yet, but we've connected her death to several other murdered women." I said and handed her the list of names. "Do you know any of them?"

"Most of these girls came through here at one time or another. It's hard to keep track of them all. Some get arrested, some leave the city." She said.

"Have the prostitutes you get in here mentioned being afraid of somebody in particular lately?" Flack asked.

"They've mentioned something about a guy in a pick-up truck." She said.

"Thank you. We'll be around, talking to some of the girls." I said.

We walked out and looked around.

"A guy in a pick-up truck. That's half of New York state." Don sighed.

"Maybe we can get something better than that." I said and spotted the hookers I had talked to a few weeks earlier.

I walked over to them and brought Flack with me. "Good morning. Remember me; I was here a few weeks ago. This is my partner I was telling you about, Detective Don Flack. He's a lot nicer than that other asshole that was with me."

"We'd like to ask you some more questions." Flack said.

"Like last time, this is all conversation. We don't need your names or anything, just point us in a direction." I said.

Flack laid down the list of names. "You know any of these girls? We think they were killed by the same person who killed Karen Armstrong."

The girls looked at the names and at each other and didn't say anything.

"Come on ladies. If you're afraid of someone, we can take them off the streets but you have to help us." I said and picked up the list of names. "Janelle Dittus, she was found with her feet cut off and her female area mutilated. Raelynn Petrovich was found with her lips and breasts cut off. Lacey Stevens, she was found with her calves cut away. Holly Junk, she was found with one arm cut off and her female area mutilated too. Ladies, you've got to know something."

"You ever heard of a pig farm outside the city?" one finally said.

"No, tell us about it." Flack said.

"You go there, you don't come back. That old man is strange." She said.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Don't know his name…he drives a green pick up an old one." She said.

"How do you know about him?" I asked.

"Word gets around. One of us sees him pick up a girl…she don't come back." Another said.

"Can you tell us anything else about him?" I asked.

"I heard he stinks…and has long black hair that's matted to his head." One said.

"Anything else? About the guy or his truck?" Flack asked.

"No. But I hear he offers double what we ask and to get the girl a meal." One said.

I glanced at Flack; that would explain the hamburgers.

"Do you know where this farm is?" I asked.

"No…he just tells the girl to get in they're headed to his farm outside of town." She said.

"And none of the girls that go with him come back?" I asked.

"Nope, I knew Lacey Stevens…she never came back." One said.

"Thank you…if you think of anything else or see this man again, will you call one of us? Don and me will keep it off the record." I said.

Don and I stood up and walked away.

"Is it me or is this case getting weirder?" I asked.

"It is…summer always brings out the crazies." Don sighed.

"I'll call Mac. I want him to look for registered owners of older model green pick-ups and cross reference that with who owns farms outside the city." I said and picked up my phone.

"Aurora, we got a hit when we cross-matched vehicle registrations with property owners." Mac said. "Harold Genott, age 53. He owns a 78 green ford pick-up and has a farm outside the city."

"Let's call him down here, have him come in for questioning." Flack said.

"Let's hope he volunteers. Because we don't have any evidence to get a warrant." Mac said.

"Nothing from the other cases?" I asked.

"This killer is washing the bodies well before dumping them." Mac said.

"I'll contact Harold Genott." Flack said.

"I wish we had more to go on." I said. "With no forensics…all we have is the word of some hookers. And they won't give their names." I sighed.

"Let's talk to Genott and see where that goes. Hang in there." Mac said.

I nodded as Mac walked away.

"Aurora Dawn, earth to Mrs. Batista." Don interrupted my thoughts.

"What, oh sorry. I was thinking about the case." I said.

"I said that Genott agreed to come down and talk to us. But he sounds strange." Flack said.

"He doesn't have a police record." I said.

"Are you okay?" Don asked.

"I was just thinking about these girls…how much they suffered in life just to suffer the indignity of being mutilated in death." I said. "And these poor college girls who were just wrong place, wrong time."

"If this farmer guys is the killer, how did he know when a rave was going on?" Flack said.

"I don't know…but I intend to ask him when he gets here." I said.

Don and I grabbed a quick lunch while we waited for Harold Genott to arrive. I kept wondering what this guy would be like.

"That has to be him." Don said. I followed his eyes and there stood the strangest looking man I'd ever seen.

Harold Genott was wearing untied work boots, torn pants and a ragged sweater despite the fact it was July. His hair was long and shaggy and looked like it hadn't been washed or combed since Truman was president.

"Those girls weren't lying." I said. "Take him to an interrogation room. I'll get Mac."

I hurried to the lab. Mac and Danny were in the lab, looking through evidence.

"Mac, Genott just walked in. Flack is taking him to interrogation and…he's quite interesting looking." I said.

"I'll go down now. I want to see this guy and talk to him." Mac said and hung up his lab coat.

"I'll be right there." I said as Mac walked out.

"How's it going Danny?" I asked.

"I wish we had more to go on." Danny said.

"I know, but we're doing all we can." I smiled.

"Whatever happened to your outfit from last night?" Danny smirked.

"It's in my locker to be washed at laundry time." I laughed.

Danny walked over and hung up his lab coat. "You going to wear it again sometime?"

I laughed. "If I do, I'll let you know." I said.

"Come on. I want to see this Genott guy. I'll go watch you interrogate." Danny said.

We walked down to the station. I walked to the back rooms where Mac and Flack were talking with Genott. We looked through the one-way glass.

"Whoa…how did that guy get hookers? I thought even they had their limits." Danny said.

"He freaks me out Danny." I said. "But I got to go in there."

I took a deep breath and walked into the interrogation room. Genott looked up and saw me.

"What's she doing here?' he screamed and jumped out of his seat.

"Mr. Genott, sit down!" Mac yelled.

"Stay back!" Genott yelled and threw the table. "Stay away! I must pray for cleansing!"

Genott kept screaming. Mac and Flack moved to subdue him.

"She's dirty! Keep her away!" Genott yelled.

"Aurora, get out of here!" Mac yelled.

I stood stunned and was suddenly dragged out from behind. Danny slammed the interrogation room door shut.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I dunno. He just wigged out when you walked in." Danny said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…just startled." I said.

I looked through the glass and saw Don handcuffing Genott while Mac held hi down. Both of them trying to get him to calm down.

"I don't get it. That guy seemed scared to death of you. Have you ever seen him before?" Danny asked.

"I never saw him before. I am confused too." I said.

"But you're sure you're okay?" Danny asked and looked me up and down.

"Yeah…nothing hit me or anything. It was just weird." I said.

Danny hugged me. "You sure?'

"Yeah…thanks for pulling me out of there. I kinda froze." I said.

"I didn't know what to expect, I had to get you out of there." Danny said.

Genott was still screaming as Mac and Flack pulled him up from the ground.

"Do you think the psychiatrist will be able to find something out?' I asked Mac.

"We had no other choice; we had to call him in. We couldn't let Genott go. He's a danger to himself and other people acting like he was." Mac said.

"What I don't understand is what made this guy freak out. I mean he takes one looks at Aurora and starts screaming like a wild man." Flack said.

"And the guy reeks too. I smelled the stench the minute I walked into the room." I said.

"He smells worse than anything I've ever smelled." Flack said. "After we got him restrained, I went and showered."

"This doesn't make any sense. This guy frequents prostitutes yet looks at Aurora and wigs out? I mean it's almost like he was afraid of her." Danny said.

"We'll have to see what the psychiatrist says. In the meantime, we still don't have enough for a warrant to his place." Mac said.

"You still think this is our guy?" Danny asked.

"There has to be a reason the prostitutes are afraid of him and are saying if you go with him you don't come back." I said. "But I am bothered by why he was afraid of me. I wasn't going to hurt him; I didn't look or act threatening. I had barely stepped into the room."

We waited a few minutes for the psychiatrist used by the NYPD arrived. He was a former FBI agent and criminal profiler. Mac had explained to him the situation of what we were investigating, what led us to Genott and his reaction upon seeing me

When he arrived he ushered him to the interrogation room where Genott had been strapped to a chair. Mac, Flack, Danny and me stood and watched.

"Mr. Genott, good afternoon. I'm Dr. Carmen. I'd like to speak with you a while." He said.

"Where's that girl?" Genott asked.

"What girl?"

"The one that was in here earlier…she is dirty….sinful thoughts." Genott said.

"She's a detective and she's not here right now." Dr. Carmen said. "But let's talk about her for a minute. Why did you react so violently when she walked in?"

"She's dirty. Women are sinful…they're all the same." Genott said.

"What has Detective Denton done that was so sinful?" Carmen asked.

"All women are sinful. They lead to sin. Dirty whores!" Genott said.

"What is sinful about women? Do they harm you in some way?" Dr. Carmen asked.

"Women are sinful. They seduce men into sex…that's sinful. Must pray for forgiveness." Genott said.

"Who first taught you that women were sinful?" Dr. Carmen asked.

"Mother…mother taught me that girls are sinful. Girls make little boys do naughty things. Must pray!" Genott was starting to chant. "Females cause sins of the flesh. Pray for absolution."

"Tell me more about your mother." Carmen said.

"Mother taught me to stay away from girls. She used to pray with me to help me avoid sin. I used to pray with her for dad to die." Genott said.

"Why did you pray for your father to die?" Carmen asked.

"She made him sinful. He made her sinful. They had a child." Genott said.

"Married couples often have children, it's not considered sinful." Carmen said.

"No, it was sinful." Genott insisted.

"Because they had sex to conceive a child?" Carmen asked.

"Sinful, should not have done that." Genott said.

"So you view all sex as sinful?" Dr. Carmen asked.

"Causes the mind to wander. Women make men think. Women want men to do things do them." Genott said.

"This guy is really sick." Flack whispered.

"Have you ever been with a girl…a nice girl perhaps?" Dr. Carmen asked.

"No, no girls. Women are bad." Genott said.

"Do you know Janelle Dittus, Raelynn Petrovich, Lacey Stevens, or Karen Armstrong?" Dr. Carmen asked.

"Dirty whores!" Genott yelled.

"Did you know them?" Carmen asked.

"They spread sin…did dreadful deeds." Genott said and pulled at his restraints.

"What about Amber Jenkins and Rachel Tomkins?" Dr. Carmen asked.

"Parties, sinful parties full of sex." Genott yelled.

"He did it!" I said. "He just admitted where they went missing from, we haven't released to anyone that both girls went missing from raves."

"That's enough for a warrant, I'll call the judge." Flack said and got out his cell phone.

"So you knew these women? Do you know where they are now?" Carmen asked.

"Heaven, I sent them to heaven so they wouldn't sin anymore." Genott screamed.

"Thank you for speaking with me." Carmen said and stood up. He walked out of the interrogation room.

"That's your guy, no doubt about it." Dr. Carmen said.

"We're calling a judge for warrants to search his property now." I said.

"So what's his deal?" Danny asked.

"Apparently since he was a child, his mother has filled his head with the thought that women are sinful, sex is sinful and to avoid it at all costs." Dr. Carmen said.

"But he picked up hookers. That isn't avoiding sex, that's looking for it." I said.

"Despite his mother's teachings…Genott is obsessed with sex. But cannot bring himself to commit the act. By mutilating these women, he is intimate with them in a way that in his mind is not sinful." Carmen said. "Many young boys raised with such a strong belief against sex lean towards necrophilia acts to reach a sexual climax."

"That's why all mutilation to the women was done post-mortem." Mac said.

"So he picks up hookers, kills them and mutilates them for his own weird sexual purposes." I said.

"Why did he flip out when Aurora walked in there?" Danny asked.

"Hookers he saw as sinful women he could save. He knew when he picked them up he would kill them. Detective Denton scared him for some reason known only to him. Maybe it was because he wasn't expecting a female officer. Maybe it was because he couldn't kill her and save her like he thinks he does other women." Carmen said.

"We got our warrant." Flack said.

"Great, let's get out to that farm of his and go over it with a fine tooth comb. I want nothing left unchecked." Mac said.

"Detectives, don't be surprised if you find out there were more victims than you originally anticipated." Dr. Carmen said. "This guy has been alone on that farm a long time…chances are there are more dead girls."

"I am starting to feel like I am in House of 1000 Corpses. All I need is Rob Zombie singing in the background." I sighed.

"And another thing. No matter what you find that proves Harold Genott's guilt, you can't try him for these murders. I truly feel he's legally insane. I am calling Bellevue Mental Hospital now and having him admitted for more tests and evaluation." Dr. Carmen said.

I rode with Flack and we followed behind Mac and Danny as we pulled up on the farm outside the city. The place looked old and like no repairs or upkeep had been done in several years. The grass was high, about to our knees.

"This looks straight out of a horror movie." I said.

"I never thought I'd get a case like this." Flack said and we stepped out of the SUV.

"Flack, you come with me into the main house." Mac said. "Danny, you and Aurora take that barn out back."

Danny came up beside me and we started around the back of the house to the barn. The sun was starting to set.

"You smell that?" I asked.

"Yeah, something is dead." Danny said.

"With this guy, it's probably another girl." I sighed. "Smell is definitely coming from the barn."

"Cover your nose and mouth before we go in." Danny said and handed me a handkerchief.

I nodded and covered my nose and mouth. Danny did the same and opened the door to the barn. We both stepped back and started gagging.

Inside was a headless woman, hanging upside down. She had been skinned like an animal and had been hanging there several days. The smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming and flies were buzzing about.

"I have never seen anything like this." Danny said.

"Damn, this summer heat is making it worse." I said.

"We can't investigate the barn without masked suits. Too many germs and the smell is too strong." Danny said and put an arm around me. "Let's head to the main house, see what Mac and Don found."

We walked to the main house and stepped inside. It was like stepping into a house of horrors. There were bones on the floor and dried skin hanging like curtains.

"Oh my god." I said and turned to Danny. He wrapped his arm around me.

"It's okay. We got the guy, now we have to get all the evidence so these girls have justice." Danny said.

I nodded and took a deep breath. We walked into the kitchen where Mac and Don were staring into the fridge.

"What's in there?" Danny asked.

"Different body parts. A few brains, two hearts, a kidney, three livers." Mac said.

"Jeffrey Dahmer." Danny said.

"What'd you find in the barn?" Don asked.

"A headless woman, hung and skinned like wild game." I said.

"We're gonna need suits and masks to go through that." Danny said.

"From the looks of things in here. He's killed a lot more than ten girls." Mac said.

"We'll look around the rest of the house." Danny said and pulled me with him.

We walked towards the back bedroom and looked inside. The room seemed normal.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked.

"I'm fine. Just...no amount of training in the world could've prepared me for this." I said. "I feel like I am in some horror movie."

"I know how you feel. This house makes me think of Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Danny said.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to watch that movie again." I said and started looking through drawers.

Danny started looking through the closet. "Needless to say we got enough to keep him locked up now. Here are books on anatomy. He must have studied them enough to know how to cut the bodies and such."

"This is worse than House of a 1000 Corpses." I sighed.

"I never saw that movie. Heard it was strange." Danny said.

"Now you don't have to see it. You're living it." I said and opened a drawer. "Oh shit!"

I backed away.

"What is it?" Danny asked and looked. "Fuck, that is nasty."

In the drawer I'd just opened was shoe box full of vaginas and labia's. I thought I would vomit, so I leaned against Danny.

"He was collecting them." Danny said. "This is seriously the most fucked on, I'm taking you outside to get some fresh air."

I stood in the front yard of the old farmhouse, watching as Mac carried out a few boxes of evidence. He said it would take several days to get all the evidence boxed up and a long time to process everything and find out how many victims there was exactly.

Despite the heat of July, I felt myself shiver looking at the house, knowing what went on there.

"You gonna be okay?" Don asked.

"I'm fine, just fine." I said.

"I just talked to Dr. Carmen…he says the more time he spends with Genott the more he believes Genott was driven insane by his mother's religious teachings against women." Flack said.

"All this and we can't even prosecute the bastard." I said.

"He's off the streets now. He can't hurt any other women." Don said.

I nodded. "It's going to be a long time before we can notify all the families. Media is going to be all over this."

"Mac is taking care of that." Flack said.

Flack walked back into the house where Mac was still carrying out boxes.

Danny walked up to me and wrapped his coat around me. "You're shivering."

"Just a nervous response." I said.

"You're doing great. They don't train us for this; even Mac isn't sure what to do. You're handling this well. I'm proud of you." Danny said.

"Because I didn't lose my cookies?"

"Because you didn't give up on this case, and you were willing to do anything to find this guy. Because of you hookers have one less john to worry about and women all over NYC are safer…and these victims will be able to have proper burials and justice." Danny said and hugged me.

"Thanks…I just wish something was done sooner before so many women died." I said.

"We're going to change that." Mac said. "You were right, a pattern should've been picked up faster…and because the victims were mostly hookers no one investigated as hard as they should have. Next meeting of top brass, I am making them aware of the situation and showing them the consequences of poor investigating."

"Will that be enough?" I asked.

"I am also making a report of all the officers who failed to do their job with the deaths of the other women and giving it to the city commissioner. We can't afford officers who don't care about victims." Mac said.

I hugged him. "Thank you."

"When we're done here, I am taking you home. You need to rest." Danny said.

I nodded and leaned against him. "What made Genott do this?"

"I don't know. His crazy mother teaches all women are sinful. Genott becomes obsessed with sex but can't bring himself to touch a live woman. So he turns to killing them…he gets a sexual charge from mutilating them and keeping parts of them. And in his mind, he saves their souls." Danny shook his head. "He's hold up out here on this farm, no one bothers him. He has his own little demented world."

"Guess Don was right…summer does bring out all the crazies." I sighed.


	21. Life Ended Too Soon

_Dybdahl- It's funny you mentioned that, it comes into play pretty soon. Thanks for the review! Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_LizfromItaly- I enjoyed your review and thank you for all your nice comments. I might have messed up that line you mentioned. I was going for him cracking a joke. Don't want to say more because I might give away future events. LOL_

_Meadow567- Have you calmed down from Kylah yet? LOL I've actually never seen the Waterboy. I based that killer on like 3 real ones._

_Jordayna- I dunno if this will help or not, but I hope you like it anyways! _

_BridgetLynn- Being a profiler would be interesting. And sit tight, things will happen in good time._

_Emador- Hey I warned you. And now you know kinda what Texas Chainsaw Massacre is like. LOL_

"We got a call. Trunk found in Grand Central Station contains a body." Don said.

"Great…can't murder take a day off?" I said. "Let's go."

Don and I walked out and climbed in an SUV and headed for Grand Central Station.

"Mac called this morning. He said they've managed to conclude that at least 10 women were found in Harold Genott's house and barn. Identifying them hasn't been so easy." I said.

"That case is a mess." Don said.

It'd been a week since we'd discovered the macabre in Genott's home. I had nightmares the first night but didn't tell anyone. That went away. Now I was the crime lab was focused on identifying victims and contacting families.

We arrived at Grand Central Station and were met by security.

"What's the deal with this trunk?" I asked.

"It was found early this morning, just sitting near the restrooms. A bunch of kids opened it and got the shock of a lifetime." Security said.

"Our CSI team is on the way." Don said. "Where are the kids that found it? I need to speak with them."

"There in the office with their parents." Security said.

"Did anyone else report seeing anything?" I asked. "Has anyone tried to claim the trunk? Do you know where it came from?"

"No, you can check the surveillance camera tapes." He said.

"Have those ready for our CSI squad." I said.

"I'm going to speak with the kids that found this. Stay here and wait for CSI." Don said and I nodded.

I looked around the trunk. There was little smell coming from it so I estimated the body hadn't been dead very long. In this July heat, bodies decayed quickly.

"What's the deal with the trunk?" Danny asked. He had just walked in with Aiden.

"It was abandoned here, security doesn't know when. A bunch of kids decided to be adventurous and got the shock of a lifetime. No more knowledge about the body inside. No one has touched anything." I said.

"That's good, we can dust for prints." Aiden said.

"Flack is speaking with the kids who opened the trunk now. And the surveillance tapes will be ready for you." I said.

Aiden started snapping off pictures while Danny got ready to dust for prints. Don walked back up to us.

"Anything from the kids?" I asked.

"They were just being curious. They aren't involved." Flack said.

"Explains the number of little fingerprints I am getting from the lid." Danny said.

"Who's in there?" Don asked.

"They haven't opened it yet." I said.

"We got an adult thumb print." Danny said. "On the handle."

"Run it through AFIS when we get back." I said.

"Gee Rora Dawn, I wouldn't have known that." Danny smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you'd be lost without me." I winked.

"Ready to open the trunk…I'll take pictures." Aiden said.

"Yeah, I got the print." Danny said and lifted the lid. "Oh god."

I looked and inside the trunk, crouched into a fetal position was a little girl. Danny and Don looked at me while Aiden snapped pictures.

"Aurora, you don't…"

"Don't even say it. I became a cop so I could prevent things like this from happening. And so I can get justice when it does happen. No one gets to pick and choose their cases and victims they get." I said.

"You heard her, let's process this so we can get the body to Hawkes." Danny said.

(Morgue)

Danny and I walked into the morgue together. Aiden was running the print Danny found through AFIS and Flack was looking through missing persons for a match on the little girl we found.

"Well Sheldon, what about our little Jane Doe?" I asked.

"I have as many questions as answers with this one." Hawkes said.

"Well tell us what you found out." Danny said.

"I printed her for you. I would estimate she was twelve years old. Seems well nourished." Sheldon said. "However, she was badly beaten before she was killed."

"What was the cause of death?" I asked.

"Blunt force trauma. She took a nasty blow to the head that crushed her skull. She's only been dead about 12 hours." He said.

"Any defense wounds?" Danny asked.

"No, whoever beat her, she let them." Hawkes sighed.

"Was she sexually assaulted?" I asked.

"I ran a rape kit, no fluids and her hymen was intact." Hawkes said. "But that leads to one of my questions. There was menstrual blood in her underwear, but no signs of a maxi pad."

"If she was 12, maybe it was her first period…she didn't know exactly what to do." I said.

"Don't they teach that in school in like kindergarten now?" Danny asked.

"No matter what they teach and cute brochures they give you…the first one always freaks you out." I said. "You just wouldn't understand."

"Another thing that doesn't make sense, I found these ace bandages wrapped around her upper body, and duck tape across her breasts." Hawkes said and showed us the tape he'd cut away from her and the bandages he'd unwrapped.

"What the hell?" Danny asked.

"She was trying to hide her breasts." I said. Sheldon and Danny both stared at me. "She's twelve and she's blossoming. That's a very awkward age. And 13 year old boys are the most annoying creatures ever. Lots of times when young girls are well developed the little boys discovering hormones take notice of that. Lots of girls this age hate being developed more than other girls their age and try to hide it."

"That makes sense." Hawkes said.

"How do you know all this?" Danny asked.

"I was a little girl in junior high once." I said.

"Were you an early bloomer?" Danny smirked.

"Don't worry about when I bloomed." I rolled my eyes.

"I bagged up her clothes, but they seem out of place." Hawkes said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well it's the middle of summer, hot as hell outside. She was dressed in a long sleeved dress that was as long as her ankles." Sheldon said.

I frowned. "We got to find out what was going on with this little girl."

"I'll see what Aiden got on the print from the trunk. I'll run her prints through AFIS and we'll analyze these clothes." Danny said.

(Station)

"Denton." I answered my cell phone.

"We got a hit on the little girl's prints. She was printed as a child for the protect-a-kid project." Danny said.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Samantha Tyler, age 12. She's from Long Island." Danny said.

"Flack and I will go speak with the family. Anything on the print from the trunk?"

"No, no match in AFIS. But we found some hairs on her clothes that didn't match her, so we're running DNA on them." Danny said.

"Let me know what you find. Don and I are headed to Long Island." I said and hung up.

"Flack, we're rolling to Long Island." I said. "We got an ID on the child and we need to speak with the family."

Don and I hopped in an SUV and drove to Long Island. We knocked on the door to the Tyler home for several moments before we finally got an answer. Finally a man answered the door.

"NYPD, I'm Detective Don Flack, this is my partner Detective Aurora Denton, we need to speak with you." Don said.

"What about?" he asked.

"Are you Samantha Tyler's father?" I asked.

He hesitated. "Yes, but Samantha is not home."

"We're sorry to tell you, but Samantha is dead. She was found murdered." I said.

"Then leave us to grieve in peace." He said and started to shut the door.

Flack put his foot in the door stopping him. "Not so fast we need to speak with you. We have some questions for you."

"I have nothing to say. Samantha is dead." He said.

"We can do this here or we can do this at the station." I said. I was confused by this man's reaction.

He finally held the door open. "Come in, but please be brief."

Flack and I walked in. "This guy isn't exactly a grieving father." I whispered.

"He is giving me the creeps." Don said.

We stopped in a small living room. It was set up like a classroom. There was a little girl reading at a desk.

"Tamara, go read in your room." Her dad said.

The little girl picked up her book and quietly walked to another room. I noticed she was wearing a long dress as well.

"Mr. Tyler, when was the last time you saw your daughter?" I asked.

"Last night when I put her to bed." He said.

"And you didn't notice she was missing this morning?" Flack asked.

"I thought she ran away in the night." He shrugged.

"Where is Samantha's mother?" I asked.

"Dead. She passed away shortly after Tamara was born." He said.

"Do you have any children besides Tamara and Samantha?" I asked.

"No, now if you have no other questions. I must ask you to leave. I have to speak with Tamara about her sister." He said.

"You can contact the medical examiner's office about arrangements for Samantha." I said.

"Thank you now please leave." He said and urged us towards the door.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't understand. We tell you your daughter is dead and you don't seem to care. You didn't even call the police when she was missing." I said.

"Please go." He said.

"Come on Aurora." Flack said.

I scowled but walked out the door that Mr. Tyler slammed behind us.

"Flack, that man is hiding something." I said.

"I get that feeling too." Flack said.

"I'd like to slap him. His beautiful little girl is dead and he doesn't even care. I bet he doesn't even call and claim her body." I said and kicked the SUV tire.

"Calm down. If he's involved, we'll prove it." Flack said.

"But he has that other little girl. She could be in danger. And we can't do a damn thing about it." I sighed. My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, where are you?" Aiden asked.

"Flack and I are in Long Island. We just spoke with Samantha Tyler's father." I said.

"Go speak with him again. The DNA on the hairs found on Samantha came back. The DNA shows that it came from her father." Aiden said.

"That's enough for a warrant." I said. "We're on it."

I hung up. "Flack, call a judge, get us a warrant. The hairs on Samantha's body belong to her father. We can search his house, find out anything else. In the meantime, he and his little girl are coming downtown for a chat."

"Can you bring them out without starting a war?" Flack asked.

"I am not going to mess this up. Little Samantha is depending on me." I said.

"I'll make the calls." Flack said.

(TPPOV)

Aiden and Stella were processing the Tyler house. Flack had the father Glenn Tyler in one interrogation room, trying to get some answers but was getting the run around. Danny had finger printed Tyler and got a match on the print from the trunk but he still wouldn't budge. He argued that Samantha had his hairs on her because they lived in the same house. And the trunk had his prints on it because it was also from his house, Samantha must've taken it when she ran away.

Aurora had taken Tamara into another interrogation room and was talking with her. To make her more comfortable, she'd given Tamara juice to drink and crayons and paper to play with.

Danny stood outside the window when Aurora went in to speak with Tamara. Mac had heard of the case and came to see for himself and see if he was needed. He was waiting for Stella and Aiden to call about what they found at the Tyler house.

"Hey Tamara, my name's Aurora, can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Are you a police officer?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah, would you like to see my badge?" Aurora asked.

Tamara nodded. Aurora unclipped her badge from her belt and laid it on the table. Tamara picked it up and looked at it.

"Daddy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Tamara said.

"Does he tell you not to talk to police officers? We're here to help people." She said.

"Daddy said not to talk to you or that man with you. He said you wouldn't understand." Tamara said.

"What wouldn't I understand?" she asked.

"I can't say anymore." Tamara said.

"Tamara, how old are you?" Aurora asked.

"Eight." Tamara said.

"Wow, you're a big girl. What school do you go to?" Aurora asked.

"I don't go to school. Daddy teaches me." She said.

"Oh, so that's why there were desks in your house." Aurora smiled. "Would you like to draw a picture?"

Tamara nodded and picked up several crayons.

"Tamara, Samantha was your big sister. Did you like her?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah." Tamara said. "Do you have a big sister?"

"I have two big sisters." Aurora said.

"Do you like them?" Tamara asked.

Aurora sighed, but smiled. "Sisters are an interesting thing. When was the last time you saw Samantha?"

"I can't tell you. Daddy said not to." Tamara said.

"It's okay. I won't tell that you told me." Aurora said. "Did someone hurt Samantha? She's your sister; you want to help her don't you?"

Tamara looked unsure, then nodded. "Daddy was mad at Samantha last night."

"Why? Did they have a fight?" Aurora asked.

"Samantha did a bad thing." Tamara said.

"What did she do?"

"She was bleeding." Tamara said.

"Did she cut herself?" Aurora asked.

"No, she was bleeding in her panties. Daddy said it meant she was a woman." Tamara said.

"Had she ever done that before?"

"No, she had a stomach ache yesterday at dinner and then when she went to take a bath…she was bleeding." Tamara said.

Aurora nodded as realization hit her. "This made your daddy angry?"

"Yeah, he said he wasn't going to have a bunch of boys hanging around the house after her." Tamara said.

"What happened then?" Aurora asked.

"Daddy took Samantha into the basement to talk." Tamara said.

"Did you see her after they talked?"

"No, daddy put me to bed." Tamara said.

"Why does your daddy teach you at home?" she asked.

"He doesn't want us getting into trouble at school. He says public schools teach bad ideas." Tamara said.

"Did you know Samantha was wearing duck tape under her clothes?" She asked.

"Yeah, she had to. Daddy made her." Tamara said.

"Why?"

"Dad said if she didn't boys would come around. He said she'd look like a woman otherwise." Tamara said.

"Mac, can you believe this?" Danny said outside the window.

"Sounds like Mr. Tyler has some strange beliefs." Mac said.

"This is no way to raise daughters." Danny said.

"We'll have to call child services. Tamara will need to be placed in foster home." Mac said.

Danny looked through the glass and smiled. Aurora was still talking to Tamara.

"Aurora is so great with that little girl. She's really got her to open up." Danny said.

"She's a natural with children." Mac said. "This case means a lot to her. She takes exception to violence against children."

"She's so amazing. Ten minutes and they're coloring together and laughing." Danny said.

Mac raised an eyebrow. "Some people just know how to talk with children. And Aurora's an exceptional woman."

Danny nodded.

"I'm going to call child services." Mac said.

Mac walked away as Danny continued to watch Aurora talk with Tamara.

"Tamara, I am going to leave for awhile. I have to talk with some of my friends. If other police officers come in here you can trust them, they're my friends." Aurora said.

She picked up her badge and clipped it back on before walking out of the room. She closed the door behind her and kicked the wall.

"You okay?" Danny asked her.

"That son of bitch. He murdered his daughter because she started menstruating. Like she could help it! And from the sounds of things she probably never even heard of such a thing and was scared to death. It's scary enough the first time when you know what's going on. I can't imagine it just happening…she must have thought she was sick or something." Aurora said.

"What's going on with this guy? Who doesn't want their daughters to grow up healthy? I mean making her bind herself to hide the fact she was developing into a woman?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. I mean…it sounds like he thought because she was becoming a woman it meant she'd start having sex or something." Aurora said. "It also explains the long dresses in the middle of summer. He was covering them up."

"Are you okay?" Danny asked.

"I'm angry. Children are the most innocent and beautiful…..and adults should protect them and love them…all adults not just parents. How can anyone have such an amazing gift…look into those innocent faces, that depend on us for everything and harm them?" Aurora said.

"It's sad, but it doesn't always happen that way. That's why we're here, to help those children and others who need it." Danny said.

"Stella just called. There was blood found in the basement of Tyler's house. Tested positive for human blood. There was also blood on a book end; it seems to be our murder weapon." Mac said. "There were prints on it too."

"When everything is run through the lab, we'll have enough to go to the DA." Danny said.

"No question, Glenn Tyler killed Samantha." Mac said.

Aurora turned and walked down the hall to the other interrogation room. Flack was sitting across the table from Tyler, looking tired of playing games.

"Mr. Tyler, why don't you tell us about your basement? Maybe you can explain to us why there is blood in your basement." Aurora said.

"We had a dog; he hurt himself in the basement a few months ago." Mr. Tyler said.

"Nice try, this has been proven to be human blood." Aurora said. "Maybe you can also explain why you were forcing Samantha to bind herself."

"I didn't want trouble from boys." He said.

"So making it appear as if she wasn't developing into a young woman would keep boys away?" Aurora asked.

"Yes." He said.

"Is that why you didn't send her to public school? You were afraid of boys liking her?" Aurora asked.

"Public schools teach ideas I don't agree with." He said.

"Such as?" Flack asked.

"Many things. My daughters were not to be whores." He said.

"I got news for you. Having a period doesn't make you a whore." Aurora snapped.

"That would've brought boys around. She could've now had a baby." He snapped.

"So you killed her rather than explaining safe sex and birth control to her?" Aurora snapped.

"I wanted to protect her." He yelled.

"By bashing in her skull?" Flack snapped.

"She was a woman now; I would not stand for boys to be after her, and in my house." He said.

Aurora slammed both fists on the table. "I don't know what kind of sick beliefs you have…..but you know nothing about raising children. Samantha was a beautiful girl, growing into a woman. Nothing bad, nothing that was her fault. This should be an exciting time in her life. She should be growing up, starting to date, looking forward to junior high dances, and first kisses. Instead she's dead….and you're going to prison for it."

Aurora walked out of the room. Past Mac and Danny and straight for the showers.

(FPPOV)

I took a long shower. I was glad the case was solved, but just needed a few minutes to myself to reflect. I was thankful Tamara would no be safe. I let the water relax me. The last few weeks at work had been stressful cases. But I felt good about doing my part to help victims.

I stepped out of the shower and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I was planning on heading home and relaxing. I grabbed my bag and headed out of the locker room.

I walked back to my desk and found a large vase of flowers on my desk. I thought there was a mix-up but the card on them said my name. I smiled and opened the card.

_Rora,  
__Thought this might cheer you up. I know work has been stressful, but I love to see you smile. And you smiling from flowers is better than smiling because the BoSox won! Ha Ha. Hope you like them. I am not good at this kind of thing so when the lady suggested 'Summer Bouquet' I ordered it. Tirare su il morale e ostentare attraente sorriso.  
__Danny_

I smiled and looked at the flowers. There were daisies and lilies and tulips and mums and pretty much every flower that grows in the summer. They were beautiful. I read Danny's card again.

"Whoa, who'd you screw and is now saying thank you?" Don asked.

I rolled my eyes. "No one, these are from Danny. To cheer me up after the rough cases we've had lately."

"Danny Messer?" Flack raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't believe in sending flowers. He says it's a waste because they die in a few days."

"Oh you're silly. They're beautiful. And they did cheer me up." I smiled.

"Are you two….something the rest of us don't know about?" Flack asked.

"No…geez a guy tries to be nice and suddenly everyone is suspicious." I shook my head.

I saw Danny walk in. I ran and hugged him. "Thank you, they are so beautiful."

Danny chuckled. "I'm glad you liked them. I thought they'd cheer you up."

"They did. Thank you so much. You didn't have to do that." I said.

"I wanted to." Danny said.

I held out the card. "What does this say?" I pointed to the Italian.

"It means 'cheer up and show off that pretty smile'." Danny said.

I giggled. "This Italian is the sexiest damn thing ever."

"Yeah, I got a way with the ladies." Danny smirked.

I laughed. "So what are you doing here? We closed the case."

"I believe you promised me we could watch an action flick sometime. So what do you say we head to my place, order some dinner and watch a few people get blowed up?" Danny smiled.

"That sounds great." I smiled. "I am not like interfering with other plans of yours am I?" I asked.

"Nope, my only plans are to sit with you, watch a movie, drink a few beers and eat pizza." Danny smiled.

(Brooklyn)

"I love this movie. Steve Buscemi is the most hilarious killer." I laughed.

Danny and I were sitting on his couch, watching Con Air. We each had a beer and were finishing off a pizza.

"It's not a bad movie." Danny said.

"I love John Cusack, this was a great choice." I said.

"I haven't seen it in awhile, so I thought it'd be good to watch and just relax." Danny said.

I cracked my neck and rubbed it. It had been weird all day; I think I slept in a funny position the night before.

"Neck hurting?" Danny asked.

"I think I slept funny last night. It's been stiff all day and the stress didn't help either." I said.

"Here, I'll rub your shoulders." Danny said and pulled me closer to him.

"You don't have to." I said.

"I don't mind. It'll help you relax and besides, I don't want you feeling uncomfortable. Stiff necks are the worst." Danny said.

I moved closer and turned so Danny could reach my neck and shoulders. I took a deep breath and relaxed as he went to work massaging my shoulders.

"That feels really nice." I said.

"Glad you're enjoying it. You feel tense." Danny said.

"Guess the past few weeks got to me more than I wanted to admit." I said.

"Just relax, it's all over. And you're here to have fun." Danny said.

I relaxed and enjoyed Danny working out the kinks in my shoulders and neck.

"Non ho mai incontrato una ragazza cosi' splendida e meravigliosa." Danny said.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"My secret." Danny smirked.

I smiled and leaned back and snuggled against him, resting my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me.

"Thanks, I feel better now." I said.

"Glad to hear it." Danny said.

We turned back to the movie, but I must have been more tired than I realized. The last thing I remember Nick Cage was looking for a hypodermic needle in a junkyard.

(Next Morning)

I woke up the next morning and looked around. I wasn't at home. I was laying on a bed, on top the covers and a blanket had been laid over me. I remembered watching the movie and realized I'd fallen asleep watching Con Air with Danny. I looked around but he was no where in the room. It dawned on me his apartment was a one-bedroom.

I got up and walked out to the living room. Danny was asleep on the couch. I smiled and realized what he'd done. He was so sweet.

"Danny, wake up. How do you say good morning in Italian?" I asked.

Danny groaned. "Buon giorno. What time is it?"

"Around 9:30." I said. "Wake up."

Danny rubbed his hair that looked spikier than ever. "I'm awake." He sat up on the couch. I went and sat next to him.

"Why didn't you wake me last night? You didn't have to give me your bed." I said.

Danny shrugged. "You looked so peaceful, and I wanted you to sleep well. I put you in there and crashed on the couch. No big deal."

I smiled. "Danny, you didn't have to do that. You could've woken me up and I'd have gone home, let you have some time alone. Or you could've left me on the couch."

"No, you looked peaceful. And I know how it is when you fall asleep and get woken up; you don't rest as well afterwards." Danny said. "You've had a rough few days; you deserved a good night's sleep. And the bed is more comfortable."

I kissed his cheek. "Thank you….But I feel bad...like I kicked you out of bed or something...shouldn't we be married for me to do that?" I joked.

"You gotta be in bed to be kicked out…and if you wanna try that we can?" Danny winked.

I raised an eyebrow. "I get it. Now you can say, 'I had Aurora in my bed'." I giggled.

"You know me, I waste no time." Danny smirked.

"You're so cute." I said. "But since I was in YOUR bed, YOU make breakfast."

"Not a problem, what do you want?" Danny said and started for the kitchen.

"What can you make?" I asked and followed him.

"Bacon, eggs, pancakes, toast, waffles….I think I got hash browns in the freezer." Danny said.

"Pancakes and bacon." I said and sat up on a stool.

"Sure." Danny said.

I was amazed as I watched. Danny really knew how to make a great breakfast. Soon he sat down a plate of bacon in front of me.

"Pancakes are almost done." Danny said.

"Damn Messer. You make a breakfast like this and serve it to a woman in bed…the food will get cold because she'll suddenly want something else." I said.

"I keep telling you, I have a way with the ladies." Danny smirked.

"And yet you're single." I said.

"Well, you know…I just haven't found the right girl that I want to stick around for awhile." Danny shrugged.

"You know, sometimes you don't have to look that far."

Danny looked up and smiled. "I'm beginning to figure that out."


	22. Still Haunting

_LizfromItaly- Don't cry, but I am glad you are so excited about the story. And thank you so much for you comments. You are so sweet!_

_Jordayna- I think the Italian is sexy too. Glad you are so hooked. I love your reviews._

_BridgetLynn- Well, its not said and done yet. Lots more to go, hang in there._

_Meadow567- You should know by now that my stories test your patience, LOL. Glad you no longer plan to hunt me down!_

_Dybdahl- Angst sweet, that's interesting. Glad you liked it._

_Emador- At least you didn't faint or melt! LOL And I finally made it, wahoo._

_**Spoilers-** Slight "Tanglewood"_

(TPPOV)

Aurora walked into the station and sat at her desk. She wanted to stop in for a few minutes before she had to be in court that day. She was testifying before the grand jury in the Harold Genott case. He'd been declared legally insane and unfit to stand trial at this time. However, the state was still filing charges against him so that he would be tried when he was declared fit to stand trial, should that happen.

She sat at her desk and looked through a few reports that Flack had left on her desk.

"What are you so dressed up for?" Danny asked. He'd just walked in.

"I have to testify before the grand jury today." She smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Mac sent me to get a few things. Where's Don?" he asked.

"On a call with Stella. Murder-suicide in the projects." She said.

She stood up and went to the filing cabinet. Danny watched her walk across the aisle.

"That dress is nice, but I still like your rave outfit better." Danny smirked.

"I am sure they'd take me serious if I showed up wearing that." Aurora laughed.

"Well you will wear it again won't you? I miss it." Danny winked.

"Only if you'll take me dancing in it." She laughed.

"Where is the bad in this deal?" Danny asked.

"What did Mac send you for again?" Aurora asked.

"A few files on pending cases." Danny shrugged. "So Aurora…I've been thinking…we've been hanging out so much lately and…"

His cell phone rang. "Messer."

Aurora went back to her desk but couldn't help overhearing that Danny seemed agitated on the phone.

"How the fuck did you get this number?" Danny said. She glanced up and he turned away. She couldn't hear the rest but his actions were agitated. He finally hung up and sighed.

"Danny, is everything okay?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. Wrong number." Danny said.

"Well I have to be heading to the courthouse. This could take awhile, a lot of evidence to present." She said. "Oh were you saying something important before?"

"Huh…no. I was just gonna say…..we need to get Flack and Aiden and go to 80's night again soon." He sighed.

"Oh, sure, sounds good. I really need to get going." She said.

"Have a good day." Danny said.

"I'll call you later." Aurora said and headed out of the station.

Danny headed to the lab. He found Mac in his office.

"Mac, you got a minute?" Danny asked.

"Sure, Danny what's on your mind?" Mac asked.

Danny paced back and forth. "Did you know Sonny Sassone was coming up for parole already?"

Mac sighed. "No I didn't know that. I am actually surprised we were able to keep him in prison this long."

"How can this happen Mac? He killed a kid and he's getting out of jail in less than a year?" Danny was still pacing.

"Despite our best evidence Sonny and the other Tanglewood boys defense was that Paul Montenassi's murder was a hazing gone too far. And with their connections and money and ability to scare people, by the time it was said and done, they got very little out of killing Montenassi." Mac said.

"I know, but Tony Baba and Joe Spangal are out already. And now Sonny is up for parole…how is that justice for murder?" Danny ran a hand through his hair.

"Danny, no one was more upset with how their trials played out than me." Mac said. "But Sonny was able to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter…"

"Yeah he accidentally beat someone to death with a baseball bat." Danny snapped.

Mac frowned. "So Sonny got the worst of it when he admitted he beat Paul Montenassi with the bat. Baba and Spangal pleaded to lesser charges of accessory before and after. With all their connections they got a few months out of it and were released earlier in the summer. Danny, it's not fair…but you know better than anyone how Tanglewood buys people, intimidates people and has connections."

Danny started pacing again. "Isn't there something we can do?"

"Danny, what's going on?" Mac asked. "Why is all this coming about now?"

Danny hesitated then sighed.

"Out with it Danny." Mac ordered.

"I just got a call from Joe Spangal." Danny sighed.

"Are you sure?" Mac was shocked.

"Yeah. I have no idea how the hell he got my cell phone number. I take that back, I do know…Tanglewood can find out anything." Danny sighed.

"What did he want?" Mac asked.

Danny shook his head. "Sonny's parole hearing is in a few weeks. They want me to….go and speak on his behalf. Apparently having a member of the NYPD would look real good."

"Why are they picking on you? Don't they have enough officers in their pockets?' Mac frowned.

"Come on Mac. You know why they're targeting me." Danny said.

Mac rubbed his eyes. "No, we're not letting this happen. They are not going to push around this lab or one of my officers."

"Mac, with them now…it's personal. I work for the lab that caused them to go down for Montenassi's murder. And they're not dumb enough to think that I tried to help them in any way." Danny sighed.

"Danny, don't start down that road. You made your choices and look at you now. They chose to live a life of crime and deceit; you didn't." Mac said. "What did you tell Spangal when he called?"

"To go to hell." Danny said.

"Let me know if you hear from them again." Mac said.

Danny nodded.

(Later)

Danny was in the lab with Mac when his cell phone rang again.

"Messer." He answered. "What the hell?"

"Tanglewood?" Mac asked.

Danny nodded.

Mac grabbed the phone. "This is Detective Mac Taylor…..they hung up."

"How long is this….they're not going to back down." Danny said.

"Like hell. Come on, we're going to do some investigating. We'll get a restraining order; have them arrested for harassment if we have to." Mac said.

"Yeah that will work." Danny said sarcastically.

"Danny, if you show them that they can't push you around, they'll back off. And right now they can't afford more trouble with the police." Mac said.

"Mac, I wish I could believe that." Danny said.

"Danny….I'm not going to sit back and let them harass you." Mac said. "We're calling the phone company and tracing the calls. Get a string of evidence together."

Danny sighed but nodded and followed Mac out of the lab.

"Danny what number is coming up on your cell phone when they call?" Mac asked.

"It says unknown number." Danny sighed.

"We'll contact the phone company; they can give us a number." Mac said.

Mac called and had Danny's cell phone's recent calls traced. Mac hung up the phone and sighed.

"Damn….both calls were from phone booths." Mac said.

"They're not stupid. They know how to avoid the system. And chances are they're wiser than ever since the Montenassi murder showed them what the lab can do." Danny said.

Mac's jaw tightened. "I don't like this feeling that they're one up on us."

Danny started pacing again. "I am not giving in. They won't intimidate me into anything."

"Keep that attitude. It could be a rough few weeks until that hearing or they give up. Whichever comes first." Mac said.

(Later)

Danny and Mac were back in the lab the next time his phone rang. He saw it said unknown number and didn't even bother answering it.

"That's enough. It's time we brought Joe Spangal in for a little talk." Mac said.

"And what are we going to say to him?" Danny asked.

"You're not going to speak with him. I don't want him seeing you. I'll talk with him." Mac said.

"Mac, do you think it'll help anything?" Danny asked.

"Danny, don't let them win. That's what they want." Mac said. "You're better than they are."

Danny nodded and wished he could believe what Mac was saying.

Mac called Joe Spangal's probation officer and advised him of the situation. In turn, the probation officer had Spangal come to the station for a talk. Spangal was all too happy to show up and run his mouth.

Joe Spangal was put in an interrogation room. Danny stood outside the glass and had a quick flashback to when he stood there watching Mac and Stella interrogate Sonny Sassone.

Mac walked in and looked at Spangal sitting there smirking.

"I hear you been harassing one of my detectives." Mac said.

"I try to avoid cops." Spangal smirked.

"Don't play games with me. I know you're calling and harassing Danny Messer and I know why." Mac said.

"Oh yeah, that's what you brought me down here for. You couldn't hold me for murder and you think you're going to get me for harassment, come on." Spangal laughed.

Mac slammed his fists on the table. "Danny Messer is not doing anything for you, Tony Baba or Sonny Sassone."

"What do you know about Danny Messer?" Spangal asked.

"I know enough to know that he is nothing like you punks. You kill for sport; intimidate people, live as you please with no regard for others." Mac said.

"And why am I here again?" Spangal laughed.

"Stay away from Danny Messer." Mac narrowed his eyes.

"You got no evidence that says I've had any contact with Messer." Spangal smirked.

"Hey Danny, who is that Mac is interrogating?" Aurora walked up to Danny.

"No one, old case." Danny said and starting pushing her away from the interrogation area. He did not want her knowing about Tanglewood.

"Are you okay?' she asked.

"Yeah, how was the grand jury?" Danny asked.

"They indicted, now we have to wait for Genott to be declared fit to stand trial." She said as they walked back to her desk.

"Good to hear." Danny said and looked around. He knew Joe Spangal would be walking out of the interrogation room soon.

"Danny, are you okay? You're acting strange." She said.

Danny glanced around. "Yeah just Tanglewood."

"Tangle what?" she asked.

Danny realized what he'd said. "Nothing, the less you know the safer you are."

"Danny…were you out in the sun today?" Aurora asked.

Danny looked around again. "I've had a long day, what do you say we grab a bite to eat?"

"Sounds good. Where do you want to go?" she smiled.

"Somewhere close. I'm starved." Danny said and put an arm around her. "How about that new place on the corner?"

"Sounds great." She smiled as they headed out the door.

Danny looked around again, making sure Spangal wasn't anywhere around.

"Danny, why do you keep looking around?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, I thought Aiden might be back from her case. I'll just call her later." He covered.

"Oh. Well, how was your day?" she asked as they walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk.

"Eh, just reviewing cases. You know how organized Mac insists on us all being." Danny said.

"Hey, its not so bad." She laughed.

"I suppose your right. Have you eaten at this new place before?" Danny asked.

"No, but I have been meaning to. I hear the food is good." Aurora said.

"Great, maybe after dinner we can catch a movie. It's still early." Danny said.

"Sounds great." Aurora smiled.

(Across the Street)

"Joe, Messer just walked out of the station. He's got a woman with him." Tony Baba said. Spangal had called Baba after leaving the station.

"Where are you now?" Spangal asked.

"Just down the street a bit. Messer and the woman went into a restaurant." Baba said.

"Who is she?" Spangal asked.

"I've never seen her before. The way her and Danny were acting, I'd say she's his girlfriend. She's hot." Baba said. "She walked into the station and a few minutes later walked out with him."

"Messer never did date dogs. Never had to with his jock status." Spangal said. "How long they been in there?"

"Not long. I can't see them; they must be in the back of the restaurant." Baba said.

"Stay out of Messer's sight, but follow him awhile." Spangal said. "I'll get in touch with a few of the new recruits."


	23. No Escape

_Meadow567- Well you didn't have to wait long. Enjoy!_

_Jordayna- Well I hope this was sooner than later enough for you. He has his reasons._

_BridgetLynn- A review with sound effects, great! LOL. Gotta love ominous sometimes too._

_Emador- The evil laugh was interesting, LOL. Enjoy spring break._

Flack used his key to get into Aurora's apartment planning to wake her up and head to work together. He walked in and saw she wasn't up yet.

"Aurora time to wake up. We don't have any calls yet so I thought we'd get breakfast together." Don called out.

He got no answer. "Aurora wake up!"

He walked into her room and saw her bed was empty. "Rora?"

Flack walked farther into her bedroom and saw nothing. He walked over to her bathroom. "Rora?" he called out. I peeked in the bathroom and it was dark.

Confused, Don wondered if she'd gone into work early. He walked out into her kitchen and dialed her cell phone number.

He heard the Atlanta Braves chant coming from her bedroom. It was her cell phone ringing. He walked into her bedroom again and saw her cell phone lit up and ringing on her nightstand beside the bed. Flack frowned. Aurora never went anywhere without her cell phone.

Flack walked back out into the kitchen, everything looked in place. He heard meowing at his feet. He looked down and Rammer was rubbing against his legs.

"Hey little guy…where is your mommy?" Flack patted the cat.

Flack waited a few more minutes, thinking that Aurora had just stepped out for a moment and would be right back. But she never came back.

Flack dialed Danny's cell number. "Messer."

"Danny, have you seen Aurora today?" Flack asked him.

"No, I haven't seen her since I left work yesterday. She stayed late working on something." Danny said. "Why?"

"She's not home and she left her cell phone here. I wondered if maybe she was with you. You two are like joined at the hip these days." Flack said.

"We're just friends." Danny said. "And she's not with me. Maybe she's at Aiden's. You know women stuff that we don't understand."

"Yeah. I'll catch you later." Don said.

He then dialed Aiden's cell phone. "Burn."

"Aiden, is Aurora with you?" Don asked.

"No, I haven't seen her since yesterday. What's up?" Aiden asked.

"She's not home. And I can't seem to find her." Don said.

"Have you talked to Danny?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll turn up." Don said and hung up.

He sighed. He knew something wasn't right. Aurora never left her cell phone behind. And she wasn't with Aiden or Danny.

Don dialed Mac's cell phone. "Taylor."

"Mac, have you seen Aurora this morning? Did she meet you for breakfast?" Don asked.

"No, not today. I haven't seen her since yesterday." Mac said. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know. I can't find her. I'm in her apartment, she's no where in sight and her cell phone is here." Don said.

"That's not like her. She's very responsible and would never go anywhere without her phone." Mac said.

"I know. I called Danny and Aiden and she's not with them either." Don said.

"Is anything out of place at her apartment?" Mac asked.

"No everything is in place. Her door was locked, her bed has been slept in, and even her cat is here." Don said.

"And if she had to leave town for an emergency she'd have called somebody. She's very serious about her job." Mac said.

"Mac…I am starting to worry. She wouldn't just leave and not tell anyone. And if she did leave she wouldn't leave her cat…he's her baby. She watches TV with the damn thing." Don said.

"Something is strange. Maybe we should sit tight. I'm sure it's easily explained." Mac said.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Flack said but didn't sound convinced.

(Lab)

Danny was in the lab when his cell phone rang. He saw it was an unknown number. He sighed. He hadn't gotten a call in three days…ever since Mac had interrogated Joe Spangal. He had actually started to think that Tanglewood would leave him alone.

Danny didn't answer his phone, just let it ring and went back to work. He heard his phone beep indicating they had left a voicemail. Danny sighed and debated what to do. Finally he picked up his phone and dialed his voice mail.

It was Tony Baba's voice. "Messer, you need to answer your phone. You want to ignore us and bring your boss down on us…we can make you cooperate. Call you soon."

Danny erased the message and slammed his phone shut. He wondered how long this would go on.

(Station)

Flack sat at the station looking at Aurora's empty chair, worrying more and more every minute. She hadn't shown up to work and there was no answer on her cell phone. Mac walked in.

"Aurora show up yet?" Mac asked.

"No and she's not answering her phone. Mac, I'm worried." Don said.

Mac frowned. "I am starting to think we should worry."

"What can we do? We can't report her missing." Don sighed.

"You have a key to her apartment. Let's head over there and look around, see what we can find. It's possible she's just gone somewhere and forgot her phone. It happens." Mac said.

Don nodded. "I hope that's all it is."

Flack and Mac set out for Aurora's apartment. When they walked in and everything looked as it had when Flack was there that morning.

"Mac, she hasn't been here since I was here." Don said.

"Well look around. See if you see anything that would indicate her going somewhere…or possibly a sign of a struggle." Mac said. Don looked up. "I know it's not pleasant to think about."

Don and Mac started looking through Aurora's apartment. Her fridge was full of food. Her clothes were in the closet. She had a shopping list on the counter.

"Mac, everything is in place. It looks like she should walk in at any minute." Don said.

"It does. She has a to-do list made for the weekend. Shopping list on the counter. Freshly washed clothes in a basket in her bedroom." Mac said. "Her gun isn't here. And I can't find her badge either."

"Why would she take her gun and badge and not her cell phone?" Flack asked.

"I don't know but other than that everything is normal." Mac said.

"There are no signs of a struggle. Nothing is overturned, not a thing out of place. It doesn't add up Mac." Don said.

"Well until we know something different, all we can do is wait." Mac sighed.

"Mac, I'm worried." Flack said.

"Me too, this isn't like her." Mac said.

(Lab)

Danny was getting ready to leave the lab for the day when his cell phone rang again. It was an unknown number. Danny's temper flared up.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Danny answered the phone.

Tony Baba laughed. "We got your bitch Messer. You ready to cooperate?"

Danny was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You wanna play that game, fine. We'll be in touch." Baba hung up.

Danny was confused and decided he needed to talk to Mac. He walked down the hall and saw Mac in his office.

"Mac, you got a minute?" Danny asked.

Mac looked distracted. "Yeah, what is it?"

Danny walked in and started his nervous pacing. "I just thought I should let you know that Tony Baba has been calling me today."

Mac sighed. "I thought the calls had stopped."

"They had for a few days but they started up again today." Danny sighed.

"Danny…we never really talked about you and Tanglewood. I think its time we did." Mac said. "Sit down."

Danny nodded and sat down.

"Now, I've never asked…but I am now. Were you a Tanglewood boy?"

"Officially no. I hung out with them a lot in high school….we ran together but I never joined." Danny said.

"Just how involved with them were you?" Mac asked.

Danny sighed. "My dad…did business with their dads."

Mac realized what Danny was admitting. "So your dad was in the mob too?"

"It's not something I am proud of." Danny said. "But yeah…so that gave me an in with Tanglewood."

"What happened?" Mac asked.

"I hung with them. We were the made kids. We all had fancy cars, money and girls. Mac, I was 16…a stupid kid. At first it was great. Girls, parties, doing whatever we wanted. Everyone knew who our dads were. And I was a star baseball player…the Tanglewood boys loved the girls that attracted. They asked me to join up, but I didn't…"

"Why not?" Mac asked.

"I hated the things my dad did as I got older and understood more. I didn't want that life for myself. And I didn't like a lot of what Sonny, Tony and Joe did. I started pulling away." Danny said.

"And they were okay with that?" Mac asked.

"Eh, we still hung out. They knew I couldn't do drugs with them because of baseball…drug testing. When the minors called, I left and broke all ties with Tanglewood. And I was glad for it." Danny said.

"But you hung out with them enough that they felt you were one of them." Mac said.

Danny nodded. "I didn't want to be one of them, even back then. I was thrilled to get away….I thought it was all behind me. Until Paul Montenassi was murdered."

"Now they're trying to use your past with them to get what they want." Mac said.

"Mac, I swear to you…nothing could make me help them. I hate them. And when I think back on some of the things I saw….it makes me sick." Danny said.

"Danny, you made the right choice. You learned from your mistakes and bettered yourself. You could have taken the easy way and joined them, took over for your father; but you didn't." Mac said.

Danny nodded. "But they still won't stop. I thought I left that behind years ago."

"Hang in there Danny. Don't let them intimidate you. You're better than them, remember that." Mac said.

"So we good on this?" Danny asked.

Mac nodded. "I wish you had told me all this sooner, but I can understand you not wanting to….we're fine." Mac said.

Danny nodded and stood up. "I just wanted to let you know what was going on."

"What exactly did they say?" Mac asked.

"They said they 'had my bitch'. I don't get what they're talking about." Danny said.

Mac frowned. "Did they say anything else?"

"Just that they'd be in touch." Danny said. "Why, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure…but we haven't been able to find Aurora today." Mac said.

Danny frowned. "Flack called me this morning looking for her. She never turned up?"

"No…"

"But why would they go after Rora? They don't know who she is. She wasn't here for the Montenassi case. And she doesn't even know about them…I made sure of that." Danny said.

Mac nodded but wasn't sure what he thought. "Do you think Joe Spangal saw her the other day when we had him at the station?"

"No, I made sure of that. I didn't want anyone from Tanglewood seeing her and I didn't want her seeing them. I took her out of the station before they could see her. I thought it'd be the safest thing for her." Danny said.

"Okay, well let me know if you hear anything else from them. Or if you hear from Aurora." Mac said.

Danny nodded and walked out of Mac's office.

Danny tried Aurora's cell phone and received no answer. He thought that was strange and started to worry.

He walked back to his desk and put his things away. He was tired and wanted to go work out, get rid of some frustration.

Flack walked in. "Hey Danny?"

"Hey Flack, what's up with Aurora being missing?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. That's what I came to talk to you about. Do you think we should try calling her mother? Maybe she went home for something." Don asked.

"It'd have to be a huge emergency for her to go home." Danny said. "She doesn't get along well with her family."

"I know, but that's the only place we haven't looked." Don said.

"When she does turn up, I'm going to kill her for making us all worry." Danny said.

Mac walked into the room carrying a small box. "Danny this was left downstairs for you."

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. It's got your name on it." Mac said.

Danny took the package and looked at it. It was addressed to him at the crime lab but no return address or postage.

Danny opened the box and found a note inside. _Maybe now you'll cooperate._

Danny looked in the box and pulled out an NYPD shield.

"That's Aurora's badge." Flack said.

Danny started shaking. "FUCK! They've got Aurora! Tanglewood has her!"

Danny started out of the lab but Mac grabbed him. "Danny stop!"

"Mac, they got Aurora!" Danny screamed.

"I know, but we got to do this by the book!" Mac said.

Flack jumped in and helped restrain Danny. "Danny calm down."

"They got her. They got her because of me!" Danny yelled.

"We'll get her back. But we have to this right and be very careful or they'll kill her." Mac said.

"If they haven't already." Flack sighed.

**To Be Continued…..**


	24. No Where

_XX- Yes Flack is allergic, but a quick pat won't kill him. And yes there is supposed to be another Tanglewood episode. I listened to the commentary about the Tanglewood stuff and decided to write it this way. The glory of fiction I can control, hehe. Yeah Tanglewood saw the vibe. I come up with the original cases in various ways. Some are things I want to sorta voice an opinion about. Some are loosely based on real events. Some just pop in my head and demand I write them. She's obtuse? And be careful with the flamethrower. The shovel I can duck. Converted? I'm amazed you actually have been. And glad you are over game 7 and the Damon's grand slam. And Vicaro called Vicky, love it! Please don't stop reading, your reviews are the best. Huey Lewis and the News was a very popular band in the 80's. Thank you so much for the reviews. I loved them. I opened my email and it was like a big gift. And I had so much fun reading all them._

_Meadow567- Well here is an interruption to your daydreams! LOL And Craig and Kylah get lots of loving from me, its just a plan for them to unfold. And aren't you just presumptuous about how this is all going to go? LOL_

_Jordayna- I didn't mean it to be mean. I updated soon and hope you enjoy. I didn't mean this to be mean either._

_BridgetLynn- Where you going? Glad you liked the cliff hanger. It's not quite 'who shot JR?' but I am enjoying writing it. Glad you're enjoying reading it._

_Emador- Hope spring break is going well. Enjoy reading. _

It had been about two hours since Danny received the package with Aurora's shield in it. There were no doubts that Tanglewood had her. Mac knew that this would have to be handled carefully so that she would be safe and charges would stick.

Flack and Mac had calmed Danny down. They told him that he had to do things by the book and stay calm for Aurora. Danny finally calmed down enough that they could trust him not to run out and do something stupid. Mac had sent the package and her badge to be tested for fingerprints but everything was wiped clean.

Mac called his staff into his office and locked the door. And started explaining to them the situation and what needed to be done.

"Flack has got the warrants we need. We're doing this by the book. We are getting Aurora back safe and this time charges will stick." Mac said. "Flack and I are searching Sonny Sassone's property. Just because he's in jail doesn't mean the other Tanglewood boys haven't been using his house. Stella, you and Detective Vicaro will be searching Tony Baba's property. Aiden, you and another detective will be searching Joe Spangal's property."

"What about me?" Danny asked.

"You go to Aurora's apartment and tear the place apart. There has to be something there. They had to get her out of that apartment somehow. Find out how, find a trace of them." Mac said. "Now for the rest of you, Tanglewood has connections everywhere and even in the NYPD we're not sure who we can trust other than those of us in this room right now. This case is not to be discussed with anyone but who you see now. I don't want someone on the Tanglewood payroll tipping them off to what we're doing. And we don't want to spook them and cause them to kill Aurora."

"And another thing, be on your toes. Tanglewood is smart, they know how to play the system, destroy evidence and avoid prosecution. Go over everything three times and then check it again." Mac said. "Let's get to work."

Danny sighed and stood up.

"We're going to get her back." Flack told him.

"I hope so." Danny said.

"We will. Aurora is a tough woman. And we're not going to stop until she's safe." Flack said.

"Don's right. Wherever Aurora is, she knows we're looking for her." Aiden said.

"Hey Danny, since you're going to be at her apartment anyways….would you check on her cat. You know make sure he has food, water and the whole litter box thing." Don said.

Aiden smiled at him.

"What are you smiling at?" Don asked.

"You, you're cute. Making sure her cat is okay." Aiden said.

"Well, I don't want the little guy to starve or anything. And I'm scared to death right now." Don said.

"I am too." Danny said. "I'll check on the cat."

"Danny, have you heard anymore from Tanglewood?" Mac asked.

"No." Danny said.

"They'll probably wait for you to contact them now. Don't do it. Let them come to us and make a mistake." Mac said.

(Aurora's Apartment)

Danny walked into Aurora's apartment. He looked around; everything was quiet. He half expected her to come walking out of her bedroom, laughing and smiling. He sighed and set his kit on the floor.

Rammer came bouncing off the couch meowing at him. He smiled a little and picked up the kitty she loved so much.

_Danny sat on the couch. Aurora's cat immediately jumped beside him to give him the once over. "What's the deal with the cat?"_

"_What do you mean?" she asked._

"_He's sniffing me." Danny said._

"_He's just seeing who you are. He's very friendly." Aurora said and looked at her silver tabby that was on Danny's knee. "His name is Rammer."_

"_Rammer? That sounds perverted." Danny said._

"_No it's the nickname of one of my favorite hockey players." she explained._

"I wish you could talk. You might be the only one that knows how they got Rora out of this apartment." Danny said and rubbed Rammer's ears.

Danny sighed and looked around. Everything was in place just as Flack had said it was. He walked into her bedroom. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He wondered if he should've told her about Tanglewood. And he worried that he might never see her alive again.

He reached over and picked up her pillow. He lifted it to his face and inhaled. It smelled like her.

Danny looked on her nightstand and saw the baseball Chipper Jones' had hit a grand slam off of. He smiled remembering how happy she had been that night.

_She opened the bag and inside was a dirty baseball. She pulled it out of the bag and looked at it._

"_It's Chipper Jones' grand slam ball." Danny said._

"_But how did you…"_

"_I watched where it went then hurried down there and found who caught it. Luckily they weren't Braves fans. A few bucks later, it was mine." Danny shrugged. _

_Aurora looked up at him. "Danny, you didn't have to…"_

"_You like him so much and were so excited about that grand slam…just a souvenir." Danny smiled._

"_That's one hell of a souvenir and the nicest thing anyone has ever done." She felt like crying. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek and hugged him. "Thank you so much. I don't know what to say."_

"_I'm just glad you had fun." Danny said. _

"_Seriously, thank you for everything. The game, the ball, the popcorn…I had a wonderful time." Aurora smiled._

Danny took a deep breath and stood up. He had to get to work. She needed him now.

(Sassone Residence)

Mac and Flack arrived in front of Sonny Sassone's house. The place was dark. They stepped out of the SUV; Mac had his kit with them.

"You think they'd leave her here?' Flack asked.

"I don't know. But they're smart enough to know that we'll be watching them." Mac said.

"That limits our time. If they abandon her somewhere in this heat…she'll dehydrate in no time." Flack said.

"We're going to find her." Mac insisted.

"The place looks empty." Flack said but pulled his gun anyway.

"We'll secure the area and then look around." Mac said.

Mac took out his gun as well as the approached the house.

"NYPD!" Flack yelled and pounded on the door.

There was no response or movement of any kind.

"We got a key or something?" Flack asked.

"I can pick the lock." Mac said and went to work.

When the door was open they both moved throughout the house looking for anyone. Finding nothing they put their guns down.

"Aurora's not here." Flack sighed.

"Let's find out of she has been, or if there is a sign of where she is." Mac said and went for his kit.

(Baba Residence)

Stella and Vicaro walked up the driveway of Tony Baba's house. Tony was in the yard with a girl. It was dark and their cigarettes shown bright in the night.

"NYPD, we have a warrant to search the premises." Stella said.

"Oh yeah, what for?" Baba said.

"Aurora Denton." Stella said.

"I don't know her." Baba shrugged.

"You kidnapped her and you know it. Now where is she?" Stella asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Baba smirked.

Stella gritted her teeth and handed Baba the warrant. "We'll be searching your house, cars and all buildings on the property."

"Go ahead. I'm telling you the bitch ain't here." Baba said.

Stella brushed past him and took her kit into the house.

"Where's the girl?" Vicaro asked.

"What girl? This one here is all I see." Baba said and kissed his girlfriend.

"No wonder you kidnapped Aurora. You needed a beautiful woman for a change." Vicaro said.

"Hey you can't talk about her that way." Baba said.

"I just did. What are you gonna do about? Get outta here kid." Vicaro said and followed Stella into the house.

(Spangal Residence)

Aiden and a detective she didn't know well but Mac trusted walked up to Joe Spangal's house. They knocked on the door.

"NYPD, we have a warrant!" Aiden yelled.

Spangal came to the door. He wasn't wearing a shirt and he had a beer in hand.

"Don't you pigs ever get tired of harassing me?" Spangal asked.

"No, we're gonna be searching your house, your vehicles and your garage." Aiden said.

"What are you looking for now?" Spangal asked.

"You kidnapped one of our detectives, now we're going to find her." Aiden said.

"I haven't kidnapped nobody." Spangal said. "This is police harassment."

"Well you can write your senator while I search the place. I'm sure Hilary would love to hear from you." Aiden said.

(Sassone's)

"There is nothing here. They never had her here." Mac sighed.

"I don't think this place has been used other than for parties since Sonny went up." Flack said.

Mac looked around again. "They have to have her somewhere. They wouldn't have killed her yet."

"What makes you so sure?" Flack asked.

"She is no good to them dead. They need her to use as leverage." Mac said.

"But for how long?" Flack asked.

"I don't know. That's why we have to move fast." Mac said. His cell phone rang. "Taylor."

"Mac, I've been over her apartment five times now. There is nothing here. I've fingerprinted her door; the only prints on it are hers, mine, yours and Flack's. No foreign prints in her apartment. No foreign fibers or hairs…nothing." Danny said.

"How the hell did they get to her? She is very cautious." Mac said. "Damn…alright head back to the lab and contact the cell phone companies. I want all calls made on Joe Spangal's and Tony Baba's cell phones traced. See who and where they are calling. Then call Attica and find out what Sonny Sassone has been up to. Chances are he's involved in this even from prison."

"I'm on it." Danny said and hung up.

"Danny didn't find anything at her apartment. There is nothing here. They're being smart." Mac said.

"Damn, I hope they trip up somewhere." Flack sighed.

(Lab)

"Mac, I found nothing at Spangal's." Aiden said. "No signs of Aurora or where she might be."

"She didn't just fall off the face of the earth, there has to be a trace of her somewhere." Danny said.

"We're not finding it. They know what they're doing." Mac said.

"I got around the clock surveillance on Tony Baba and Joe Spangal." Flack said. "Maybe they'll go to Aurora and lead us right to her."

"They have to go to her sometime." Aiden said.

"Cell company is on both their phones. Twice a day they will be sending us logs of all their calls and the towers used for them. That will help us trace their movements." Danny said.

"Mac, I got bad news." Stella said as she walked into the lab.

"You didn't find anything either." Mac said.

"There was nothing there but Tony Baba with a smug look on his face and Vicaro wanting to smack it off him." Stella said.

"Vicaro?" Flack asked.

"Apparently he's got a soft spot for Aurora…who knew." Stella said.

"They knew we'd be searching their homes. They prepared for it." Danny sighed.

"So what do we do now?" Aiden asked.

"We wait and see what the cell phone records reveal. We watch their every move. And in the morning we go talk to Sonny Sassone and see what we can find out." Mac said.

(Baba's)

"Joe, the police were just here." Tony Baba said. He'd called Joe as soon as the police left his house.

"Yeah here too. They want that girl back pretty bad." Joe said.

"This is working out better than we'd planned. To save one of their own they might force Messer to meet our demands." Tony said.

"How long do we keep her alive?" Joe asked.

"Another day or two. Until she is no longer useful." Tony said. "Have you been down there today?"

"Not since she came to. The recruits are in charge of her. They'll follow their orders." Joe said.

"How was she?" Tony asked.

"Pissed as hell. She got a temper on her; I had to smack her a few times." Spangal said.

"She say anything useful?" Tony asked.

"No. She swears up and down that she and Messer aren't dating. But you say something down on Danny that temper flares." Joe said.

"She's a nice one. Shame to kill something so pretty." Tony said. "And what she's wearing….Messer probably fucks the hell outta her."

"Well she didn't know anything about his dad or Tanglewood." Spangal said.

"You tell her?" Tony asked.

"I told her all of it. Messer's dad, Messer in high school, everything." Joe said.

"What'd she say?" Baba asked.

"Little whore spit at me and started screaming about Danny. I punched her and shut her up." Joe said.

"You know the police will be tailing our every move now. So the recruits are in charge of her until time to get rid of her." Baba said.

"Lucky for us the police don't know the new guys." Spangal laughed.

"They'll be tracking our cell phone too so only use the new phones we got under aliases. Police don't know about them and won't be checking them. Recruits have them new phones?" Baba asked.

"Yeah, everything is going according to plan. We're ahead of the police, the little bitch is locked up where they can't find her, and the police are getting desperate." Spangal said.

"It pays to plan ahead." Baba laughed.

(Lab)

Danny walked out of the locker room. He'd tried taking a shower to calm down. It always helped Aurora. But he couldn't stop thinking about her. He was worried, he felt guilty.

He went into the break room and stopped short. Aiden was in there crying. He sighed.

"Aiden?" he said.

"Oh hi Danny. I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone was around." She said and wiped her eyes.

"Mac went home but knowing him he won't sleep. He'll sit up all night looking over the case. Flack went home to try to rest, but he's worried sick." Danny said.

"How are you holding up?" Aiden asked. "You must be a mess."

Danny didn't say anything but nodded.

"I feel so helpless. She's my best friend and I can't do anything for her. And she must be so scared." Aiden started crying again.

Danny went and hugged Aiden. "Aurora will be okay. We'll find her."

"And what if we don't?" Aiden asked.

"We will. I am not letting them take her from me." Danny said.

"What?" Aiden looked up.

"Nothing, we'll find her. Mac, Flack, you, me, Stella even Vicaro is pulling for her. We'll find her." Danny said.

Aiden wiped her eyes.

"You go home. Get some rest." Danny said.

"I can't sleep." Aiden said.

"At least go home and try." Danny said. "It's late."

Aiden nodded. Danny watched as she walked out of the break room. He closed his eyes, hoping he'd wake up from this bad dream. Wake up and Aurora would be safe at home with her cat watching a Braves game.

Danny opened his eyes and went into the lab. He looked over the case again. The prints in her apartment were all hers. How did they get her out of that apartment? He started rereading everything they'd compiled at this point. His mind wandered.

_Aurora rubbed her cheek on Danny's shoulder. She took a deep breath._

"_Wow, you smell really good. That is some cologne you got on." She said. "I bet you drive girls crazy with that."_

"_Actually it's something new I just bought and thought I'd try. Is it driving you crazy?" Danny asked._

"_Well if this was a real date and I smelled that…I'd drag you home and let you pin me to the couch." Aurora winked._

"_Well what are we waiting for? Your place or mine?" Danny winked back._

_Aurora laughed. "This isn't a real date. And you couldn't handle me anyways." _

"_Damn….and I could handle you." Danny smirked. "The offer is always there if you want to prove me wrong." _

_Aurora giggled and shook her head. She then laid her head back on Danny's shoulder as 'Waiting for a Girl Like You' played on._

Danny sighed and stood up. He walked over to the window and looked out. There had to be something they were missing. Tanglewood had gotten her out of her apartment somehow. They had her somewhere now…there had to be evidence somewhere.

"_You cold?" Danny asked._

"_A little. The wind up here is making me shiver." Aurora said._

_Danny took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "That should help."_

"_Thanks." she smiled. _

_Danny rubbed her arms a bit through his jacket. "Well I don't want you to be cold."_

"_Being up here makes me think of that Cary Grant movie…the one where he is waiting for the girl if she still loved him, but she's been in an accident and can't meet him." Aurora said._

"_Yeah, 'An Affair to Remember'…that was one of my mom's favorites." Danny said._

"_Would you wait for a girl like that and then go looking for her?" she asked._

"_The right girl I would." Danny said._

"What are you still doing here?" Mac asked. Danny turned around and saw him standing in the doorway to the lab.

"I was just reviewing everything, seeing if we missed something." Danny said. "I thought you went home."

"I couldn't sleep. I decided to head back here and see what I could figure out." Mac said.

"Mac…do you really think we'll find her?" Danny asked.

"We won't stop until we do." Mac said.

Danny nodded and went back to the case file.

"_Which ball am I shooting for?" Aurora asked._

"_See that 6 ball right there. Here I'll help." Danny said. He leaned forward. "Just pull back the stick…hit it medium."_

_Danny kept his hands on hers and they both pulled the stick back and hit the cue ball. It made contact with the 6 ball which went into the corner pocket._

"_We did it." she laughed._

_Danny and Aurora stood up and he let go of the stick to hug her from behind. "Good job. Let's try for the 12 ball next."_

_They walked around the table to where the cue ball was._

"_Hold the stick the same…just like last time." Danny said and leaned over to guide her again._

(Morning, Attica Prison)

"Danny, stay here. Flack and me will handle talking to Sonny." Mac said.

Danny was nervously pacing outside the prison meeting room. "Mac, you know he knows something."

"But his recorded calls in and out haven't revealed anything. Chances are he does know something, but he's got someone working in the prison on his side." Mac said.

"More Tanglewood ties." Danny bit out.

"Just stay calm. We'll talk to him and see what he has to say." Mac said.

Mac walked down the hall and into the meeting room. Flack was inside waiting for the prison guards to bring Sonny Sassone in for an interview.

A few minutes later Sonny was brought in. He was dressed in prison orange and wearing handcuffs.

"Hey I remember you, you're the marine." Sonny said to Mac. "What brings you to see me?"

"Let's cut the chit-chat Sonny…where is Aurora Denton?" Mac asked.

"Who?" Sonny asked.

"She's a detective and she's my partner." Flack said. "And your boys kidnapped her."

"It's a shame the lady is missing but that ain't us. We don't have to kidnap women, they come to us." Sonny smirked.

"Look you little punk, Aurora Denton is a cop, do you know what that means? It means if she dies the state of New York automatically puts a needle in your arm." Mac said.

"Look Marine, how could I have kidnapped some lady copper if I'm in here?" Sonny smirked.

"You ordered her to be kidnapped." Flack said.

"And why would I do that? I don't even know this Denton broad." Sonny laughed.

"Because you want Danny Messer to speak at your parole hearing in a few weeks. You thought by kidnapping her, you could force him to do it." Mac said.

Sonny laughed. "Messer, like I need him. He pussied out on Tanglewood years ago."

"And you're punishing him for that now." Mac said.

"Yeah, you think so. You can search my cell the lady isn't in there. You got nothing on me or my boys. I get out in a few weeks. Maybe I'll see you around." Sonny smiled.

"Tell us where she's at Sassone….there's no settling out of court the murder of an officer." Flack said.

"Oh yeah, funny I heard that a few months ago about Paul Montenassi." Sonny said.

Danny was pacing back and forth. He knew Sonny knew where she was. The smirk said it all. And he was more frustrated by the fact they couldn't prove it and Sonny knew it.

"We're done here." Mac said. "You better pray we find her alive."

Mac and Flack stood up to leave.

Sonny smirked. "Hey pigs….tell Messer I heard his bitch was a great piece of ass!"

"Fottere!" Danny pounded his fists off the glass.

Sonny heard it and started laughing. He'd known all long Danny was somewhere around.

Danny took off down the hall determined to get to Sonny. "Vaffanculo! Fottuto stronzo!"

Sonny could hear him in the hallway and laughed more.

"You bastard." Flack slammed his fists down. "Aurora is my partner and so help me if you've hurt her I'll hunt you the rest of your life. She is not some mob bimbo you can rape at will. She the sweetest, most caring woman I've ever met!"

"Figlio di puttana!" Danny was pounding on the door.

Mac realized this situation was getting out of control. He opened the door and pushed a screaming and determined Danny back.

"Fottuto individuo spregevole!" Danny shouted.

"Danny, don't go in there. Stay out here. Calm down." Mac struggled to hold him.

"Fottuto cazzo! Vaffanculo!" Danny shouted.

Mac managed to get him out the door and shut the door.

"So help me if Aurora is dies…I'll turn him loose on you." Flack said to Sonny and walked out.

**To Be Continued……**


	25. A Voice

_BridgetLynn- Sounds like a fun weekend. Glad you thought the chapter was fabulous. Hope this one is too._

_Jordayna- They certainly need a beatdown. You'll just have to wait and see what happens. I hope you like it._

_meadow567- That was the best part? LOL The Italian seems so popular._

_Emador- Well you already know how I feel about the cursing! LOL Glad you're here!_

_Dybdahl- Pink? You lost me on that one. Hope you enjoy this. Lots more to come._

Danny was sitting alone in the break room back at the lab. Mac had told him to go in there and calm down when they'd returned from Attica. Danny was still shaking as he tried to drink a bottle of water. He couldn't. All he could think of was the hell Aurora must be going through.

Danny reached into his wallet and took out a picture he'd started carrying the month before. It was of Aiden and Aurora in Central Park. Aurora had been taking pictures of the city to send to her brother she still talked to. Someone had been nice enough to take a picture of Aiden and Aurora sitting together on one of the park benches. When Aurora had been going through the pictures, she'd jokingly gave that one to Danny saying it was of his 'ladies'. He'd stuck it in his wallet.

Danny looked at the picture. Aurora looked so happy sitting there smiling. She didn't deserve whatever Tanglewood was putting her through.

_Danny rolled his eyes again. "You know, I am starting to feel left out here. Flack getting all the action." He joked._

_Aurora smiled and stood up she came over and hugged him. "Don't worry Danny. Next time I go under cover, you can be my boyfriend and I'll grind against you."_

"_Really? I think I could find us a case." Danny winked._

"_You're so cute." She smiled._

"_It's getting late. Flack is showering. You gonna change and head home…not that I mind this outfit." Danny smirked. "I wouldn't mind taking you home in that outfit."_

_She laughed at him._

Danny sighed and wondered if she was still alive. How much longer would Tanglewood keep her alive? And what were they doing to her in the meantime?

Flack walked in and saw Danny holding the picture of Aurora and Aiden.

"Hey Danny, you feeling better?" Don asked and sat down.

"Not really. I just can't stop thinking about what Sonny said. He admitted they have her but we don't have a shred of evidence to do a damn thing." Danny sighed.

"Hang in there. We'll find her. She's counting on us." Flack said. "That's a nice picture of Aurora and Aiden."

"She's so pretty." Danny said. "She's probably the greatest woman I've ever met and now she's gone. And it's my fault."

"Danny, it's not your fault. And Aurora wouldn't want you blaming yourself." Flack said.

"Flack's right. The important thing now is to find her before she ceases to be useful to Tanglewood." Mac said and walked in the break room.

"What did the cell phone company have to say?" Flack asked.

"They're not using their cell phones. Tony Baba and Joe Spangal have neither one made a call on their cell phone since yesterday morning." Mac said.

"They using their house phones?" Flack asked.

"I thought that too but I checked those records and nothing." Mac sighed.

"They're not stupid. They knew we'd be tracking their calls." Danny sighed.

"Flack, what did the surveillance teams report?" Mac asked.

"Tony Baba has not left his house since the detail was set up. Joe Spangal left only to make a quick grocery store trip." Flack said.

"They're not going to where she is." Mac said. "Which means she's either already dead or they've left her somewhere to die."

Danny hung his head. "I'll cooperate with them. Anything to get her back."

"No, they don't kidnap an officer and get their way out of it." Mac said. "We'll figure something out."

"But she may die…if I just give in…"

"There is no guarantee they'd let her go." Flack said. "Besides, letting her live is too big of a liability for them. If she can identify them or knows anything that can put them away, they'll kill her."

"Well what can we do? None of the investigation is working out and we're running out of time." Danny snapped.

"We'll figure something out. In the meantime you stay away from them and no more talk of giving in to them." Mac said.

Danny clenched his jaw.

(Later)

"Don, where are you?" Danny asked.

"Aurora's apartment. I am checking on her cat." Flack said.

"Aren't you allergic?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, but…you know it's for her." Flack said.

"Make sure you give him one of those snacks she keeps on top the fridge. She says she gives him those to apologize on the days she has to work late." Danny said.

"What did you need?" Flack asked.

"Just checking in to see if you had heard anything new." Danny said.

"No, nothing new. The surveillance detail says Spangal and Baba aren't going anywhere." Flack sighed. "Danny we're going to find her."

"I wish I could believe that. But I know how these boys work." Danny sighed.

"Don't give up on her. She's a fighter. If anyone can get through this it's her." Flack said.

"I'd never give up on her." Danny said and hung up.

He walked back into the lab. As many times as he read the case files, nothing was adding up. He looked around the lab hoping some inspiration or an idea would come to mind.

"_Hey ADD, what are you doing here?" Danny asked._

"_Just seeing what you guys had found. I talked to Aiden in the hall." Aurora told him._

_She looked at a few trying to figure out what they did._

"_What all do we have here?" she asked._

"_Wanna try a few out?" Danny winked._

_Aurora laughed. "You ain't man enough to handle me, Messer."_

"_Is that a challenge?" Danny smiled. _

"_Well I would, but then I'd have to explain to Mac why you can't come into work for a day or two." she smiled at him._

"_Oh, I'm sure I got a day or two of vacation I could take." Danny winked and smirked._

"_If someone walked in here they'd get the wrong idea." Aurora laughed._

"_Hey, if it'll make you feel better I can lock the door and we can keep talking dirty." Danny winked._

"_You're so cute." she smiled._

"Hey Danny…haven't you gone home yet?" Aiden asked.

"No, I can't go home. Not with Aurora out there somewhere going through hell." Danny said.

Aiden sat down. "Mac said you went kinda crazy at Attica."

"I wanted to kill Sonny Sassone. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands." Danny gritted out.

"I can imagine. Just keep thinking positive." Aiden said.

"What's positive right now?" Danny asked.

"Just think that when this is all over and Aurora comes home…she'll drag us all to 80's night again. You and Flack can gripe about the music. She and I will dance to some favorite of ours from the 80's…..it'll be like always." Aiden said.

Mac walked into the lab. "Danny, you need to get some rest."

"I'll rest when she does." Danny said.

"Still no activity on their cell phones. They are being very smart about this." Mac said.

"So where do we go from here?" Aiden asked. "They're not making any mistakes."

"I am going to start pulling the files of anyone who has ever met the Tanglewood boys. Get some interviews going. Something, somewhere will lead us to her." Mac said.

"I'll help you." Aiden said and followed Mac back out of the lab.

(Later)

Danny was alone in the lab; it was late at night again. He was going through the files Mac had acquired about known Tanglewood associates. He looked through, not finding anything that would help. His frustration grew, but he wasn't about to give up.

_"Just a few minutes." Aurora said. "I ordered you a soda, the menus are here."_

_"Thanks." Danny said and picked up a menu. "We gotta eat fast so we can get back to my place and we can get down to business." Danny winked. "Remember, either one of us can be called into the field anytime"_

_She chuckled. "Wow, that was so romantic…I'm getting all hot and bothered." she winked._

_"Yeah, I just have that affect on women." Danny flexed and put an arm around her. _

_"I'm glad my sweet, flirting Danny is back." Aurora smiled._

_"After this you wanna catch a movie, it's still kinda early." Danny said._

_"That'd be great. Almost like a date." she said._

_"Hey it'll be your first 'date' with me instead of Flack." Danny smiled._

_"Is that cheating on him?" she joked._

_Danny smiled and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Sei una donna bella e sorprendente."_

_"What's that mean?" Aurora smiled._

_"It was a compliment." Danny said._

"_Well it sounded so pretty, you can say things like that all the time." she giggled._

"There has to be something." Danny said to no one.

He even tried remembering from when he was in high school, was there some place they hung out that Aurora could be hidden at. Was there someone he could talk to that might know?

_Danny took the water and aspirin and swallowed them. "No, no Aurora you're fine." Danny said and pulled me down beside him. "I am so sorry about last night. You were trying to help and I was a bastard."_

_"I was so worried about you...part of me wanted to just take your bottle and smash it but...oh I am ashamed to say it...I was afraid of you. I'd never seen you like that." Aurora said and bit my lip to keep from crying again. _

_Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair again. "Aurora, I am so sorry. The last thing I ever want is for you to be afraid of me. I am just….I am so sorry. But I wouldn't have hurt you."_

_"I... I had just never seen you like that and…." she leaned over and hugged him tight. "It's okay. I was more worried about you than anything. I didn't want you to be mad at me. I care about you. I am on your side in all this." _

_"I know, I feel horrible about what I said last night." Danny sighed._

_"Its okay...I know you didn't mean any of it…that it was just the alcohol and stress talking. I know you'd never dismiss me like that. You're too good to do that to a friend...that's why I came back this morning. I wanted to be here for you and help in any way I could." she said._

_Danny smiled. "Thanks Rora."_

_"Hey, I know you'd do the same thing for me." I said. "Okay, you'd try to comfort me with sex." Aurora joked._

_Danny smirked. "Hey you know me, anything I can do to help."_

_She laughed. "One of these days I am just going to agree to all your sex talk, just to see your reaction." _

_"Hey, I got no problem with that." Danny winked._

_"So you're not mad at me anymore?" she asked._

_"I was never mad at you…just the situation." Danny said._

_"That's good. You mean a lot to me." Aurora smiled and hugged him again. "How's your head?"_

_"My head is fine. The headache is from the hangover." Danny said._

_Aurora took his hand. "I know this is rough...but we're all on your side. And I'm here for anything you need...day or night. Please don't turn to getting drunk again for comfort."_

_Danny nodded. "Alright Rora, I won't I promise." He said. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for everything…I mean that."_

Danny looked outside, it was getting daylight again. All night and still no answers. He knew her time was running out.

"Danny, you're still here? You need to go home sometime." Mac said.

"I need to be here. Aurora needs me." Danny said.

Mac sighed. "Go home and get some sleep. You're no good to us half-awake."

"I am not leaving here until we know something about her. I can't….I have to find her." Danny said.

Mac looked at Danny, starting to realize why Danny was taking this so hard. It was more than Tanglewood being involved and more than concern for a fellow officer.

"I know how worried about her you are." Mac said.

Danny shook his head. "I keep thinking about her, and the things we've done together. She doesn't deserve this Mac. She's the sweetest most caring, gentle and good hearted……and to think what they might be doing to her."

Mac nodded. "Aurora is a great woman. I am worried about her too."

"Mac, its more than that." Danny said. "I keep thinking back to high school and the girls…..Sonny could be so charming when he wanted to be. Tony and Joe could too. They certainly dated a variety of girls. But I'll never forget those quiet, shy, smart girls. The ones that were pretty and didn't date much...they'd turn on the charm and those girls always fell for it. And then a few days later those girls would all have the same look on their faces…scared, shocked, confused. I could never do that to a girl. That was one of my big problems with Sonny, Joe and Tony."

"Danny, you got away from that. And you can't blame yourself for this. And I am worried about her too." Mac said.

"I have to get her back. I can't lose her." Danny said.

"But you can't give your all on the job with no sleep. Go home, get some sleep and come back in a few hours." Mac insisted.

"Mac…I'll sleep on the couch in the break room so I can be close if something happens. But promise me you'll wake me if you find out anything." Danny said.

Mac nodded, knowing how Danny felt. Mac watched as Danny walked out of the lab and towards the break room.

Mac looked around at all the files Danny had been going through and had to smile despite himself.

"Hey Mac, still nothing new from the surveillance team." Flack said as he walked into the lab. "Where is Danny?"

"In the break room. He agreed to get some sleep." Mac said. "He really cares about her."

"You have no idea. Tanglewood couldn't have done anything worse to him." Flack said.

"Isn't Danny the one that always said he'd never fall in love?" Mac smirked.

"Danny never thought he'd meet someone like Aurora. She's turned his whole world upside down." Flack said. "I hope we find her alive……I don't want to think how Danny react to losing her."

"We're not giving up on her. She needs us to stay optimistic." Mac said.

"But they're not going to her. How long can she live without water in this summer heat?" Flack asked.

Mac sighed and tried not to think about it.

(Break Room)

Flack walked into the break room. Danny was lying on the couch but his eyes were open.

"Did you hear something?" Danny asked.

"No, nothing yet. But I brought you some doughnuts. Thought you'd like to eat something." Flack said.

Danny sat up and Flack sat down beside him.

Danny sighed. "All these years and Tanglewood is still haunting me….and I know how these guys are. I don't want to think what they're putting her through."

"She'll be okay. She's a strong person." Flack said.

"I hope so." Danny said.

"When we get her back you should tell her how you feel about her." Flack said.

Danny looked up at him. "Come on Don…."

"Danny……it's pretty damn obvious that you're crazy about her. You should tell her that." Flack said.

"I…" Danny muttered.

"Do you love her?" Flack asked.

"Don…"

"I love her. She's my little sweetheart. She's cute, and funny and I love her. But I'm not in love with her." Flack raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to lose her. What if I say something and she doesn't feel the same way?" Danny asked.

"Talk to her. I think you should." Flack said.

Danny sighed. Don's cell phone rang. "Flack……we're on our way."

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"That was NYPD dispatch….a call about Aurora just came in." Flack said.

"Get Mac." Danny said as he was already running out the door.

Mac and Aiden made their way to the dispatch office where Flack and Danny were waiting.

"What's going on?" Mac asked.

"A call just came in." Flack said. "It involves Aurora."

"Let's hear it." Mac said.

The dispatcher started the tape as all calls that come in to the dispatch are recorded.

"This is Detective Aurora Denton, Homicide. I need to speak with Detective Danny Messer, Crime Scene Unit……" was all that was on the tape.

Mac, Aiden, Flack and Danny looked at each other.

"That's her voice." Danny said. "That's Aurora."

**To Be Continued...**


	26. Race Against Time

_**meadow567**- Good, I was wondering about the new story because I wanted to read it. Questions will be answered here. Good ole Don. Gotta love him._

_**Jordayna**- Glad I could brighten your day. Hope you enjoy this too._

_**Dybdahl**- Well don't die. I am working as fast as I can. LOL Hope you enjoy._

_**BridgetLynn**- You wanted to beat on Danny? Why? Don't die of suspense, more is here._

_**Emador**- I take from your review you loved it? LOL. Thanks for reviewing things with me. I think its all coming together better than even I had orginally planned. And with this update, I am back on schedule._

_**XX**- I hope your reading and can't wait for your reviews on all this. I am sure the way you write them I'll love reading them. _

_The dispatcher started the tape as all calls that come in to the dispatch are recorded._

"_This is Detective Aurora Denton, Homicide. I need to speak with Detective Danny Messer, Crime Scene Unit……" was all that was on the tape._

_Mac, Aiden, Flack and Danny looked at each other._

"_That's her voice." Danny said. "That's Aurora."_

"Oh my god…she sounds scared to death." Aiden said.

"Question is, is that her or did they record her voice and play it over the phone?" Flack said.

"It's a message for me." Danny said. "They had her ask for me specifically."

"Danny, don't start getting any stupid ideas." Aiden said.

"I'm not…but you heard her, she's frightened. I've been in lots of scary situations with her and she never sounded like that." Danny said.

"We're going to find her." Mac said. "I want this tape analyzed several times over. Pick it apart. I want every background noise identified."

"Where did that phone call come from?" Flack asked.

"A cell phone." The dispatcher told him.

"Give me that number, we'll find who it's registered to." Flack said.

"This is the first break we've had; let's make the most of it." Mac said. "Aiden, you're working the audio tape with me. Flack, you and Danny find out about the cell phone the call came from. Stella is working on files of known Tanglewood associates."

Danny nodded as Flack nudged him towards the door.

"Flack…do you really think we'll find her alive?" Danny asked.

"Yes. I refuse to think otherwise." Flack said. "We just heard her, she's still alive."

"What if that was a recording? Wouldn't be the first time kidnappers made a voice recording and played it over the phone." Danny sighed.

"Listen, I'm scared too, but you can't think the worst." Don said.

"But you heard her….she sounded so scared. She must be suffering." Danny sighed.

Flack sighed. "I know…I hated how she sounded too. I don't like hearing her sound that way."

"Let's check on the phone registration." Danny said. "Anything to get to her faster."

Flack and Danny headed for the cell phone company that distributed the number that came up on the dispatch.

"NYPD…we need to speak to someone in the records department." Flack said.

"Up the stairs and to the right." Reception told them.

Danny and Flack hurried up the stairs and through the door they were told.

"Excuse me, we need information and we're kinda in a hurry." Danny said.

"What is it?" a tech asked them.

"A call came into the NYPD dispatch this morning…we need to know who this number is registered to." Flack said and handed them the number.

The tech typed in the information on his computer.

"It's a fairly new account. This number belongs to a Dan Messer." The tech said.

"Fottere!" Danny said.

"Damn…talk about a message. They bought and registered a phone using your name and then had her call on it." Flack said.

Danny started pacing. "They are playing this too well. They know what they're doing."

"Check that phone's records. I want a list of every tower that phone has used since it was purchased." Flack said.

(Lab)

"Mac, just got back from talking with the cell phone people. You're not going to believe this." Flack said.

"Just tell me." Mac said.

"The phone that Aurora used to call us this morning is registered to Dan Messer." Flack said.

"They registered a phone to Danny's name and then forced her to call on it. They knew we'd trace it." Mac sighed.

"But we got a list of towers that has been used when calls have been made using that phone." Danny said.

"Anything that leads to Tanglewood?" Mac asked.

"Well most calls are made from the Staten Island tower to a tower in the upper east side. The number its calling is registered to an Owen Grey." Flack said.

"What did you find on him?" Mac asked.

"He's been dead for two years." Danny said.

"Other calls on the phone are from Staten Island to a tower in Queens. That phone is registered to a Joseph Lawler…he's been dead for five years." Flack said.

"What about the call from Aurora?" Mac asked.

"That call used a tower near the docks. That gives us a large radius." Danny said.

"The docks area." Mac said.

"Baba and Spangal both live on the Upper East Side…whoever has that phone is calling one of them." Flack said.

"They bought a bunch of phones under aliases because they knew we'd be tracking their calls." Mac said.

"Damn…they're so far ahead of us." Danny said.

"But they've finally made a mistake." Mac said. "They had Aurora call here…the call was recorded; now we can pick apart the background noises."

"What do you have on that?" Danny asked.

"Aiden's been working on it. A lot of muffled sounds in the background, a lot to pick apart." Mac said.

(Baba House)

"They had her call just like they were supposed to." Baba said to Spangal.

"Still no word from Messer. He is holding out longer than I thought he would." Baba said. "You know, Denton swears that she and Danny aren't dating…..maybe they're not and he doesn't give a fuck."

"No way…if you had seen the way he looked at her when I followed them." Spangal said. "And according to Sonny, Messer lost it yesterday."

"Well whatever, this isn't working. Messer won't give in and the longer we keep her, the bigger a liability she becomes. We need to get rid of her."

"How do you want to do it?" Spangal asked.

"Water…water washes away all evidence. Have the recruits get cinderblocks and chains. Weight her down and throw her away." Baba said.

"How are we going to get past the police sitting outside our doors?" Spangal asked.

"I'll call the recruits. After they leave the stuff for us, I'll have them create diversions to get the police away form our doors. We get past them, and it's bye-bye detective." Baba said.

(Lab)

"Mac, I think I got something from the tape." Aiden said as Mac and Danny walked into the lab. "You take out Aurora's voice and turn up the background noise."

Aiden played the tape.

"What is that….sounds like birds?" Danny asked.

"And then there is this too if you take out the bird sounds." Aiden said and played the tape again.

"Boat horns…those birds are seagulls." Mac said.

"Aurora called from somewhere at the docks." Danny said.

"They are holding her at the docks…but where?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know. The docks is a big area….and they could have her hidden anywhere." Mac sighed.

"Is there anything else on the tape?" Danny asked.

"No, I was lucky to get that. The recording is so short. They didn't let her say much." Aiden said.

"Fuck…now what?" Danny said.

"Danny, this is more information than we had before. Now we have a starting point. We need to find a connection between something at the docks and Tanglewood." Mac said.

"Danny, can you think of anything? From when you were in high school or something?" Aiden asked.

Danny ran a hand through his hair. "No, nothing."

"Calm down, we'll find her. We got something to go on now." Mac said.

Danny nodded and walked out of the lab. He headed for the locker room and kicked his locker.

"Did you hurt the locker?" Flack asked.

"I can't take much more….and I am so fucking tired of everyone telling me to calm down, stay calm, we'll find her." Danny snapped.

"Don't you think we all feel that way?" Flack asked.

"It's more than that……what if we don't find her alive? What if she's already dead? What if we never find her? What if I never get to tell her…"

Flack raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"I just want her back Don. I want her safe and sound, smiling, and laughing. I want her dancing and joking and listening to that god awful country music. I want…."

"Danny….there is nothing I can say to make you feel better. I wish there was." Flack sighed.

"I'm sorry. I know this has been rough on you too." Danny sighed.

Flack nodded.

(Later)

"Mac, I think I got something." Stella said as she walked into the lab.

"What is it?" Mac asked.

"I looked through some old files of the Tanglewood boys families. Sonny Sassone's father owned an old building down at the docks. Back in the day it was used for their 'business'." Stella said.

"What is it used for now?" Mac asked.

"Nothing. Sonny inherited it and hasn't done anything with it. He's had several offers from neighboring businesses to buy it out though." Stella said.

"That's got to be where they have Aurora. The background noises, the cell tower….that's it." Mac said. "We got to get down there."

Mac picked up his cell phone and called Flack. "Flack."

"Flack, we know where Aurora is. Call a SWAT team, but keep it as quiet as possible. We can't afford to spook them, they'll kill her. But we have to move fast." Mac said.

"I'm on it. I'll have a team ready to go in an hour." Flack said.

Mac hung up and went to find Danny. He found him in the locker room looking at a picture.

"Danny, we know where Aurora is." Mac said.

"Where? Is she okay?" Danny stood up.

"We don't have her yet. But we found a building at the docks that Sonny's dad used to own….we're pretty sure she is there." Mac said.

"Let's go get her!" Danny said.

"Flack is getting a SWAT team together." Mac said. "We'll be leaving in about an hour. Danny are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Danny said.

"Danny….are you sure you want to do this? She could be dead when we get there. And with your past with Tanglewood…"

"Mac, I need to do this. I have to do this." Danny insisted.

Mac looked at Danny a moment. "Alright, but no matter what happens, don't do something stupid."

(Docks)

Danny and Flack, guns drawn entered the front door of the building Sassone owned at the docks. They looked around and saw very little. The place was empty. A black SUV was parked out front with plates registered to Tony Baba.

"NYPD!" Flack yelled. "Come out with your hands in the air."

There was nothing as Danny and Flack crept farther into the building. Then they heard Aurora scream.

"NYPD!" Danny yelled.

Flack watched him close to be sure he didn't lose his head.

Out of a side room Tony Baba appeared with Joe Spangal. Between them was Aurora. Her face had a few cuts and was bruised. She was dressed only in her boycut underwear and a tank top. Spangal and Baba each was holding one of her arms, and each had a gun pointed at her. She looked scared to death and was in pain from them squeezing her arms.

"Let her go! Put your weapons down and let her go!" Flack said.

"Fuck you! She's our ticket out of here." Spangal said.

"Spangal, let her go. There is no way out of this." Danny said.

Baba laughed. "Put your guns down or we kill your little bitch."

Danny clenched his jaw, barely keeping himself in check.

"Let her go. You kill her; it's an automatic death penalty." Flack said.

"You want her to die? You let us walk out of here or we put a couple of bullets in her!" Baba yelled.

"We're taking her with us!" Spangal said. "We're not to be followed."

"You can't get away with this, let her go!" Flack yelled.

Danny's eyes met Aurora's. He mouthed, "You okay?"

"Talking to your bitch Messer, did you miss her?" Baba yelled and pulled on Aurora's arm till she screamed.

"Just let her go. You don't want to kill an officer." Flack said.

"What the fuck do I care? Not like you could hold us." Spangal said.

"We're looking at you. You can't get away with this one." Flack said.

"That's what you think. We killed Montenassi and got away with it. Killing this whore don't mean nothing to us. Just ask Messer." Baba smirked.

Danny tightened his grip on his gun. A thousand thoughts and emotions running through him at once.

"Let Aurora go!" Danny yelled. "She isn't involved in this. This is between you guys and me!"

Flack glanced over at Danny.

"Fuck you Messer. When her pretty little head is blown all over the wall, it'll be your fault." Baba said and pulled on her arm again. She screamed in pain.

"Fucking let her go!" Danny said and took a step forward.

Flack watched Danny as Baba lifted his gun and jerked on Aurora's arm again. She screamed in pain.

Then gunshots rang out throughout the empty building.

**To Be Continued...**


	27. Over

_**Meadow567**- Don't say very bad girl…you'll attract my Janny muse from Miracle land. LOL. Hope this wasn't too long to wait._

_**BridgetLynn**- Well men and their egos. And glad it came at such a good time. I like cheering people up and being on time! _

_**TongueTwister-** Yay, I love new reviewers. Here is the next chapter. Thanks for the review. Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_**Dybdahl**- Glove? That one really lost me. And that's quite a big cliff, LOL. Here is the next update._

_**Jordayna**- Yes lots of cliffhangers, but I am glad you're loving it. Here is the update. _

_**Emador**- Remember what I said about melting, fainting and the vapors. Also, I think TN would be proud. But now that I think about it that might have been FL, or even NY back in the day. Oh well! Hope you enjoy! _

_Danny tightened his grip on his gun. A thousand thoughts and emotions running through him at once. _

"_Let Aurora go!" Danny yelled. "She isn't involved in this. This is between you guys and me!"_

_Flack glanced over at Danny. _

"_Fuck you Messer. When her pretty little head is blown all over the wall, it'll be your fault." Baba said and pulled on her arm again. She screamed in pain._

"_Fucking let her go!" Danny said and took a step forward. _

_Flack watched Danny as Baba lifted his gun and jerked on Aurora's arm again. She screamed in pain._

_Then gunshots rang out throughout the empty building._

Baba fell to the ground screaming and clutching his leg. Spangal turned to see what happened and a second gunshot rang out. Spangal screamed in pain as his gun flew out of his hand.

Mac and Vicaro had led the SWAT team through the back. They held back waiting to see what would happen. When Spangal and Baba held guns on Aurora, they knew they would have to get it right or she'd be killed. They waited for the right moment. Then Vicaro shot Baba in the leg; a nonfatal wound that would save Aurora. When Spangal turned, Mac shot his gun out of his hand.

When both were down, the SWAT team rushed forward. Aurora stood screaming and crying. Mac got to her first.

"You're okay now. It's all over." He said and held her, trying to calm her down.

"I was so scared." Aurora screamed. "They were taking me to kill me."

Mac rubbed her back as she cried against his shoulder. "You're safe now."

Danny and Flack cuffed Baba and Spangal. Danny kept looking at Aurora to be sure she was okay. He sighed with relief to see Mac holding her, even though she was still screaming.

"Are you injured?" Mac asked her. "Get her a blanket."

"No, I don't think so." She cried. One of the SWAT members gave Mac a blanket.

Mac wrapped the blanket around her. "Any broken bones?"

"No….Mac I was so scared." She cried. "I knew you'd come for me."

Mac hugged her again, watching Danny and Flack pull Baba and Spangal towards the doors.

"There are two more of them!" she cried. "There are two more of those men that kept me here."

"Do you know who they are?" Mac asked her.

She shook her head. "No, but they were here all the time. They brought me food and took me to the bathroom twice a day."

"But they weren't Spangal and Baba?" Mac asked.

"No, Spangal and Baba were only here once. These other two….they called themselves recruits and talked about some tattoo….the Tanglewood thing on their shoulder." She said.

"No doubt Baba and Spangal will squeal on them with no trouble." Mac said. "We got an ambulance coming for you. You need checked out."

"You okay kid?" Vicaro asked. "You gave us one hell of a scare."

Aurora looked up at him.

"I was actually worried about you….with you gone…that leaves just Stella and Aiden to stand up to me." Vicaro winked.

Aurora smiled through her tears. "Thank you."

Danny and Flack dragged Baba and Spangal outside. There was a police van waiting to take them to the hospital.

"Kidnapping her was the biggest mistake ever. She's alive and she'll tell everything and with all these police witnesses." Flack said.

"Ow, I'm wounded." Baba yelled.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll shoot you again for funsies." Danny snapped.

"This is one you can't get out of." Flack said. "Get in."

Danny opened up the back doors of the police van and shoved Spangal in.

"You next…and you better not ever so much as look at Aurora Denton again." Danny said and pushed Baba in.

"Fuck, that hurts!" Baba yelled.

"It's for her!" Flack said and shut the doors. He turned to the officers in charge of taking them to the hospital. "Take them to the hospital, get them patched up then take them to central booking. Do not let them out of your sight. No one gets to see them except doctors and nurses. And ask to see their diplomas. No one screw this up."

As the police van pulled away, Danny walked to the side and threw up everything in his stomach. Flack looked at him and had someone bring him a bottle of water. Flack walked over and patted Danny's shoulder.

"You alright man?" Don asked.

"Yeah…just all caught up with me…..she's okay." Danny said.

Flack handed him the water. "You got her back. She's safe now."

"I thought they were going to kill her in front of me….the ultimate revenge, kill her while I watch…..and now she's safe…..its just….." Danny said and rinsed his mouth out.

"Aurora looks like they beat her up." Flack sighed.

"God knows what else they did to her." Danny said and looked back inside the building. Mac was holding her.

Flack chuckled. "This is probably the first time since Claire died that Mac has had a half naked woman in his arms."

Danny looked at Flack.

Don shrugged. "Random thought...comic relief; I am thrilled she's safe."

"At least it's just Mac." Danny said.

"Let's go talk to her, you must be dying to." Flack said and they headed back inside the building.

SWAT was everywhere securing the place.

"Flack, Aurora says there are two more involved in her kidnapping. Two younger boys who took care of her." Mac said.

"We'll find them. We'll interrogate Sonny, Tony and Joe a lot over the next few days." Flack said. "Aurora how are you?"

She nodded.

"Her ambulance should be here any minute." Flack said.

"Stay with her, I need to speak with Danny." Mac said.

Mac pulled Danny to the side. "How are you?"

"Good. I'm glad it's all over. Aurora is safe and we have Tanglewood." Danny said.

"You go on to the hospital with Aurora, I'll process this area." Mac said.

Danny looked up at Mac.

"I know you want to. And she's been asking for you." Mac smiled.

Danny looked over to where Aurora was talking with Flack.

"I was worried to death about you." Flack said and hugged her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I never doubted for a minute you and Danny and Mac and Aiden would be looking for me."

"While you've been away, I've been looking in on Rammer." Flack said. "He's fine."

"But you're allergic to cats." Aurora said.

Flack shrugged. "But you love him and you were gone…and I missed you."

Aurora smiled. "Donald Flack you old softie."

Flack smiled. "Your ambulance is here. Come on, I'll walk you out."

Don put an arm around her and walked Aurora outside to where the ambulance was waiting. EMT's were waiting for her. She sat in the back of ambulance as they started checking her over.

Danny walked over and hopped up beside her.

"Danny, oh my god." She said and hugged him tight. "I was so scared I'd never see you again."

"It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Danny said and hugged her, holding her tight. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" she asked and looked at him.

"For everything." Danny said.

"None of this is your fault. I don't care what your dad did." Aurora said.

Danny looked at her, his eyes wide. "How did you…"

"Those bastards told me everything. All about your dad and Tanglewood. But this isn't you fault." Aurora said.

"You know? What…." Danny didn't know what to say.

"I spit on him, ole what's his name Spangal." Aurora said and touched her black eye. "He got even."

Danny hugged her again. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have…"

"Stop blaming yourself." She said.

"Are you okay?" Danny pulled back and looked her up and down.

"I think so…" she said. "Danny…"

"It's okay. I am going to the hospital with you. I am not leaving you, I swear." Danny said and pushed the hair out of her face.

Aurora looked at Danny and started crying again. He pulled her against him and held her tight.

"It's all over now. You're safe. I'll not let anything else happen to you." Danny said and rubbed her back. "Everything is okay."

"Miss Denton, we're ready to leave for the hospital." The EMT said.

Aurora nodded and moved farther back into the ambulance. Danny sat down beside her. Before the doors were closed Flack caught Danny's gaze and nodded at him with eyes narrowed.

Danny sighed and nodded back.

As the ambulance rode to the hospital, Danny held tight to Aurora. She leaned against him. She seemed tired, drained and clingy. Rightfully so in Danny's mind.

Once at the hospital, Aurora was placed on a gurney but she immediately reached for Danny's hand.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Danny asked. "Well considering what you've been through."

"I am just shaky and want something familiar you know." She smiled. "I'll be fine. I know the worst is over."

Danny squeezed her hand and walked beside her into the ER. She was immediately placed in an exam room.

"You're about the bravest person I know." Danny told her.

"I didn't feel so brave." She admitted.

"You did great." Danny said.

"Okay, Miss Denton….you're the officer that was kidnapped. We were called about you. How are you?" the doctor walked in.

"A little sore." Aurora said.

"Looks like you were hit in the face a few times….shouldn't need stitches." The doctor said. "I'll be in to give you a full exam in a few minutes. Do we need to run a rape kit?"

"No." Aurora said.

Danny looked at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah, no need for that."

"Okay, I'll be back in a few. Detective Messer, I will need you to wait outside for that." The doctor said and walked out.

Danny turned back to Aurora. "Are you sure the doctor shouldn't do a rape kit?"

"Oh, they never touched me that way." Aurora assured him.

Danny realized Sonny had just been running his mouth. And despite his surprise because he knew Tanglewood, he was limp with relief that they hadn't raped Aurora.

"Grazie a Dio." Danny said and leaned down to hug her.

"What'd you say?" she asked.

"Thank god. Thank god you're okay and safe and back…..back where you belong." Danny said.

The doctor walked back in. "Okay Miss Denton, this shouldn't take too long."

"I'll be right outside." Danny said and squeezed her hand. He turned to the doctor. "If she needs anything, get me immediately."

The doctor nodded and Danny walked outside. He slumped into a chair, not sure what to do with himself. He was feeling so much at once.

His cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Danny, it's me." Stella said. "Just though you'd like to know one of those recruits turned themselves in."

"Really?" Danny asked.

"Yeah about ten minutes ago. His name is Tino Sperlazza. He was afraid of police brutality in retaliation for hurting one of their own, so he says. Anyways, he walked in and is now telling Flack his story." Stella said.

"That is good to hear. How is Aiden?" he asked.

"She is bouncing off the walls down here and keeps saying something about Flashdance." Stella said.

"80's night….I'll call her later. How's the case coming?" Danny asked.

"Mac is about done at Sassone's building. Baba and Spangal are being patched up before being taken to Central booking." Stella said. "How is Aurora?"

"Doctor is with her now. She has calmed down and she wasn't raped." Danny said.

"Vicaro called and said she was found alive." Stella said.

"I think she'll be okay in a few days." Danny said. "I got to go. She might need something."

Danny hung up and leaned back against the wall. He felt tired. Now that she was safe, his body was starting to relax. He hadn't slept since she disappeared.

"Detective Messer?" the doctor interrupted his thoughts.

Danny jumped up. "What is it? Is she okay?"

"She's fine. You can take her home now." The doctor smiled.

Danny nodded and walked into the exam room. Aurora was sitting up on the gurney.

"I wish they'd give me some clothes. I don't think half of NYC needs to see me like this." She chuckled.

Danny took off his jacket. "Here, this will help. And keep the blanket too. I'm taking you right home."

He helped her put on his jacket. "What did the doctor say?"

"That I'll have some bruises for a few days and the bones in my face will be sore. He gave me some painkillers. Told me to rest." Aurora said. "Flack and Mac both insisted I take a week off from work to recoop."

"You deserve it." Danny said and helped her off the gurney.

"I need a shower. I look like hell." Aurora said.

"You can shower when we get you home." Danny said and held onto her as they walked out of the exam room.

"I can walk on my own you know?" she said.

"I just like helping you." Danny smiled.

(Manhattan)

Danny opened the door to Aurora's apartment and helped her inside. Rammer came running to them.

"Baby, mommy is so sorry. She missed you so much. But Uncle Don took care of you." She reached down and picked him up.

Danny smiled and locked her door, double checking it.

"Why don't you go ahead and shower? Then you can get some sleep." Danny said.

"Yeah…thanks for going to the hospital with me and bringing me home and everything." She said.

"No problem." Danny said. "Go shower. I'll get you something to drink."

"Oh Danny…you don't have to stay here and…."

"Not another word. I want to look after you. I don't want you to be alone right now….and I want to be sure you're okay." Danny said.

Aurora nodded and walked into her bedroom. Danny went to make her a glass of soda. After a few minutes he heard water running. He walked into her bedroom and fluffed up her pillows and straightened her sheets out.

The water shut off and a few minutes later, Aurora walked out. She was dressed in a long t-shirt and volleyball shorts. She was towel drying her hair.

"Feel better?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, but…my arms are bruised and my face." Aurora sighed.

Danny walked over and hugged her. He pulled back and kissed her forehead, both cheeks and her nose.

"Sei tuttavia bellissima." Danny said.

"What's that mean?" Aurora asked.

"You're still beautiful." Danny smiled. "A few bruises can't hide that."

"You say the most wonderful things." She smiled.

"You take your meds yet?" Danny asked.

"No, I'll get them. I left them in the kitchen." She said.

"I'll get them. Go ahead and get in bed. Relax. There is a soda by the bed for you." Danny said.

"If I weren't so tired I'd joke you just wanted to get me in bed." She smiled but walked over and climbed in her bed.

Danny walked in the kitchen and grabbed her medicine and came back and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Here, it says to take one." Danny said and handed her a pill.

She took it and lay back on her pillows. "How long you going to baby me?"

"As long as Mac can do without me." Danny said. "And when you feel up to it, I'm taking you out. Somewhere nice."

"That's sounds wonderful." Aurora said and yawned. "Would you stay with me till I fall asleep?"

Danny nodded and moved so that she could lay her head on his thigh. He reached down and stroked her cheek.

"Talk to me." She said.

"What do you want me to say?" Danny asked.

"Talk to me in Italian." She said and yawned again.

Danny smiled as she closed her eyes. He gently played with her hair. "Ti penso sempre. Ovunque io vada, sarai sempre nei miei pensieri e nel mio cuore. Sei la ragione del mio sorriso. Io e te saremmo perfetti insieme….."

**To Be Continued…..**


	28. Three Days

_Jordayna- You didn't have to wait long, here is more. Wow, you actually got it translated? That's great._

_Meadow567- It's coming, I had to get this done first. I hope you like it. Sixth day? And Don can be great comic relief._

_Dizzy-Dreamer- Glad you liked that line. I thought it was funny and something smartmouth that Flack would say. Hope you keep reading._

_Dybdahl- Well you'll just have to see what happens. Glad you liked the ending._

_BridgetLynn- You think he is? Hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Emador- "We Are The Champions, my friend…." Sorry I just had to do that. Well here it is, and you have permission to faint, melt, swoon, feel the vapors. Just have fun._

(FPPOV)

I woke up late the next morning. I looked around my apartment and everything flooded back to me. The kidnapping, Tanglewood, being rescued. I looked around my bedroom. Rammer was asleep on the bed beside me.

I reached up and touched my face, it was sore. I looked at my arms. Bruises marked where Baba and Spangal had held my arms. I looked at the clock, it was 10:45. I stepped out of bed and walked into the living room.

I found Danny asleep on the couch. His gun was lying on the coffee table. I smiled and walked over to him.

"Danny, wake up." I said.

"What's wrong? What do you need? Are you okay?" his eyes popped open.

"Will you relax? I am fine. I just wanted to wake you up…..you didn't have to stay all night." I said and sat beside him.

"I wasn't leaving you alone after you had just been through all that." Danny said. "Besides, I wanted to be sure you were safe."

"That why you slept with your gun ready?" I asked.

"Yeah." Danny ran a hand through his hair. "How you feeling?"

"Better now that I have rested some. My face is sore and the bruises are still there on my face and arms." I sighed.

"I'm glad you're okay." Danny said. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Oh I dunno, I'll find something." I said.

"No, I'm making you breakfast. You sit and relax." Danny said.

"You're going to spoil me too much and then when you're not here anymore I'll be lost." I smiled.

"A few days of spoiling never killed anybody." Danny said and headed to my kitchen.

"A few days?" I asked.

"Yeah. I am staying with you, taking care of you. Making sure you're safe." Danny said.

"But they caught Tanglewood." I said.

"One of the recruits is still missing. Although when Mac called earlier this morning he said they knew who he was they just had to find him. Tino is telling things left and right." Danny said.

I smiled. "You know you're as big a softie as Flack. And I love every bit of it."

There was a knock at the door. Danny walked over and looked through the peephole.

"It's Aiden." He said and opened the door.

Aiden rushed into my apartment. "Aurora, I am so glad to see you."

She rushed over and hugged me.

"I am glad to see you too." I said.

"I was so worried about you." Aiden said and hugged me again. "Even Vicaro was being nice and you know how often that happens."

"I was scared too but I knew you guys were looking for me." I smiled.

"When you feel better to celebrate we're going out….80's night. We'll make Danny and Don go. And we'll stay all night. I'll even request Warrant." She smiled and held my hands.

"Ohh, Jani Lane was so hot." I giggled. "That sounds wonderful."

Aiden laughed and hugged me again. We heard Danny clear his throat.

"Are you two gonna start making out?" He smirked. "If you are, can I take pictures? Flack will want to see it."

Aiden and I rolled our eyes.

"I have to get to work, but I just had to see you. Flack and Vicaro are interrogating Spangal and Baba. Mac and I will be heading to Attica later." Aiden said.

"I'm glad you stopped by. I missed you." I told her.

"I'll catch you later. Don't let Danny drive you crazy." She laughed and headed out.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" Danny asked.

"Just make me some toast and eggs." I said.

I watched Danny clatter through my kitchen. I smiled and relaxed against my couch.

"Later today if you feel up to it, I need to take your statements. Mac asked me if I would do it since he knew I'd see you often while you're off work." Danny said.

"Sure, that's no problem. I'd rather do it today while my mind is fresh anyways." I said. "Truth is I feel fine, just sore."

(Later)

"You sure you can do this?' Danny asked.

"Yeah." I said. "Danny I know it was all scary but other than some cuts and bruises and bad memories, I'm fine."

Danny nodded. "Let's start with how they kidnapped you. How did they get you out of this apartment? Mac, Flack and me turned this place upside down several times and couldn't find anything."

I took a deep breath. "I was asleep when the buzzer to my apartment went off. I hurried to answer it, but no one responded. I thought it was a mistake…someone hit the wrong button or something; so I went back to bed. A few minutes later the buzzer started again, only it was a constant buzzing. I grabbed my gun and badge and headed downstairs. I thought someone needed help or something. When I got to the bottom of my stairs and looked outside……I saw that the buzzer for my apartment had been taped down. I looked around but didn't see anything. I stepped outside to take the tape off my buzzer and suddenly something was over my mouth and everything was black."

"Explains how they got you out, and how they got your badge…..what's the next thing you remember?" Danny asked.

"I woke up in that building. Baba, Spangal, Sperlazza and that other kid….I think they called him Mikey…..they were there. I started fighting immediately which…well, they hit me a few times." I said.

"Did they say anything?" Danny asked.

"They asked about you and some Sonny person. I was clueless. They showed me their tattoos and started telling me about Tanglewood. They kept insisting we were dating. I told them we were friends….they said they saw us…."

"Fuck…they were following me and saw you with me." Danny said. "Aurora I am so sorry."

"Danny, you couldn't help that they mistook me as your girlfriend. I just happened to be with you." I said and took his hand. "Quit blaming yourself."

"What next?" Danny asked.

"The others left and Spangal stayed with me. That's when he told me about your dad and you running with Tanglewood in high school. And they told me about Paul Montenassi, and explained about Sonny Sassone." I said. "Of course I was angry at them and the way he was talking about you, so I spit on him. That's when he blacked my eye."

"Are you…angry I didn't tell you?" Danny asked.

"No, not at all. I can understand not wanting to tell people your dad was a mob boss. And you'd have freaked me out of the first time I met you, you said 'Hi, Oreo. I'm Danny; my dad was in the mob.'." I said.

"But I still feel so guilty." Danny said.

"Stop feeling guilty. You've done nothing wrong." I said and leaned over to hug him.

"You're the most amazing woman." Danny said and looked at me.

"You're pretty special too." I smiled. "Well after Spangal left, the only ones I saw were he recruits. They'd come a few times a day. Always with food. I didn't have much appetite. I'd drink the iced teas they brought me because I was so thirsty. And Tino would take me to the bathroom."

"Did the recruits say anything to you?" Danny asked.

"They told me they were doing this to earn their tattoo. That Spangal and Baba had started hanging out with them a few months ago." I said.

"Did the recruits ever hurt you?" Danny asked.

"No. Just Baba and Spangal…more Spangal. The recruits were actually nice to me…well nice for kidnappers." I said.

"And the phone call we got from you to NYPD dispatch?" Danny asked.

"Tino and Mikey walked in and handed me a cell phone. They told me to dial 911, identify myself and ask for you. I didn't know what they wanted, but I did as they asked. After I asked for you, they took the phone from me and left." I said.

"When Spangal and Baba showed up again, what did they say to you?" Danny asked.

"They told me that you didn't care if they killed me, so they were going to. That I knew too much against them." I said.

"Aurora that's not true…."

"I knew it wasn't true. Anyways, then they said they were going to take me into the other room and…..weigh me down." I started to cry.

"It's okay….I can take care of the rest." Danny said and pulled me into his arms.

Danny hugged me tight.

"I'm sorry….its just I was so scared and then you and Don showed up." I cried.

"Shhh, just don't think about it. You're safe and it's all over." Danny said.

I clung to Danny for a few minutes, letting myself calm down. He held me tight and rubbed my back.

"Danny, I am feeling a little tired. I'd like to take a nap." I said.

"Go ahead; do you want me to sit with you until you fall asleep?" Danny asked.

"I don't want to be a bother." I said.

"You're never a bother. Come on." Danny said and helped me up.

(TPPOV)

Danny's cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Danny it's me. What're you doing?" Flack asked.

"Watching Aurora sleep." Danny said.

"Yup, you're long gone." Flack said.

"Don…." Danny said.

"Oh come on, will you quit this and just tell her?" Flack said. "Have you talked to her yet?"

"Just about the case and a few light things." Danny said.

"Well you wanted her back. You have her back, now don't blow it." Flack said. "Besides, she and I have been 'dating' long enough she might start wanting a ring."

Danny rolled his eyes. "We'll see what happens."

"Do the right thing Danny." Flack said and hung up.

Danny sighed and flipped his phone shut. He looked back into Aurora's room. She was asleep with Rammer by her side. He smiled and sat down on her couch.

He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against her couch. He was relieved she didn't hate him after all she'd been through. He felt she'd have every right.

He decided to read something while she was resting. When Aurora woke up he'd watch a ballgame with her. He opened the bottom of her coffee table and started looking through the books she kept down there. She actually had a copy of Moby-Dick. He pushed that aside and pulled out a book that was something about the Miracle hockey team she was so excited about.

Danny decided to at least look through it, maybe find something interesting. He sat back on the couch and started flipping pages. A picture fell on his lap. He picked it up.

It was Danny and Aurora in the lab. He'd forgotten Aiden even took it. When Aurora was getting pictures for her brother, she'd waltzed into the lab insisting on a picture of the two of them because she already had one of her and Flack. Danny had obliged and hugged her a few seconds while Aiden snapped the picture.

Danny looked at the two of them standing together. She was smiling; he'd given her bunny ears. He looked back towards the bedroom where she was sleeping.

(Next Evening, FPPOV)

Danny and I had spent the day watching movies. I even talked him into watching 'Miracle'.

"I am so glad you watched this with me. I once dated a guy who threw a fit about this movie. Wouldn't let me even talk about it." I said.

"What was his problem?" Danny looked at me.

I shrugged. "Who knows? He was so jealous of all the celebrities I like. He called Eddie Cahill, 'Eddie Cocksucker'. Then again, that guy didn't like anything I did and had no respect for my opinions."

"Sounds like you're better off without him." Danny said.

"I don't miss him. It's so great to be able to watch 'Forrest Gump' and I can jump around about Lt. Dan all I want." I giggled.

Danny chuckled. "So what kind of guy you looking for to settle down with?"

"Well, the last few guys I dated were disasters. But I still believe that my prince charming is waiting for me." I smiled.

"And what do you want your prince charming to be like?" Danny asked.

"I just want a guy who'll love me, be there for me. Someone who has time for me, and loves me the way I am. Someone who has a good heart, good sense of humor." I said. "Someone that I can love forever."

"You think you'll know when you find him?" Danny asked.

I looked up at him. "Yeah I'll know. I just hope he'll feel the same." I said. "So, what kind of girl you looking for? Oh nevermind, you're the one that's never going to fall in love. Mr. 'Don't even talk like that Mac. It's not funny.'."

Danny chuckled. "But life happens, and sometimes before you know what hits you….it can happen."

"Ah, so should it happen for you, what kind of girl you looking for?" I asked.

Danny looked up at me. "I got the perfect woman in mind."

"Well what is your perfect woman than?" I asked.

"She's very unique and special and there is no one else like her." Danny said.

I nodded. "I know that feeling…well about the perfect guy." I said.

"You getting tired?" Danny asked.

"One more movie and then I'll head to bed." I said.

"How about 'Sudden Death'? It's got hockey for you, action for me and Pittsburgh." Danny said.

"Sounds great." I said. "I'll make us some more popcorn."

"No, I'll get it." Danny insisted.

(Later)

"I thought you slept in those little tank tops and panties like you were in when we rescued you?" Danny said as I walked into my bedroom.

"I usually do, but thought it'd be inappropriate with company." I said. "Flack thinks it's a riot to show up early in the morning and see me wearing them."

"I wouldn't have minded." Danny smiled.

I laughed and climbed into bed. "If I wore that, then I'd insist on seeing you in your underwear. It'd only be fair if you get to see me in mine."

"I got no problem with that." Danny said.

I laughed. "You're so cute."

Danny sat down on the bed beside me. "I'm going to work tomorrow. You be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I feel good. I feel safe. Thank you for everything. You've done way more than necessary. And I appreciate every bit of it." I said.

"I'll call you a few times tomorrow, just to be sure." Danny smiled.

"You don't have to…but it'll be nice to hear from you." I said.

"Aurora, I am so sorry about everything." Danny said.

I sat up. "Danny, quit it. None of this was your fault. You are not your father. You can't help that he was in the mob. But you bettered yourself. You left that behind and you're a wonderful person."

"But…"

"No, listen to me. You are not your dad. Nothing he ever did was your fault. You are not Sonny Sassone, or Tony Baba or Joe Spangal. Nothing Tanglewood has done is your fault. You're Danny…a great man, a great detective and scientist. You help people." I told him.

"But I used to run with Tanglewood…."

"And you left them behind. You couldn't be apart of that life because you knew it was wrong. You had a life of ease and you chose to be a better man. And I am so proud of you." I said.

Danny looked at me like he wanted to say something. I smiled and hugged him.

"Stay with me till I am asleep?" I asked.

"Of course." Danny said.

I lay back down and pulled the covers around me. I moved and rested my head on Danny's thigh.

"You feel up to going out tomorrow night?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to get out of the apartment for awhile." I said.

"Then tomorrow after I get off from work, we'll go out. Dress nice, I know just where I want to take you." Danny said.

"You're so sweet. It'll be nice to get out and relax and have fun." I said.

"Get some rest." Danny said as I closed my eyes.

(Next Evening)

The next night I was waiting for Danny when I heard my apartment buzzer.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me, buzz me in." Danny said. I buzzed him in and a few minutes later he was knocking at my door.

I opened the door. Danny looked great in a grey dress shirt and jeans. I smiled at him.

"Come on in." I said.

"Aurora, you look beautiful." Danny said.

I smiled but looked down. "I had to wear long sleeves to cover the bruises and I tried and tried with make-up but couldn't quite cover them."

Danny raised my chin to look at him. "You look great. And if anyone asks, we'll tell them you were in a car accident."

"Thanks." I said. "Where are we going?"

"A place I think you'll like. Come on." Danny said.

I followed Danny down the stairs and out of the building. Danny hailed a cab for us and gave him the address for somewhere in Manhattan.

"You know blue is a pretty color for you." Danny said.

"Thanks. I bought this dress a while ago, but never had the chance to wear it before." I said.

Danny touched my cheek. "You're so pretty."

"Thank you." I smiled.

It was a short drive to wherever Danny was taking me. We stepped out of the cab and he paid the driver.

"What is this?" I looked up at a large building.

"You'll see, and I think you'll like it." Danny said.

I followed him into the building and we got on an elevator. He pushed the button for the 65th floor. We rode to the top floor and stepped off. I could smell food and hear pans rattling.

"We need to go to the roof." Danny said. "Steps are over here."

"Danny, what is this?" I asked.

"It's a place that is open during the summers. It's quite popular." Danny said.

We walked up the stairs and when we walked out, we were on the roof of the building, which was a restaurant.

"A restaurant on a rooftop?" I asked.

"New York City has everything." Danny smiled.

I looked around. Several tables were set up; there was a dance floor and music playing. A few couples were dancing.

"This is so nice; I've never been to a place like this." I said.

"Come on, I made reservations for us. Let's get seated and order." Danny said.

I walked with Danny to the host and followed him as we were seated. Danny pulled my chair out for me and then sat down across from me.

I looked around. Everything was beautiful. The city was lit up at night, the stars were shining, and the weather was warm.

"Danny, this place is so nice. I don't know what to say." I smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. I really wanted to bring you here tonight." Danny smiled.

"The weather is warm and with the stars shining and the city lights…it's beautiful." I said.

Danny smiled. "Let's order."

"Where do they cook at?" I asked.

"Downstairs." Danny said. "The food here is good."

We looked over our menus and ordered.

"So what did you do without me today?" Danny asked.

"Lounged around the apartment. Watched a bit of TV, nothing exciting." I said. "How was work?"

"Few easy cases, run of the mill stuff. And helping Mac and Don with the Tanglewood stuff." Danny said.

"Thank you again for everything you've done for me the past few days. I can't thank you enough." I said.

"You don't have to thank me….I'd do it all again in a minute." Danny said.

(Later, TPPOV)

"That meal was incredible." Aurora said. "This place is great."

"I am so glad you like it. I was hoping you would. I wanted tonight to be special for you." Danny said and reached for her hand.

"It has been." she smiled.

"I'm sorry about everything you went through. You didn't deserve that. And I still feel like it's partly my fault. They were trying to get at me and you got caught in the middle." Danny said.

"Oh sweetie. Stop thinking like that. It wasn't your fault. Even if they were trying to get at you, you couldn't help that." Aurora said. "Don't blame yourself anymore."

Danny smiled and squeezed her hand. "I was so scared when Tanglewood had you and we couldn't find you. I've never been so scared in my life."

"But that's all over." she said.

'Unchained Melody' started playing.

"Oh I love this song. Ever since the movie 'Ghost'." Aurora said. "That's such an amazing movie. I mean to love someone so much…"

"Would you like to dance?" Danny asked.

"I'd love to." she said.

Danny tugged on her hand and led her to the dance floor. They stopped among a few other couples. Danny pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder. He was wearing that cologne she liked so much. She inhaled, enjoying being near him.

"Aurora?" Danny said.

"Hmmm?" she raised her head and looked at him.

Danny looked at her a moment, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Ti amo." He whispered.

Aurora looked up at him. "What does that……" she knew by the look in his eyes what he meant.

Danny leaned down and kissed her. She leaned closer to him. Danny kissed her softly and she held tight to him, not willing to let him go. He made no effort to let go of her.

He pulled back. "I've waited so long to do that."

"Then do it again." She said and pulled his mouth to hers.

Danny kissed her again. Aurora put both hands behind Danny's neck and kissed him back.

(Later)

Danny stepped out of the cab and helped Aurora out. After paying the driver, he put his arm around her and walked her into her building.

"Danny tonight was….amazing." she said as they climbed the stairs.

"It was." Danny said.

They stopped outside the door to her apartment.

"Well I guess this is it. Thank you again for tonight." She smiled.

"You're welcome….it went better than I could've imagined." Danny smiled and kissed her hand.

"Call me in the morning before you go to work?" Aurora asked.

"Sure, do you need something?" Danny asked.

"Just to hear your voice." She smiled.

"Can I come over after work tomorrow?" Danny asked.

"You better." She smiled and leaned up and kissed him.

"Buono notte." Danny told her.

"How do you say 'also' in Italian?" Aurora asked.

"Anch'io." He told her.

Aurora leaned up and kissed Danny's cheek. "Ti amo anch'io." She whispered.

She unlocked her door and walked inside her apartment.


	29. Out Again

_TongueTwister- Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Just a light one after all the recent drama. _

_Meadow567- Actually him looking at that book had nothing to do with that episode. All the Italian from the whole story or just last chappie? I thought last chappie what they were saying was obvious._

_LizFromItaly- So glad you liked it. I love that you know everything that happens, even when Danny is trying to say something in Italian he doesn't want Aurora to know. _

_BridgetLynn- What is the snoopy dance? I have a happy dance. Hope you keep reading. I have so much planned for this series it's scary._

_Jordayna- I am so glad you enjoy this story. I have lots planned so I hope you keep reading. This is kinda a light chapter after all the recent drama._

_Emador- You have to hurry home, LOL. Hope you're having fun._

"What time is Aurora getting here?" Don asked Danny. They were in the locker room getting ready to go out for the evening.

"Soon, she called me when she was leaving her apartment." Danny said.

"And you let her out alone?" Flack laughed.

"Yeah, she is doing great. She went for her mandatory psych evaluation yesterday. No one would think that a week ago she was kidnapped." Danny said. "And she can't wait to get back to work Monday."

"I'll be glad to have her back." Flack said. "You've certainly been in a good mood since falling on your knees and confessing your undying love to her."

Danny rolled his eyes. "I didn't fall on my knees."

"Has she yet?" Flack raised an eyebrow.

"Don, you asshole." Danny shook his head. "And not that it's your business but no."

"Well aren't you happy that you told her?" Don asked.

Danny smiled. "Yeah…it's great."

"You're turning sappy on me Messer." Flack laughed.

"Am I? I don't care." Danny said.

"So how are things with you and Aurora?" Flack asked.

"Great…couldn't be better." Danny said. "I still can't believe how lucky I am."

"Well it's about time you two got together. Stevie Wonder could see how infatuated with each other you both were." Flack laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "She should be getting here soon. I am going to wait for her."

"I'm right behind you. Where is Aiden?" Don asked.

"Probably in the locker room. Aurora and her are so excited to hang out together. Aiden has been so busy all week she hasn't been able to see her." Danny said.

"So now that Aurora is officially your girlfriend, I supposed Aiden is my 'date' from now on." Flack said.

"Until Aiden finds another loser to date. For her to be such a great girl, she finds NYC's biggest assholes." Danny said.

Danny and Don were almost to the entrance to the women's locker room when Aiden ran past them and they heard squealing. They looked up to see Aurora coming down the hall too.

Aiden and Aurora ran and hugged each other. Both talking fast and laughing obviously excited to hang out and they had missed each other. The guys stood watching as the girls giggled and practically jumped up and down.

"Stand back, we're gonna get something on us." Danny smirked.

"If I didn't see you for a week, when I did again I'd say 'hey' and keep going. What is it with women?" Flack asked.

"Have we ever understood women in our lives?" Danny smiled.

Danny and Don walked up to the girls.

"Ciao bella." Danny said and kissed Aurora.

"About damn time Messer." Aiden said. "I was about ready to kick you in the ass."

"How was your day?" Aurora asked.

"Busy, but I couldn't wait for tonight." Danny smiled.

"Danny's been lost to the dark side." Flack said.

"Who are you Darth Vader? You were rooting for them to hook up as much as me." Aiden punched his arm.

"Luke, Luke I am your father." Flack imitated.

"I've been so excited to go out tonight." Aurora said. "All night in the 80's. I can't wait."

"Aurora, your bruises have healed pretty well." Aiden said.

"They're lighter, but I still got on enough make-up for a clown." She said. "And I had to wear long sleeves."

"You still look great." Danny said.

"Yeah, if you and Danny disappear tonight, we'll avoid the bathrooms." Flack winked.

"Somewhere in that is a compliment." Aurora laughed.

"Let's go. I promised Aurora we could dance to Warrant." Aiden said.

(80's Night)

When they arrived at the club it was full of people. 'The Breakfast Club' was playing on the TV's around the club and Duran Duran was playing.

"It's really crowded tonight." Aurora said.

"Look around and find an open table." Aiden said.

"There is one next to the wall." Flack said.

The four of them made their way through the crowd to the table. They sat down. Danny pulled Aurora's chair close to his.

"You two actually make a cute couple." Aiden smiled. "But of all the men in NYC did you have to fall for Danny?"

Aurora laughed at the joke. "Well it was either him or Vicaro."

"Sheldon and Flack are single." Aiden joked.

"They're all yours….Mac is single too." Aurora said.

"Yeah, but it's been so long for Mac…I don't think he'd know what to do with a woman anymore." Flack said.

"Don't pick on Mac. Devotion like his is rare these days." Aurora said.

"You girls want drinks?" Danny asked.

"I'll take a beer." Aurora said.

"Me too." Aiden said.

The guys walked up to the bar.

"So how are things with Danny?" Aiden asked Aurora.

"Oh my God…Aiden it's wonderful. He's spent every evening this week with me. We've watched ballgames and movies. One evening we just sat and talked for hours. I feel like I'm dreaming, I still can't believe it." Aurora said.

"You look so happy. I am so glad everything worked out." Aiden said.

"Me too, but I'm scared." Aurora said.

"Of what?"

"Well, what if this is all just Danny's reaction to my kidnapping and it wears off? I am in so deep with him already." Aurora said.

Aiden took her hand. "You've got nothing to worry about. Danny was so infatuated with you before the kidnapping that Don and I were ready to place bets on when you two would hook up."

"I really love him." Aurora said.

Aiden squeezed her hand. "And Danny loves you. I am just so glad you two finally got together."

"Seriously you two girls should make out. You're so affectionate with each other anyways." Flack said.

"Women are just that way." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but you two making out would be hot." Danny said and sat down next to Aurora.

"You two are never gonna let go of that one are you?" Aurora asked.

"You girls could just make out and shut us up." Flack smirked.

Aurora laughed and leaned against Danny as she sipped her beer.

"Gotta hand it to ya Messer, you finally got a girlfriend that isn't psycho or a dog." Flack said.

"Not all my past girlfriends were psychos or dogs." Danny said.

"Yes they were." Aiden said. "Do I have to bring up Ashley?"

"Oh yeah, she was the one that thought she was Paris Hilton and has a thing for anything in a uniform." Flack said. "You dodged a bullet with that one."

"How about Heather? She had the brain capacity of a slug." Aiden laughed.

"Okay, okay. Enough….I haven't even dated much in the past year. And none of that matters because I've got Aurora now." Danny said.

"Aurora, what kind of guys have you dated before? You always hear us rag on Danny." Flack asked.

"Trust me; I've kissed my share of frogs. Let's see, there was Jason who tried to change me, didn't respect me much and his friends hated me. Then there was Chris who had no time for me and was using me I found out later. And Rick was a nice enough guy but we just didn't work out. I think he felt I wasn't good enough for him." Aurora said.

"I think everyone has to date their share of wrong people before finding the right one." Aiden said.

"Aurora, would you like to dance?" Danny asked her.

"Yeah, that'd be great. We're gonna be here all night. Just like the Lionel Ritchie song." Aurora giggled and stood up.

Danny held her hand as they made their way to the dance floor. Whitesnake's 'Is This Love' was playing. They found a spot and Danny put his arms around her.

"Are you having fun?" She asked him.

"I'm with you, of course I am." he smiled.

She smiled. "You say the sweetest things."

"You know, you and I haven't had an official date yet. Every time we've been out it's been either with Don and Aiden, or we've been out as friends." Danny said.

"Yeah, you're right." She smiled.

"I think we need to fix that." Danny said.

"Well, where do you want to go?" She asked.

"I am not sure yet. But next Friday, we're going out. Just you and me, our first official date." Danny said.

"I can't wait." She smiled.

"Voglio baciarti." Danny said.

"What'd you say?" Aurora asked.

Danny leaned in and kissed her.

"That I want to kiss you." Danny smiled.

"You know that Italian still makes me weak in the knees…even more now." Aurora said.

"Why do you think I keep using it?" Danny winked.

"Well Flack, just you and me now." Aiden said as they watched Danny and Aurora snuggling on the dance floor.

"You'll always have Vicaro." Flack smirked.

"I mean of our little foursome….Danny and Aurora are all in love." Aiden said. "Just leaves us."

"They'll still hang out with us. At least until Danny is able to get her into bed. Then we might not ever see them." Flack said.

"Why wouldn't we see them?" Aiden asked.

"If I had a girlfriend that looked like that….I wouldn't leave the bedroom." Flack smiled.

Aiden rolled her eyes. "You're missing my point here. I was trying to say that our little group dynamic will have to change some now that two of us are a couple."

"I don't think it'll change much. They'll just be a couple now instead of flirting endlessly." Flack said.

"She really loves him." Aiden said.

"He really loves her." Flack said.

"This just might work for the two of them." Aiden said.

"Music is speeding up a bit, wanna go join them?" Flack asked.

"Yeah." Aiden said and stood up.

Don and Aiden came to the dance floor near Aurora and Danny. Eddie Money singing 'Take Me Home Tonight' was blaring throughout the club.

"Now that you're with Rora, you gonna invest in those Monster Ballads she and Aiden swear is a sure way to get laid?" Flack asked Danny.

"Oh yeah, I'm gonna run out and buy it first thing in the morning." Danny said with sarcasm.

"What are we doing in the morning?" Aurora asked.

"You and I are having breakfast." Danny smiled and kissed her cheek.

Aurora smiled. "You're spoiling me."

"That's okay, you're mine to spoil." Danny said.

"Hey Aurora, could you and Aiden grind together?" Don asked.

"Flack…..in your porn collection at home is any of it NOT girl on girl?" Aurora asked.

"Of course, I like a variety." Flack smirked. "But you and Aiden are both hot and here."

"Hey, I actually had a threesome with them." Danny smirked.

Aiden punched his arm. "You did not. That case was how long ago?"

Danny pulled Aurora against him. "I am half-way there now." He winked.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Dream on Messer."

"I'm cute." He smiled.

"Yes you are." She kissed him.


	30. Lost Baby

_Meadow567- I dunno, but I didn't like her so she doesn't get to be in my story. I love fan fic because I control who does what! LOL through the story and send you the Italian._

_Jordayna- Well not this chapter but the next one will have lots. This one is short but significant. Hope you like it._

_BridgetLynn- I totally agree. I am the leader of the anti-Lindsay club. LOL Oh, I get the snoopy dance thing now. I have a happy dance, and it's silly. I guess I'm a dork too._

"Good to have you back." Flack said. It was Monday morning. We were sitting at our desks.

"It's good to be back." I said.

"You look good." Flack said.

"I feel good. I'm happy." I smiled.

Flack smirked right before his phone rang. "Flack."

I went to get a cup of coffee. I don't know who made it that morning, but it was so strong I wondered if Mac had been in the station. Mac was notorious for making coffee so strong you almost had to cut it with a knife.

"Rora, we got a call." Flack called me to.

I put down my coffee and headed out to follow him from the station.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"County hospital. A woman died, doctor is suspecting foul play and pitching a fit." Flack said as we hopped in an SUV.

"If she died at the hospital, shouldn't Hawkes be investigating before us to see if there was foul play or not?" I asked.

"Well the ER doctor that handled the case said there was definitely foul play. So we have to at least take a look." Flack said.

Flack and I rode to the hospital where we entered the ER. The place was crowded for it to be early in the morning on a Monday.

"NYPD, we got a call about foul play in the death of a woman." Flack said.

"Right, that was called in by Dr. Shaw. He's in exam room three." The desk told us.

We walked to exam room three. Inside was a doctor with a nurse. On a gurney was a woman, not moving. The doctor and nurse were unhooking equipment form her.

"NYPD, I'm Detective Denton, this is Detective Flack." I said.

"Yes, I called the police." The doctor said. "I'm Dr. Shaw."

"What's the story with this woman?" Flack asked.

"She was left outside the ER doors about an hour ago. Hospital security found her." Doctor said. "She was unconscious, barely alive."

"Anyone see who left her here?" I asked.

"No, she was just lying on the sidewalk." Doctor said. "Anyway, we brought her in to access what was wrong….she flat-lined. We called a code blue. We had to call the code after twenty minutes."

"So why call the police? Isn't possible this woman was sick and just collapsed at the door?" Flack asked.

"This woman died of hemorrhaging from complications of child birth." The doctor said.

"So where is the baby?" I asked.

"It was not born at the hospital. She had given birth prior to being left outside. If she had given birth in a hospital, she'd have been fine. But she bled out before we could help her." Dr. Shaw said.

"How long ago did she give birth?" I asked.

"From the looks of things, maybe two hours ago. Including the time we were working on her." Dr. Shaw said.

"Have her body sent to the medical examiner's office; Dr. Hawkes will be in charge of her." Flack said.

"Of course." The doctor said.

"Also, we'll need statements from you and anyone on your staff that had contact with her. Did she have any ID on her?" I asked.

"No, she was dressed just in a night gown and robe." The nurse said.

"Thank you." I said and walked out with Flack behind me.

"Odd case." Flack said.

"We need to search around the hospital, check all bushes, garbage cans, dumpsters, stuff like that. Someone might have left that baby nearby. Hell she could've had the baby nearby and then stumbled here." I said.

"In this August heat, a baby wouldn't live long left alone." Flack said.

"Then let's look everywhere and hope Sheldon can come up with some answers for us." I said.

"Do we need to call child services?" Flack asked.

"No, because right now we have no proof that the baby was delivered alive. It could've been stillborn, or died from improper birthing." I said. "For all we know, we could be looking for a baby corpse."

(Morgue)

"Hawkes, what do you have on the woman from the hospital?" I asked as we walked in.

"Do you think it was foul play?" Flack asked.

"I am not sure. But there was something strange going on with this woman." Sheldon said.

"What do you have for us?" I asked.

"Like the doctor at the hospital said, she died from bleeding out from complications from giving birth." Sheldon said. "Whoever tried to help her deliver the baby, did tie off the umbilical cord. They used a shoe string."

"I hope they tied it off on the baby, or it will have bled to death too." I said.

"I bagged up the shoe string and sent it over to the lab. Aiden is handling the case." Hawkes said. "Another thing, from the way she bled out, I'd say she was in labor several hours."

"Definitely enough time for someone to get her help." Flack said.

Sheldon nodded. "Also, after examining her, I'd say she had no prenatal care. She probably never saw a doctor her entire pregnancy. She had no trace of prenatal vitamins, Rogam or anything like that in her system. And had she seen a doctor, he'd have told her she'd need a caesarian."

"Is it possible this is just a home birth gone badly?" I asked. "I mean now days, lots of women have their babies at home, and in bathtubs."

"Not likely, home births have a mid-wife on hand. A mid-wife by law would've been obligated to call for help once she saw the difficulties this woman was having." Sheldon said. "Of course, it's entirely possible that this woman hid her pregnancy and tried delivering herself at home."

"Can you tell anything about the baby?" I asked.

"I sent some of the fluid from the cord to DNA for analysis. That will tell us the baby's sex and if it had any abnormalities. We'll also be able to get both parents DNA and run that through CODIS." Hawkes said.

"Anything about the woman to help us know who she is?" Flack asked.

"I printed her and sent that to Aiden to run through AFIS. The only other mark she had was a tattoo on her wrist. Seems to be a homemade tattoo." Sheldon said and held up her wrist. "I don't recognize the symbol."

Flack and I looked at it. It was plain blue and appeared like a pentagram with the anarchy symbol over top of it.

"Gang member?" I asked.

"Doubtful, she doesn't look like the gang type." Flack said.

"This one isn't adding up." I said.

"Well, let's see what Aiden can find. And I'll look through our files of known gang symbols and see if something matches up." Flack said.

"Thanks Sheldon." I said and followed Flack out of the morgue.

"What are you thinking?" Flack asked.

"I am just wondering what was going on with this woman is all." I said.

"There are a lot of questions. Now we need to answer them." Flack said.

"I keep wondering where that baby is. We searched all over the hospital grounds and there was nothing there." I said.

"Cases like this are rough. There are no winners." Flack said.

(Station)

"Denton." I answered my phone.

"Rora, it's me." Aiden said.

"Hey, what do you have on the case?" I asked.

"No match in CODIS or AFIS on the mother. No match in CODIS on the father either. But the baby was a boy." Aiden said.

"A baby boy." I said. "Anything on the shoe string?"

"A few fibers, cotton. Nothing that will help. The only blood on it belonged to the mother." Aiden said.

"Someone out there has to be looking for a missing pregnant woman and that baby. Any time a pregnant woman comes up missing, it's all over the news. Yet no one has reported this woman missing." I said.

"Maybe she just gave birth at home, got scared and tried getting to the hospital." Aiden said.

"It's possible. How many times do you hear of young girls getting scared and trying to have babies alone, hiding pregnancies? I just wish we knew where that baby was. If it's alive, it's going to need care, medical attention." I said.

"Right now we got nothing. Best we can do is sit and wait…which I know you don't do well." Aiden said.

"I'll be okay." I laughed. "I'll call you if anything new happens."

I hung up and stretched out. I walked to the files room and found Don looking at pictures of known gang tattoos.

"Hey Don, Aiden just called. No ID on the mother or father….but the baby was a boy. Nothing from the shoe string." I said.

"The mother's tattoo is not matching any we have on file. It could just be a symbol she made up and is in no way related to the case." Flack said.

I nodded. "Guess we're done with the case for now. No one is reported her missing, and no one has reported finding a baby."

"We're done with this." Flack said. "Nothing more to do."

I nodded and walked out. I went back to my desk and dialed my cell phone.

"Messer."

"Hey Danny, it's me." I said.

"Ciao bella." Danny said. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go shower. I'm done for the day as long as we don't get another call." I said. "How's your day going?"

"Stella and me got some double murder in Long Island. Pretty messy murder. We've been here all day." Danny said.

"You gonna have to work all night?" I asked.

"Nah, other than lots of blood, there is little evidence. I'll be done in a few hours." Danny said.

"Maybe I'll stop by the lab and see you." I smiled.

"Maybe I'd really like that." Danny said and I could tell he was smiling.

"I'll see you then." I said.

"If I am going to be late, I'll call you." Danny said.

(Later)

I walked into the lab. Danny wasn't there but Aiden was. I sat down next to her.

"Hey Danny in yet?" I asked.

"Yeah he got in a bit ago. He's showering." Aiden said.

"Do you know what he's planning for Friday night?" I asked.

Aiden smiled. "Ah, the first official date….are you excited?"

"I am. I just wish I knew what he had planned." I said. "I am so excited."

"Danny's been smiling a lot more lately. You two are something else." Aiden laughed.

"A first date with Danny…..it's been so long since I had a real date of any kind. And even longer since I had a first date. Do I need to shave my legs for this?" I giggled.

"You do if you want Danny to touch your legs." Flack said as he walked in. "Nothing is worse than a woman with rough legs. It's like rubbing sandpaper."

"And like that sandpaper strapped to your chin is any better." Aiden rolled her eyes. "We were in the middle of a girl talk."

"No kidding. I've been involved with so many of you girls'……I'm about one girl talk away from needing a bra." Flack said.

"You love us." I giggled.

"I love you as long as I don't have to buy your tampons." Flack smirked.

"Aiden you'll have to come over and help me pick out something to wear." I said.

"Something sheer." Flack said.

Aiden and I rolled our eyes.

"Honey, Danny is so crazy about you, you could wear a garbage bag and he'd be thrilled." Aiden said. "But I will come over this week and help you find something. Maybe we can just go shopping and get something all new."

"Do girls always go through this before a date?" Flack asked. "I mean guys will shower, throw on something clean, put on cologne because women love that….and we're ready."

"I don't know. I just want to look great…and wear something that will knock his socks off." I said.

"I suggest the outfit you wore to the rave." Flack said.

I laughed. "Not quite what I had in mind."

Danny walked into the lab. "Hey what's everyone talking about?"

"I walked into another girl talk. You think I'm a B or C cup?" Flack said.

Danny laughed and walked over and kissed me. "Ciao bella."

"Hey, how was your day?" I asked.

"Better now." He smiled. "You guys wanna grab a bite?"

"Are we intruding?" Aiden asked.

"No, just because Rora and me hooked up doesn't mean we wanna be alone all the time." Danny said.

"We'd love for you to come with us." I said.

"As long as we get SOME time alone." Danny winked.

I laughed and took his hand. "Come on, let's go. I'm hungry."


	31. First Real Date

_Meadow567- Glad you liked it. It'll come into play again. Hope you like this one. I'm working on your translations._

_Jordayna- Thanks. This one isn't a case but I am anxious for feedback. I hope you like it._

_XX- Hmmm, don't see you anywhere…maybe Rora cheats on Danny with Vicaro. (Goes to find my Vicaro muse! LOL)_

_Emador- Thank heavens you're back. For this chapter please be sure you're sitting, and what the hey, you can swoon, melt and all that. _

(TPPOV)

"So tonight's the big date with Aurora huh?" Don asked.

Don and Danny were in the locker room at work at the end of the day. Danny was getting ready to leave and pick up Aurora.

"Yeah, I'm due to pick her up in an hour." Danny said.

"She rushed out of here at the end of the day all excited." Don smiled. "So what are you two doing tonight?"

"I'm taking her to Little Italy. I keep promising to, but the only time we were ever there was during a murder investigation." Danny said.

"And what did you buy from Tiffany's?" Flack raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know I went to Tiffany's?" Danny asked.

Don pointed to a blue box sitting on the top shelf of Danny's locker.

"Those little blue boxes are known around the world." Flack smirked.

"Thank you detective." Danny rolled his eyes. "It's for Rora."

"No shit. What is it?" Flack asked.

"Don't worry about it." Danny said as he started to put in his contacts.

"Whoa, no glasses tonight." Flack said. "Why don't you wear your contacts more often?"

"They absorb chemicals too easily. Contacts don't go well in the lab. And they're such a hassle because I am so used to my glasses…..I just wear them on special occasions." Danny said.

Flack laughed. "I can't believe this is you. I've never seen you like this. I've seen you date lots of girls over the years, but……you're really serious about her."

Danny blinked adjusting to his contacts. "Being in love changes a person. Just wait, it'll happen to you…..if you can get a date with a woman that's not inflatable."

"Fuck you Messer." Flack laughed. "So you finally gonna hit it?"

Danny shook his head. "I don't want to move too fast and mess this up."

Flack looked at Danny. "I've never heard you say that in my life."

Danny shrugged. "This is a good thing. I am not going to do anything to mess it up. Besides, you know Rora. She's flirtatious and all, but she's not the put out on the first date kind."

"I thought you wanted to wrap her legs around your waist….no wait, that was me." Flack smirked.

"Oh I still do, trust me. But when the time is right." Danny said.

Flack winked. "So if you're not scoring with her tonight, you gonna try for 2nd base?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "That's it. We need to get you away from those 900 numbers and a date with a real woman."

"I'm actually hitting the bars tonight." Flack laughed. "But in all seriousness, you've got a great girl. I hope everything works out."

Danny nodded. "Me too."

Flack put an arm around Danny. "Now she doesn't have any brothers here in New York, so I am going to fill in for a minute….what is your intentions with her? Do you have condoms on you? Do you watch pornography? And can you have her home by 11?" Flack smiled.

Danny laughed. "I'll be nice to her. No. Not as much as you. And no."

"You guys have fun tonight." Flack said.

Danny put the Tiffany's box in his pocket. "We will. And be careful how much you drink. You don't want to wake up next to something that looks like it's from a horror movie."

Flack scoffed. "You're lucky Aurora came along when she did. You'd had enough bow wows to start a pound."

"You should know Mr. AKC." Danny smirked. "I'm outta here. Got a gorgeous woman waiting for me."

(FPPOV)

I had rushed home after work and hurried to get ready. Danny still wouldn't tell me where we were going. Aiden had a smirk that told me she knew something although she wouldn't tell me either. And Don had asked me about birth control.

Earlier in the week, I'd bought a new yellow dress with flowers on it. It was short and made with thin straps. I had white heels with straps that went perfect with the dress. My bruises had healed.

I heard the buzzer to my apartment. "Hello?"

"It's me. Buzz me in." I heard Danny say.

I buzzed him in and a few minutes later I heard him knocking on my door. I opened the door. Danny was dressed in jeans and a blue shirt that really brought out his eyes. He was smiling, his hair spiky….in short he looked downright sexy.

"Hey Danny." I said and opened the door for him to come in.

"Ciao bella." Danny said and kissed me.

I shut the door.

"You look beautiful. Bellissima." Danny said and pulled me into his arms.

"Thank you. You look pretty hott yourself." I said.

Danny leaned in and kissed me. He was wearing that cologne I liked so much.

"We keep this up we might never get out of here." I giggled.

"I'm not sure if that would be a good thing or bad thing." Danny smiled.

"So where are we going? You've kept me in suspense all week." I said.

"We are spending the evening in Little Italy. Now we can go and enjoy all we want to." Danny said.

I smiled. "That sounds perfect."

"Are you ready to go? I have a cab waiting for us." Danny said.

"Let's go." I said.

Danny took my hand and we left my apartment. We walked down the stairs and out of my building. The cab was waiting at the curb for us. Danny opened the door for me and I climbed inside. Danny climbed in beside me and we took off.

"You look so pretty." Danny said and touched my shoulder.

"All the bruises finally healed." I said.

"In che modo io diventare fortunate?" Danny said.

I smiled. "That sounded so pretty….what did you say?"

"How did I get so lucky?" Danny asked.

"I feel lucky too. I've never met someone as wonderful as you." I said.

"No…I'm the lucky one. I don't deserve you. Sei un amore." Danny said and leaned over and kissed me.

"Translation?" I asked.

"I said you're a sweetheart." Danny said.

"That Italian is so sexy." I said.

Danny leaned over and kissed me again.

"Okay Romeo and Juliet, we're here." The cabbie said.

I jumped from being startled and felt myself start to blush. Then it dawned on me that NYC cab drivers have seen it all; Danny and I kissing should be mild compared to other things he'd seen.

Danny helped me out of the cab and then paid the driver. I looked around Little Italy. It was all lit up, people in the streets. Danny took my hand.

"The restaurant is around the corner." Danny said.

I smiled and walked beside him down the street. He held open the door and we walked into a restaurant. It was very old Italy style. Candles on every table, brick walls, vines along the trim.

"Danny, this place is adorable." I said.

"I thought you'd like it." Danny smiled.

A hostess seated us. Danny scooted his chair over so he could sit closer to me.

"What would you recommend to eat here? You're the Italian food expert." I said.

"Spiedies are good." Danny said.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Lamb shish kabobs." Danny said.

"Oh no. I never eat any baby animals. No. No lamb, no veal, nothing not full grown." I said.

Danny smiled. "With your soft heart…that doesn't surprise me. Okay no lamb. How about Rigatoni Con Salsiccia? That's rigatoni with sausage. Tiela….that is a layered dish of peppers, potatoes, beef- full grown."

I laughed. "I trust your judgment. Order us both something different and we can share."

"You got it." Danny said. He ordered for us and the waiter left us alone.

"Danny…this is really nice. Thank you." I said.

Danny took my hand. "I wanted tonight to be really special. I waited a long time to have a real date with you. And I wanted it to be something you'd enjoy."

I smiled. "I couldn't imagine anything better." I leaned over and kissed Danny.

"How was your day?" Danny asked.

"Pretty routine. Still no word on that missing baby. I doubt we'll ever find him." I said. "You?"

"About the same." Danny said. "Saw where your Braves lost last night."

"That's fine. We'll clinch the division middle of next month. Lose in the play-offs. Just like every year since 1991." I said.

"It's so cute that you're a sports fan, especially baseball." Danny said.

"I hope you're still saying that when I rub it in when the Yankees get knocked out of the play-offs." I joked.

"You mean I'll still be saying that at the Yankees World Championship parade." Danny smirked.

"Keep thinking that. They'll blow it. I mean any team that can blow a 3-0 lead in the ALCS…"

"Did I mention the Steelers are getting ready to have training camp?" Danny interrupted.

"You…..hush." I laughed.

Danny laughed. "I knew that would shut you up."

"That was mean….how about we talk neutral baseball teams?" I winked.

"Actually I have been meaning to ask….as big a baseball fan as you are, who is your favorite player?" Danny asked.

"Cal Ripken Jr. Orioles #8." I said.

"I thought it'd be Hank Aaron or Dale Murphy…someone from the Braves." Danny said.

"Ripken in my opinion helped save baseball. After the strike, baseball lost a lot of fans and popularity….Cal brought a lot back. And he's such a down to earth sweet guy. I just love him." I said. "I was crying and cheering the night he broke Gerhig's record."

"There's no crying in baseball." Danny winked.

I laughed. "Thank you Tom Hanks. Who's your favorite?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Danny said.

"Come on, tell me."

"Ted Williams." Danny said.

I almost choked on my drink. "Williams….he's….you do know he played for the Red Sox?"

"Yeah, don't let it get out I like him. Ruin my image." Danny whispered.

"You're so cute. Ted Williams….he was great. One of the best ever." I said. "Dad loved baseball."

"Did you watch a lot of games with him?" Danny asked.

"Oh yeah. He didn't have a favorite team, he just watched anybody who was on. He'd start watching one game, get mad at it and switch to another one. I think the last few years he lived….I never saw a whole game." I chuckled. "Of course, towards the end…the medicine he was taking caused his cataracts to grow rapidly so he couldn't see well. And he'd been hard of hearing for years. So watching a game with him then was hysterical. He couldn't read the scores, would turn up the game so loud you could hear it down the street….and he'd still get mad and watch two or three a night."

Danny smiled. "Sounds like good memories."

Our food arrived. Danny had ordered Tortelli di Zucca- a pasta dish; and Bistecca alla Fiorentina**- a steak specially prepared.**

"You never talk about your family. You know all about my problems with my mother and sisters. And the good times with my dad, but you never tell me about yours." I said.

Danny sighed. "My mom….my mom was the greatest woman ever. She didn't deserve being married to the mob. She was one of those women who fall in love with the wrong guy and stand by him come what may."

"She must've been pretty special. She passed a lot of great qualities on to you." I said.

"She was." Danny's face darkened. "I don't want to talk about my dad. Tonight is a great night. I'm not ruining it."

I took his hand. "I understand."

(Later)

Danny and I walked out of the restaurant. He put his arm around me and we started walking down the street.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"I just thought you'd like to walk around Little Italy. If something catches your attention we'll check it out." Danny said.

I nodded. "Back in Pittsburgh every year they hold the Italian Festival."

"I'll have to bring you to the San Janeiro festival. You'll love it." Danny said.

I leaned against him. I still couldn't believe that Danny was with me. He made me feel so happy and so safe.

"You got quiet." Danny said.

"I was just thinking." I said.

"About?"

"About how happy you make me. And how glad I am to be with you." I smiled.

Danny kissed my forehead. "I know how you feel."

We walked a few more blocks, taking in the sights of Little Italy. Danny told me a few stories about some of the places we saw.

"Danny, there's a fountain. Oh it's beautiful all lit up at night." I said.

We walked over to the fountain. Water was coming from the middle. It was lit up with lights that changed colors.

"That's so pretty." I smiled.

"You want to sit on one of the benches and watch it awhile?" Danny asked.

I nodded. Danny and I walked to one of the concrete benches near the fountain and sat down. It was so peaceful, listening to the water.

"Sei bella tra chiaro di luna." Danny said.

"Didn't you say that to me once before?" I asked.

Danny nodded. "The night we all went to the Mets and Braves game. And it's still so true."

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"You look beautiful in moonlight." Danny said.

I smiled. "I wish I had pretty things in Italian to say to you."

"I have something for you." Danny said.

I was confused. "What?"

Danny reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue box and handed it to me.

"Tiffany's? Danny, you didn't have to get me anything." I said.

"I wanted to. Just open it." He said.

I smiled and opened the box. Inside was a heart shaped pendant with diamonds around it. The pendant was on a gold chain.

"Danny, its beautiful….but you didn't have to…."

"I wanted to get you something special. I wanted you to have something to always remember our first date by." Danny said.

"I think I am going to cry." I said. "Thank you…it's so beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it." Danny said.

"Would you help me put it on?" I asked.

Danny nodded. I took the necklace out of the box and handed it to Danny. I turned my back to him and lifted my hair. Danny put the necklace around my neck and then clasped it. I let my hair fall and turned back to Danny. I looked down and touched the necklace.

"Sei la donna piu bella che abbia mai visto." Danny said.

I leaned over and kissed him. "What does that mean?"

"That you are the mot beautiful woman I have ever seen." Danny said and kissed me again.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." He smiled.

(Later)

Danny and I walked back into my apartment. It was past midnight. I kicked off my shoes.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked.

"No, I'm good." Danny said.

Danny sat down on my couch. I sat down next to him and laid my head on his shoulder.

"I really had fun tonight. Thank you, for everything. I've never had such an amazing date." I said.

"For me too." Danny said. He lifted my face up to his and kissed me.

"Danny…..I don't know how to say this."

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I….well I know that we've flirted lightly about sex, but….."

Danny laid a finger over my lips. "Shhhh. I don't want to rush into anything either. I don't want to do anything to mess this up."

"Me either." I said.

"We'll just let things happen naturally. When its right we'll know." Danny said.

"It's just I've rushed in before and…"

"It doesn't work out. I know I've been there too." Danny said. "We'll know when its right."

"I already trust you and love you……so…"

"What happens, happens." Danny said.

I kissed him. "I can't believe this is all real. It's so amazing."

"I know….it feels like a dream. I can't believe that after wanting to be with you for so long….I actually am." Danny said.

"This feels so great…like nothing I have felt before." I said.

"It's a little scary, but it's a good scary." Danny said.

"You know, when Tanglewood had me, my biggest fear was never seeing you again." I said.

"I was going crazy without you. And now that I have you…I'm never letting you go." Danny said.

I smiled and kissed him.

"Ti amo cosi tanto penso solo a te, e non voglio lasciarti mai." Danny said.

"I love you too. What was the rest of it?"

"I said, I love you so much, you're all I can think about and I never want to let you go." Danny said.


	32. Darkness

_BridgetLynn- You're in love with Danny? I think you have to get in line behind the Pittsburgh girl! LOL College guys aren't as great as Danny. _

_Meadow567- Locker room talk is the best and will be important and abundant for awhile._

_Pnkrckprncss- I am so glad you like it. It's so much fun to write and I love hearing people like it._

_Jordayna- I wish someone would take me on a date like that, LOL. Here is more. Hope you like it._

_Emador- I still wanna know how you can faint, melt and scream all at once! LOL This should be interesting so here we go. Thanks for the help._

_XX- Still no sign of you. I found my Vicky muse!_

I was sitting at my desk, early Monday morning. Flack was yawning and trying to drink his coffee.

"Why are you so tired?" I asked.

"I was out late over the weekend." Flack said.

"And what was her name?" I asked.

Flack made a face. "I…didn't pick up anybody."

"I thought that's what you headed out for."

"Well it was….but I just didn't see anyone I liked." Flack shrugged.

"Suddenly you're picky." Danny walked up smirking.

"I just wasn't that into it." Flack shrugged. "And what are you doing here this early in the morning?"

"I am on my way to the lab. I thought I'd kiss my bellissima dolce meta before I get to work. It's a great way to start the day." Danny smiled.

"You're so sweet." I smiled. I looked up and he leaned down and kissed me.

"You have a good day at work." I told him.

"Passa una bella giornata." he said.

"What?" I asked.

"That means have a nice day." Danny smiled and headed out.

"I feel like I am in one of those women's movies on the Lifetime Channel." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Might as well be…I think you qualify as one of my 'girlfriends'." I giggled.

"Don't you have any female friends you can hook me up with?" Flack asked.

"Well, there's Stella and Aiden…take your pick." I said.

"How about that strip aerobics class your in? Any hot girls there you know and could talk me up to?" Flack asked.

"I don't really know any of them that well. And Aiden is going to start taking that class with me." I said. "Don, just relax. Be patient and a nice girl will come along."

"You're right. I mean if Messer can find a woman…me finding one should be a snap." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes as my phone rang. "Denton."

"We got a homicide. Greenwich Village. It's being called in by the family maid; apparently it's a multiple homicide and a real mess."

"We're on it." I said and hung up. "Come on Don. Multiple homicide in Greenwich Village."

"We'll need CSI. I'll call them." Flack said as we walked out of the station.

(Greenwich Village)

Flack and I pulled up in front of the house the crime was reported at. I looked at the place. It was a nice home.

"Who lives here Flack?" I asked.

"Homeowner is a Burton Walden. Lives here with his wife Patricia. They have a son in college." Flack said. "Big money family…stock broker."

"Unlikely place for a crime scene." I said as we climbed out of the SUV. "Explains why a maid called it in."

Uniformed officers met us going up the sidewalk to the house.

"What do we got?" Flack asked.

"It's gruesome in there…looks like a slaughterhouse. Three dead bodies."

"What about the maid?" I asked.

"We have her trying to calm down. She came in at her usual time this morning. She doesn't work weekends. She got in using her key and made the discovery. She is shook up pretty bad."

"Okay, hold the perimeter. No one gets in here except CSI." Don said.

Don and I continued up the sidewalk to the house. We walked through the front door and both of us stopped in our tracks.

"Aurora, have you ever seen anything like this?" Don asked.

"Only in nightmares." I said.

There was blood everywhere. Mrs. Walden was lying in the middle of the floor with blood pooled around her, apparently stabbed multiple times. Mr. Walden was in the doorway. Knives through both his hands held him in place, very reminiscent of a crucifix. He also appeared to have been stabbed multiple times.

On the walls messages had been scrawled in blood. 'Hail the Prince of Darkness.' 'Satan Lives' 'Darkness Shall Rule the Land.'

"Where is the third body?" I asked.

"Must be in another room." Don said.

We slowly stepped into the house, careful to avoid stepping in blood or ruining any potential evidence. I had never seen anything like this and never expected to. This was the most gruesome sight since the Genott case.

"Found the third body." I said.

Down the hallway, near the end was the son. He was lying on his back, much like his mother. There was blood pooled around him. On the wall above him written in blood was 'Sacrifice Thyself'.

"This was done by more than one killer." Flack said.

I nodded. "Yeah, no way one person could do this much damage without at least tying them up."

"Seems like a ritualistic killing. Something to do with Satan." Flack said.

"Devil worshippers maybe." I said.

"What the fuck?" we heard Danny in the doorway.

I turned and saw Mac and Danny both standing in the doorway, looking shocked at what they saw.

"This is sick." Danny said. "And the second time I've seen a scene like this in a week."

"What?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, last Monday. Stella and I had a big double homicide case in Long Island. Vicaro worked it with us. It was just like this, stabbing, blood everywhere. Except there was no writing on the walls." Danny said.

"I remember you talking about it." I said.

"Possible we're dealing with a series of murders here." Mac said.

"Danny, wasn't your case last Monday?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Whoever is doing this is killing over the weekends." I said.

"Let's get started processing this scene. Maybe we can keep them from killing this weekend." Mac said.

Mac and Danny walked in. Danny started taking pictures of the bodies, the messages on the walls, the spatter of blood on the walls, everything. Mac looked at the bodies.

"Who are these people anyways?" Danny asked.

"Walden. The husband is Burton, wife is Patricia. The son down the hall there is Jared." Flack said.

"We got multiple stab wounds to the wife…I'd estimate over thirty." Mac said.

"I'd say the same about the husband." Danny said. "From the spatter of blood on the walls and floor, I'd say he was stabbed right here."

"We won't know how many weapons were used until autopsy." Mac said.

Danny walked down the hall to look at Jared's body.

"We got spatter down the hall. Looks like he was running." Danny said. "His throat has been cut."

"We need to call Vicaro. Go over the notes from last week's case with him. See if we can make any connections." I said.

"I'm on it." Flack said.

"We got hair in this kid's hand. Looks like he got a piece of his attackers." Danny said.

"That's DNA." I said.

"Anything under his nails?" Mac asked.

"There is so much of his own blood on his hands…I can't tell." Danny said.

"None of these messages on the wall match other crime scenes. They seem to be preaching." I said.

"Danny, help me get Mr. Walden down. We need to get these bodies to Hawkes right away." Mac said.

(Morgue)

Mac and I walked into the morgue. Danny and Flack were looking over the case file from last week with Vicaro. Sheldon had performed autopsies on all three members of the Walden family.

"Dr. Hawkes, we're here about the Walden family." Mac said.

"Right, they took a long time." Sheldon said. "All three died because of multiple stab wounds causing them to bleed out."

"Can you tell what they were stabbed with?" I asked.

"Several different weapons. I'd say you're looking for six or seven weapons all together. Each victim was stabbed with at least two different weapons. And that does not include the knives you found in Mr. Walden's hands." Sheldon said.

"What else did you find?" Mac asked.

"Jared Walden fought hard. He has defensive wounds on his hands and arms. Besides the hair you lifted from his hands, I found skin under his nails; I sent it over to DNA." Hawkes said. "Also, bruising on Mrs. Walden indicates that she was held down and stabbed."

"Time of death?" I asked.

"I'd say between 1-3 AM Sunday morning. They've been dead awhile." Hawkes said.

"What a horrific way to die." I said. "Danny always says summer brings out the strange ones."

"I'll get started determining the weapons used. I'll let you know the results from DNA." Mac said to me.

"I'll see what Flack; Danny and Vicaro have come up with." I said.

I walked out of the morgue and headed back to the station. The entire time I had an uneasy feeling that this case was about to take an even stranger turn.

"What did you guys figure out?" I asked them at the station.

"The two victims last week were stabbed, with multiple weapons. There was no DNA left behind. Blood spatter indicates that both the man and woman were held down and stabbed. The woman in the kitchen; the man in the bathroom." Danny said.

"They were a white collar couple, no known enemies. No reason to be murdered like this." Vicaro said.

"But there were no messages on the walls." Flack said.

"Both were upper class families, both were killed on a weekend and not found until Monday. Both were stabbed over and over with different weapons." I said. "There's a connection for sure."

(Later)

"Aurora, Flack…got some hits on the DNA found at the Walden crime scene." Mac said as he walked up to our desks.

"Must be pretty big if you came in person." Flack said.

"The hair found in Jared Walden's hand was female." Mac said. "And we got a hit in CODIS. She is 24 year old Gina Maedar. Arrested multiple times on drug charges since the age of 15."

Mac handed me her file. I opened it up and read her wrap sheet. "What is this Demon Society she belongs to? Is that a gang?"

Mac shook his head. "No, it's some kind of commune out on Staten Island. We don't know much about them."

"What else did you find?" Flack asked.

"The skin under Jared's nails also registered a hit in CODIS. 27 year old Ralph Artemis. He's a registered sex offender. Eight years ago he was charged with statutory rape. Was released last year, and has not been in contact with his parole officer." Mac said and handed Flack his file.

"This Ralph guy is also in that Demon Society…what the hell?" Flack said.

"How many people are in this…society?" I asked.

"That's unknown." Mac said. "Now there was no DNA evidence found on Mrs. Walden. But Mr. Walden had skin under his nails that didn't get a hit in CODIS."

"Think this Demon Society is involved?" Flack asked.

"It would explain the Satanic messages on the walls." I said. "What do we know about this group?"

"Members live in that commune on Staten Island. The police have never been called there. And informants won't talk about it." Mac said. "The group leader is some guy that calls himself Damek."

"We got enough for a warrant to search that commune. And more than enough to arrest Maedar and Artemis." Flack said.

"Call a judge get the warrants." Mac said.

"Do you think this was a group activity or something done by individuals of the group?" I asked.

"I think the group members definitely know what's been going on. We got enough to bring them in for questioning. I'll look through our records and see how many other people with rap sheets are listed as associated with the Demon Society." Mac said.

"Invading a cult's get interesting." I said.

"Call a SWAT team. We're all going in." Mac said.

(Later)

We were all outside the station, preparing to head to Staten Island to make arrests and search the commune of the Demon Society. The SWAT team was going over their gear. Flack, Mac, Stella, Aiden, Danny, Vicaro and myself were putting on protective gear and checking our weapons.

"You nervous?" Danny asked me.

"A little. I just wish we knew more about what we were going into. We don't know how many people are living at this commune, or what kind of weapons they have. We could be walking into another Waco." I said as I strapped on my bullet proof vest.

"This case more and more is starting to remind me of the Manson family." Danny said. "Except the Satanic end of it."

"Who's to say this Damek doesn't model himself after Manson? You know the weirdoes that idolize him?" I said

"You have a point." Danny said and I watched as he strapped his vest on.

"How you feeling about this? You nervous?" I asked.

"Not about me, about you. I know it's your job and you're great at it, but the thought is there." Danny said.

I smiled. "I know what you mean. I have that little fear for you too."

"Essere attento." Danny said.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Be careful." Danny said.

"You be careful too." I said and kissed him quickly. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io." Danny said.

"You guys ready?" Vicaro asked us.

Danny and I nodded. Mac had briefed us all earlier; we knew what we were doing. We loaded into a caravan of police SUV's and vans and headed out to Staten Island. I rode beside Flack, with Vicaro and Aiden in the back.

When we arrived at the location of the commune in Staten Island, the place looked boarded up. It was out by itself, fenced in. All the windows had been covered and snarling pit bulls were running loose.

"Have SWAT tranquilize those dogs." Vicaro said. "Then call animal control."

"Chances are they've been trained to attack to the point they'll have to be put down." I said.

"This place looks creepy. What are those little buildings?" Flack said.

"I don't know. Be ready for anything." Danny said.

We stopped away from the main building. SWAT spread out and started searching the small buildings surrounding the main one. We filed out of our vehicles and drew our weapons.

Mac motioned for us to follow him as we headed with several members of SWAT into the main building. We could hear some strange music as we entered the building. SWAT started searching a few small rooms and rounding up people they found.

"Where is that music coming from?" I whispered.

"End of the hallway." Vicaro said.

We moved to the end of the hallway, weapons drawn. Flack moved in front of us and kicked at the door.

"NYPD, we have a warrant." He yelled as he entered the room. We filed in behind him.

"Oh my god." I said.

In front of us was an orgy. Naked people everywhere, probably 20 of them. Men and women.

"Get your clothes on. We're going downtown." Mac told them.

"Gina Maedar, Ralph Artemis…we have warrants for your arrest in connection for multiple homicides." Flack said.

"The rest of you are wanted for questioning. A lot of you have outstanding warrants." I said.

"Get up, put your clothes on and keep your hands where we can see them." Vicaro commanded.

"You will be cuffed for our safety and yours. The more you cooperate the easier this will be." Danny said.

The people slowly got up and began getting redressed. We held our guns on them and watched to make sure none tried to run, or did something unexpected.

"Which of you is Damek?" I asked.

"I am." One of the men stepped forward from the mass of naked bodies. He still had no clothes on. He was young with his head shaven.

"What's you're real name?" I asked him.

"Damek, son of Satan." He said and stepped forward again.

"You're not amusing." I told him.

He stepped forward again and lifted his hand as if to touch me. "My child…."

"You touch me or step closer and I'll castrate you with a bullet." I aimed my gun lower.

He stepped back. "I see such fire in you." Damek said.

"Knock it off and put some clothes on." Danny snapped.

I noticed that the women were looking at Mac, Don, Danny and Vicaro. The men were looking at Aiden, Stella and me. I didn't like it, especially since we had interrupted an orgy.

I stepped closer to Danny in case one of these women tried to pull something.

"Enough, you guys quit looking at these women. They're not for you." Vicaro said and started pulling a few of the dressed ones out of the room.

"What's been going on around here?" Danny asked one of the men.

The guy didn't answer but looked at me.

"Hey, I asked you a question. You answer me, not stare at her!" Danny yelled.

Flack and Mac began handcuffing the cult members as they got dressed. I was watching when I noticed a tattoo on one of the men's wrists.

"Wait." I grabbed his wrist. It was the pentagram with the anarchy symbol over it.

"Flack, check their wrists. That tattoo, it's the one that was on the woman found at the hospital." I said.

Flack and Mac began checking the wrists of the cult members. Many of them had the tattoo.

I turned to the man I'd first noticed the tattoo on. "We found a woman last week with that tattoo. She had a baby. Where is that baby?"

He didn't answer.

"I know you know where that baby is. Tell me where that baby is!" I yelled.

"Baby?" he smirked.

"Answer her question!" Danny said.

"I never seen a baby." He smiled.

I grabbed his shoulders. "It was a baby boy! His mother had that tattoo! Where is that baby?"

"Rora, Rora." Danny pulled me back. "Calm down."

I stared at the cult members. I was fuming. Then I heard a baby crying coming from another room. It seemed to be off to the side.

I pulled my gun and hurried to the door. "NYPD!"

I opened the door and went in, my gun in front of me. The room was full of children and babies. Against the wall were two women.

"NYPD, move away from the children!" I ordered. "Hands in the air! Flack, we need cuffs back here!"

I looked around the room. There must have been 10 cribs with babies. All the toddlers had to be under 3 and there were lots of them.

"Call the hospital and child services…..we got a lot of babies and children!" I called out and stood in awe.

**To Be Continued…..**


	33. Darkness part 2

_Fallenstar1004- Well here is part two. Hope you like it. Thanks for reviewing. I love new reviewers! _

_Meadow567- Here is another. I hope to have some more Craig and Kylah up soon. _

_Jordayna- Thank you. I enjoy writing crime scenes. Hope you like part 2. I love your reviews._

_Dybdahl- I like creepy cases. When this is over some fluff is coming!_

_Emador- Thanks for the help. I don't know how this went, but more is coming. _

"_Baby?" he smirked._

"_Answer her question!" Danny said._

"_I never seen a baby." He smiled._

_I grabbed his shoulders. "It was a baby boy! His mother had that tattoo! Where is that baby?"_

"_Rora, Rora." Danny pulled me back. "Calm down."_

_I stared at the cult members. I was fuming. Then I heard a baby crying coming from another room. It seemed to be off to the side._

_I pulled my gun and hurried to the door. "NYPD!"_

_I opened the door and went in, my gun in front of me. The room was full of children and babies. Against the wall were two women._

"_NYPD, move away from the children!" I ordered. "Hands in the air! Flack, we need cuffs back here!"_

_I looked around the room. There must have been 10 cribs with babies. All the toddlers had to be under 3 and there were lots of them._

"_Call the hospital and child services…..we got a lot of babies and children!" I called out and stood in awe._

Flack walked in. "What the….where did all these kids come from?"

"Damek prefers we keep the children together." One of the women said.

"They're children of the cult members." I said. "From the looks of things…Damek is starting his own race of people."

"Come on ladies, we're going downtown." Flack said and cuffed the women.

As he dragged them out, I walked farther into the room and looked at the children. I counted 12 toddlers on the floor playing. Each crib had a baby in it.

"Hey, I'm gonna need some help with these babies. We need to get them out of here!" I called.

Stella walked in. "So many babies….Vicaro said one of the buildings outside was full of pregnant women."

"The children on the floor can walk. See if you can herd them out of here. I'll check the babies and see if they are okay. Send the others back to help with the babies." I said.

Stella knelt on the floor so she was eyelevel with the toddlers. "You want to go outside? We'll go outside."

Most of the kids scrambled towards the door. She smiled and held a few hands and started leading them outside.

I went to one of the cribs. Inside was a baby boy. He was sitting up; looked 9 months old or so.

"Stella said you need help with the babies." Vicaro said.

"Yeah, here…you can take this one outside." I said. I picked the little boy up and handed him to Vicaro.

"Whoa, heavy little guy." Vicaro said. "Maybe he likes coffee. We'll grab a cup." Vicaro said and headed out.

"Don't give him caffeine." I called and went to the next crib.

"Wow….child services is going to have their hands full." Aiden said.

"I know. What beautiful babies though." I smiled. "Here, you can take this little guy here. He's seems about three or four months old."

"Come on little guy." Aiden said and took him. "He's cute."

"All babies are cute….except that spawn of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie." I rolled my eyes. "I still think Jen Aniston should beat the hell out of her with a ball bat."

Aiden laughed as Flack walked in.

"Oh good, Don. You can take a baby." I said and moved to the next crib.

It was a baby girl, about six months old. She had a few teeth and straight dark hair. I picked her up and reached her towards Flack. Don slowly reached for her and held her out from him.

"Flack, what are you doing?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know how to hold a baby." Flack looked unsure.

"Just cradle her against you. Babies like feeling loved." I said.

Flack raised an eyebrow and moved the baby a bit closer to him.

"Donald, it's a baby. Not a bomb." I said.

"Is she gonna pee on me? Don't these things spit up a lot?" he asked.

I shook my head and walked to Don. "Here, rest her little head on your shoulder. She's smiling. She must like you."

"All women do." Flack smirked. "Are you sure she won't pee on me?"

"Don, she's wearing a diaper. And if she spits up, just wipe it off. Be sure you don't bounce her too much. Bouncing babies makes them spit up." I said.

"How do I know if I am bouncing her?" Don asked.

"You'll be fine. And God help the woman that tries having your babies." I laughed.

Flack still looked unsure as he walked out the door. Stella walked back in.

"The other kids are being fed and checked out while we wait for child services to get here to take them to the hospital." Stella said.

"You want to take one of these babies?" I asked.

"Sure, they're so cute." She smiled.

"I know. The thought of these beautiful children in this horrible place." I said as Stella picked up a little boy about 10 months old.

"It's a circus outside. SWAT loading all these cult members into police vans. Most of them protesting and screaming." Stella said.

I picked up a little boy. He was maybe two months old. "We have no idea who these babies belong to, how old they are or anything."

"Child services will have a mess on their hands." Stella said. "I am heading out to get this little one some milk or something."

"We don't even know what these babies' names are." I sighed.

Mac walked in. "I've never seen anything like this."

"It's a real mess. But I am glad we're getting these children away from all this." I said. "Here Mac, take one of the babies."

I picked up a baby boy, about six months old and handed him to Mac.

"You know how to hold him and everything? I practically had to draw a diagram for Flack." I smiled.

"We'll be fine." Mac smiled. He carried the baby out and Aiden followed him.

I turned back to the babies. I looked across the room and saw one crib sitting off alone. I walked over and inside was a tiny baby.

I picked it up and realized it couldn't have been more than a week old. I laid the baby back down and took its clothes off. As I suspected he still had his umbilical cord. This was the missing baby.

"Rora, you okay?" I heard Danny. I turned and saw him standing in the doorway.

"I found the baby missing from lat week." I said. "DNA will have to prove it, but he's got his cord still, and he's tiny."

"How's he doing?" Danny asked.

"As far as I can tell he's fine. Doctors will have to check him out." I said. "You come to get a baby?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah…..I got back here as soon as I could. One of the men got violent and I had to help restrain him."

I walked over to another crib and found a baby girl, about 4-5 months old. She had blonde curls and was fully awake. I lifted her up and handed her to Danny.

"How do I do this? I don't want to drop her." Danny said.

"You're fine. Here, put your arms under her. Just like that." I smiled.

"She's pretty. What's her name?" he asked.

"We don't know." I said.

"Hey…you're the prettiest lady I've seen all day. Besides Aurora." Danny said to the baby. "She's smiling."

"She likes Danny." I said and tickled her tummy. "I do too."

"You about ready to come out?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, the newborn is all that's left. I'll get him. You good with her?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, we're fine." Danny smiled.

I picked up the newborn and walked with Danny out of the main building. Outside the toddlers were being checked, and everyone was holding babies. The police vans were pulling away in a caravan.

"Mac, I found the baby from the dead woman last week." I said. "He's still got his cord and he's tiny. DNA will have to be done, but I am pretty sure it's him."

"I don't think any of these babies were born in a hospital. None of the boys have been circumcised." Mac said.

"I'm glad the doctors can look them over. Then child services can place them. Most of them will probably be adopted out." Stella said.

"Aurora, this one is leaking." Flack said and came up to me, holding the baby away from.

"Flack, she's just drooling. Most likely from teething. Just keep her chin wiped." I told him.

Flack didn't look convinced.

(TPPOV)

Child services had arrived and were looking after the children, taking statements and getting ready to take the children to the hospital.

Aurora was still holding the newborn. He had gotten fussy so she'd sat down alone and was singing to him. Danny was standing at a distance watching her. He was smiling watching her.

Don walked up to where Danny was standing. "Where is your kid?"

"I have her to child services." Danny said.

"I did too. Kids are messy." Don said and followed Danny's line of vision. "What is she singing?"

"I'm not sure. Probably something country." Danny smiled.

"Getting ideas?' Flack smirked.

"Nah…I'm just watching her. She's so good with kids." Danny said.

"You two 'practicing' for a baby yet?" Don joked.

Danny rolled his eyes. "No."

"Well go for you. You keep telling me how hott Rora is." Flack said.

"Isn't there a blow up doll somewhere that is missing you?" Danny said and walked away.

Danny walked over to where Aurora was rocking the baby.

"They need him yet?" Danny asked.

"They said it'd be a few minutes." She smiled. "I hope he finds a good home."

"He will." Danny said and sat down beside her.

"I think he's hungry. They'll have to feed him." She said. Danny wrapped an arm around her.

"He's cute. Doesn't have much hair though." Danny said.

"It'll grow in." Aurora laughed.

(FPPOV)

It was late at night. After we'd left the commune, we'd returned to the station to a state of chaos. The cult members had been placed in as many open rooms as we could find at the station.

Mac, Danny and Stella swabbed several of them for DNA. Flack, Vicaro and myself were trying to keep them as calm as possible. Many of them were protesting and screaming for Damek.

"The longer I talk to these people, the more I realize they truly think Damek is some kind of…deity. They really want him and feel they need to protect him." I said.

"They've been so brainwashed. We need to get that psychiatrist back in here." Flack said. "This is going to be a tough one to pick apart."

"Vicaro is in the room of pregnant women. All of which are screaming for Damek." I said. "I feel sorry for him."

"I hope this calms down soon." Flack said. "We're keeping Damek in seclusion for now."

"He still won't tell us who he really is. And his prints didn't come up in AFIS." I said.

"Now I know how Vince Bugliosi felt." Flack sighed. "I'll put on some coffee. It's going to be a long night."

I walked down the hall and into one of the rooms where some of the men were being held.

"Is Damek okay?" one asked.

"He's fine." I said.

"Can we see him?"

"No and we've told you that. I am checking in." I said.

"Damek will come to us. You cannot keep us from him." Another said.

"Damek is in solitary for now." I said.

"His spirit will leave his body and come to us. We're his children." Another said.

"Well as long as his body stays where we put it, I don't care." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't mock him. Those who mock him suffer." They said.

"Investigators will be around to speak with you soon. Cooperate with them." I said and walked out.

I shook my head and walked down the hall. Danny was in the hall carrying doughnuts.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, just confused. We've got these horrible murders, connected to the death of a woman who died from child birth. And it leads to a cult." I said.

"Pieces are coming together though. Mac is waiting on the DNA results. A lot of these people will be moved to central booking after being interrogated." Danny said.

"Flack and I are about to interrogate Damek. You in?" I asked.

"Yeah, I have some questions for him myself." Danny said.

"How are you holding up? You've had a long day too." I asked.

"I'm good. I brought you a quick snack. You missed dinner." Danny smiled.

I smiled. "How do you say thank you in Italian?"

"Grazie." Danny smiled as I took a few bites.

"You're so good for me." I smiled.

"Mi fai desiderare di essere un uomo migliore." Danny said.

"Wanna help me with that?" I asked.

Danny leaned forward and lowered his voice. "You make me want to be a better man."

I smiled. "You're so sweet."

"Ready to interrogate Damek and see what we can find out?" Flack asked.

"Let's go." I said.

The three of us walked down the hall to the room where Damek was being held by himself. He was dressed all in black, and looked creepy. We walked inside.

"Damek, ready to tell us a real name yet?" Danny asked.

"I have told you. I am the son of Satan." Damek said.

"So what name is listed on your birth certificate?" Flack asked.

"I was not born of this earth." Damek said.

"Oh great." I sighed. "So tell us about your society."

"What would you like to know?" Damek smirked.

"For starters, why people in the Demon Society have been committing brutal murders." Flack said.

"My children have done no wrong." Damek said and stared straight at me.

"DNA says otherwise. We can place two of your 'children' at murders by their DNA." I said.

"These followers of yours hang on your every word and move. Did you command them to kill those people? Are you like some kind of Charles Manson?" Danny asked.

"My children follow my commandments." Damek said.

"That's nice. Why don't we listen to the Beatles now?" I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you try giving us some straight answers?"

"Your spirit is strong." Damek said.

"Not this again. We're not talking about me." I said.

"But there is so much to talk about." Damek said.

"Enough about Detective Denton." Flack said. "What about the murders?"

"I was not at any murders." Damek said.

"Stop staring at her." Danny snapped.

"She is quite attractive." Damek said.

"What'd I tell you?" Flack said.

"Tell us about the woman who had birthing complications. Who left her at the hospital? Why didn't anyone help her?" I asked.

"Your lips are perfect detective." Damek said.

"Cut it out. Answer the questions." Danny slammed his fists off the table.

Damek glanced at Danny, and then continued to stare at me.

"Are the children we found yours? I didn't see any condoms at the today." Flack said.

"They are all my children." Damek said.

"Cut the bullshit. We want straight answers." I said.

"Do you like being noticed Detective Denton?" Damek said.

"I've heard enough! Just answer the questions!" Danny yelled.

Damek smirked at Danny. Danny stood up and walked out of the room.

"He's protective of you." Damek said.

"And I'm protective of him." I said and went to find Danny.

I walked down the hall and found Danny in the break room. He was sitting and running a hand through his hair.

"Danny you okay?" I asked.

"I just got pissed is all." Danny said.

"Danny, he was just doing that to get a rise out of you. He could tell the more he did it the angrier you got." I said.

"I just wanted to protect you. He's freaky." Danny said.

"I know you do and I adore you for it." I said and kneeled in front of him.

"I'm sorry…it's just the thought of him looking at you like that." Danny sighed.

"I understand. If that had been a woman saying things like that about you…I'd have probably shot her." I smiled.

Danny smiled and I leaned up and kissed him.

"Feel better now?" I asked.

"I don't like Damek around you, but I'll deal with it." Danny said.

Danny stood up and kissed me.

"Come on, we got to make all the connections for this case." Danny said.

"It'll be a long night." I smiled and kissed him again.

"We better go before dad comes along and catches us." Danny winked.

**To Be Continued…..**


	34. Out of the Darkness

_Fallenstar1004- Bugliosi was the lead prosecutor of the Manson trial. I loved writing clueless Flack. I thought it made him cute._

_BridgetLynn- I giggle at guys who aren't sure what to do with babies. More creepy guy here I hope you like it._

_BongoBaby- I really hate Angelina and think she's Hollywood's biggest whore with a habit of stealing other people men. Glad you liked that line, I purposely wrote it!_

_LizfromItaly- Bugliosi was the lead prosecutor on the Manson trial. I am glad you like my mix of drama, romance and humor. I do that so people get it all! Loved your review!_

_Meadow567- Craig and Kylah is coming. I started it. Here is the conclusion to this case. I hope you like it._

_Jordayna- I am glad you liked it so much. Cults freak me out too, so I just had to do a case about one._

_Dybdahl- What do you agree with Danny about? Damek is creepy, but I think cult leaders are._

_Emador- You really should know Bugliosi being from Cali. He handled the Manson trial, was lead prosecutor and wrote the book 'Helter Skelter'. And aren't you justthe happy volunteer! LOL_

(4AM)

"Rora, how you holding up?" Danny asked as I stepped out into the hall.

"I'm tired. And we're getting no where with these people. A few of the men are starting to talk a little bit. But the women are so dedicated to Damek." I shook my head. "Every one of them is so in love with him."

"Flack said that Dr. Carmen will be here around 8AM to speak with a few of the women and Damek. Right now he is off with Vicaro trying to get some of these people to Central booking." Danny said.

"We're getting no where with Damek. He keeps talking in circles and riddles." I rubbed my head. "And him and all his follows are making threats to use supernatural forces and the powers of Satan on us."

"I'll be glad when we're done with him." Danny said. "And the way he keeps acting around you."

"Just once I'd like to arrest a lunatic that has a thing for Flack." I laughed.

"Want to grab some coffee?' Danny asked.

"That'd be great." I smiled.

We walked down the hall to the break room. He poured us both a cup of coffee and I sat down on the couch.

"Danny, do you think there is anything to their threats of harm by supernatural means, possession or whatever?" I asked.

"No. Aurora what would make you think that?' Danny said as he sat down beside me.

"Well a lot of people around the world believe in this Satan Worship and Black magic and other mumbo jumbo. And I've heard so much about it in the past few hours….I am just starting to get a little creeped out is all." I said.

Danny put his arm around me. "Don't let them get to you. Their threats are empty and ridiculous; there is nothing any of them can do to hurt you. And I wouldn't let them."

I laid my head on his shoulder. "Thanks. It's been a long night."

"These people have a way of getting in your head. Ignore them." Danny said.

"I'm so tired." I yawned.

"Try to rest for a bit." Danny said. "We have a few minutes, just relax."

I closed my eyes and snuggled against his shoulder.

(5AM)

"Rora, bella wake up." Danny said. "You fell asleep. Mac just called. He's on his way with some DNA results."

"Wow, I was more tired than I thought." I sat up. "I'm sorry. I just meant to relax."

"Don't be sorry. We're all tired." Danny said.

Flack walked in. "Central booking just called. They have a real mess going on down there."

"Why, what's going on?" I asked.

"All the women we sent down from the Demon Society are refusing to cooperate in any way. And they are all chanting together in another language." Flack said. "And they are refusing to eat until they see Damek."

"A hunger strike to get what they want. He has some incredible hold over these women." I said.

"Child services called as well. They said all the children were checked out at the hospital and were found to be healthy." Flack said. "And none of them showed signs of molestation."

"That's good." I said.

"At least the adults kept the sex among each other." Danny said.

"This group practices a lot of sex." Flack said. "Apparently orgies are practically a day to day thing."

"No wonder so many of the women were pregnant and there were so many babies." I said. "There is no way for these women to even know who they are pregnant by."

"Anyone given up a name on our dead mother?" I asked.

"No. They deny that any baby was born at that commune." Flack said.

"Where is Vicaro?" I asked.

"Paper work." Flack said.

"DNA came back." Mac said as he walked in.

"What did it tell us?" Danny asked.

"The DNA under Mr. Walden's nails matched a woman named Danielle Morford. She calls herself Eglantine. No prior record." Mac said.

"She was the one that was trying to bite everybody." Flack said.

"I know…it took me and Stella to swab her mouth." Danny said.

"So we got DNA that places three of them at the crime scenes. We know there were at least six of them. And none of these people are talking." I said.

"We also got a match for your dead mother's baby's father." Mac said. "A man in the group with no prior record who calls himself Slade."

"This no last name….calling themselves names given to them by Damek is getting old." I sighed.

"We need these people to start talking." Mac said.

"It's the only way we'll be able to find out what happened to that dead mother. And find out who all was involved in those gruesome homicides." I said.

"These people are not going to talk. They're more dedicated to Damek than they are life itself." Flack said.

"Linda Kasabian." I said.

"Who?" Danny asked.

"Linda Kasabian. She was the member of the Manson family that turned state's evidence against the others. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the state of California gave her a deal since she actually didn't kill anyone." I explained.

"You think maybe one of these cult members was in over their head and is now willing to talk?" Danny asked.

"It's worth a shot. In the meantime, we have Dr. Carmen who will be talking to Damek." I said.

"What else was found at the commune?" Flack asked.

"Those small buildings around the main house. One of them was for pregnant women only. Stella is headed there now to find any trace that the dead mother was there." Mac said. "Another of the buildings was apparently for Satanic Rituals. It was a weird place of worship. Full of animal corpses, candles, symbols etc."

"And Damek led it all, along with the orgies." Danny said.

(10AM)

"Well Doc, what can you tell us about Damek?" Flack asked.

Dr. Carmen had spent the past two hours interviewing Damek. We were hoping he'd be able to shine some light on the case, or give us something to work with.

"He's very arrogant and truly believes he is immortal." Dr. Carmen said.

"We knew that already." I said.

"He holds an incredible mind control over these people. He preaches the power of Satan and makes them believe he is Satan's son." Dr. Carmen said.

"And the children we found at the commune?" Mac asked.

"They belong to women from the Demon Society. But Damek has them kept together and raised by the entire group. He doesn't feel the child belongs to the parent but instead to the entire group. He takes the child from the mother as soon as it's born." Dr. Carmen said.

"And these women allow that? They're even crazier than I thought." I said.

"Did he say anything about the woman who died from child birth?" Danny asked.

"No. He was very careful not to implicate himself or his followers in any wrong doing." Dr. Carmen said.

I sighed. "How does he control these people?"

"He preys on the weak minded. He gives them a place to belong and promises them ultimate power through Satan. It gives them something to believe in. And they feel loved." Dr. Carmen said. "And sex is a very big part of the cult."

"We picked up on that." Flack said.

"Damek insists on initiating everyone into the society through sex. And then he turns them over to the others." Dr. Carmen said.

"Did he reveal any of his real identity to you?" Mac asked.

"No. He insists that he is from hell, sent by Satan to the earth." Dr. Carmen said.

"Someone out there knows who he is. Get his picture in the paper, someone will come forward." Mac said.

"Well, that leaves us almost where we were before." Flack said.

I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes. I was getting frustrated that we couldn't get anywhere with Damek. And other than the cult members we had DNA on, we couldn't place anyone else at the crime scenes.

"I'm going to talk to some of these cult members. One of them has to be willing to talk, or make a deal." I said.

"The rest are headed for Central booking in an hour." Flack said.

"I'll talk to them before they leave." I said.

"I'll go with her." Danny said.

"We'll try talking to Damek some more. Maybe we can wear him down." Mac said.

So while Mac and Flack went to interrogate Damek some more. Danny and I headed for the last three rooms holding cult members.

The first room we went into had three women in it. Two of the women immediately stood up.

"Where is Damek?" one asked.

"We must see him." The second said.

"Sit down. No one sees Damek." I said.

They began chanting in a language we didn't recognize.

"It's some kind of incantation." I said.

"Ladies, shut up!" Danny yelled.

They did not quiet down. I noticed the third woman was still in her seat and not saying much.

I leaned over to Danny. "That girl sitting down. She seems different from the other two. She has not asked for Damek since we arrested her. And she's quiet now." I whispered.

"Something's up with her. Let's get her away from Hocus and Pocus. Maybe she'll talk to us." Danny whispered.

Danny walked over to the quiet woman. "You need to come with us."

"Where? What is going on?" she asked.

"Where are you taking her?' the other women screamed.

"Don't worry about it. When you need to know something, we'll tell you." I said.

Danny and I led the quiet woman from the room as the other two screamed. We walked her down the hall to an empty interrogation room and sat her at the table.

"We'd like to talk to you. I'm Detective Messer. This is Detective Denton." Danny said.

"You had my baby. Where is she now? Can I see her?" the woman asked.

"Whoa whoa whoa. First of all, what is your name? Your given name not this child of Damek name crap." I asked.

"Erin Riley. Please, I want to see my baby." She said.

"Okay Erin. First of all, your baby is not here. All the children were turned over to child services. Second, we don't know which baby is yours." Danny said.

"You were holding her." She said to Danny. "The little girl you were playing with at the compound. She's my baby."

"Erin….right now you're in a lot of trouble. Now you help us. We'll see what we can do about your baby." I said.

"Anything to get her back. Damek never let me have her. He took her from me just minutes after she was born. I wasn't even allowed to nurse her." Erin said.

"We just found our Linda Kasabian." I said to Danny.

"Erin, what do you know about the murder of the Walden's this past weekend?" Danny asked.

"Damek ordered it done. He said that Satan was sending a message. So he chose his closest followers to send that message with blood. He sent them two weekends in a row." Erin said.

"Who did he send?" I asked.

"The first weekend he sent Decima, Laveda, Fane, Hamar, Sholto, Egan, and Lodema." Erin said.

"These people have real names?" I asked.

"I don't know them. Damek says we become a whole new person when we join the Demon Society. He gives us new names and we lose our old identities." Erin said.

"Who did he send the second weekend?" I asked.

"Anemone, Ena, Varden, Kalil, Nairn, Ridpath, Solon, and Arvad." She said.

"These are the worst names I have ever heard." I said.

"Did they talk about the murders after they were committed?' Danny asked.

"Yes, many times. Damek was proud of their work." Erin said.

"Were you involved in any of the murders?" I asked.

"No, I don't think Damek trusts me. Since my baby was born….I wanted her…..he could tell that." Erin said.

"How did you get mixed up with the Demon Society?" Danny asked.

"I found them nearly two years ago. At first it wasn't so bad. A place to stay and friends. And Damek was so charming. But then I got pregnant." She said.

"Who's you baby's father?" Danny asked.

"I don't know." She admitted. "Someone in the Society."

"You said Damek took your baby from you right after she was born….how?" I asked.

"We give birth at the compound. Damek is there for every birth. He then takes the child to the rest of the group and shows them the newest child of his." Erin said.

"A woman gave birth just over a week ago at the compound, didn't she?" I said.

"Yes, Sanura….she had a little boy." Erin said.

"She had complications." I said.

"She was in labor a very long time. The baby just would not come." Erin said.

"Why didn't someone take her to the hospital?" Danny asked.

"Damek would not allow us. He insisted the baby be born with him. When the baby finally came….he told us to take to a hospital and leave her." Erin said.

"And then he kept the baby?" I asked.

"Yes, he said it was his child and belonged with us at the compound." Erin said.

"That filthy rotten…..Danny you have to teach me to curse in Italian!" I gritted.

"Would you be willing to go against Damek and the others? Testify to this in court?" Danny asked.

"Yes, I've been trying to get away for awhile now, but I couldn't leave my baby." Erin said.

"Danny, can we talk outside?" I asked.

Danny followed me into the hall.

"Her testimony and the forensic evidence will be enough for a case. Call the DA; get him down here to make a deal with her. Then call child services. They're not going to just give that baby to her, but with therapy and everything…she'll eventually get her back." I said.

"Where are you going?" Danny asked.

"To finally wipe that smirk off Damek's face." I said.

Danny smiled. "Give em hell Harry."

"You remembered….you're so cute. I'll kiss you later. Right now I have something to do."

I turned and walked down the hall to the interrogation room that Damek was being held in. Mac and Flack were in there with him.

I walked in. "So, Satan was sending a message with blood huh? And you chose your closest followers to send that message."

"Who told you that?" Damek demanded.

"You don't have as much control over your followers as you thought." I smirked.

"You can't prove that I did a thing." Damek said.

"You know Charles Manson said the same thing…and yet he's in San Quentin." I said. "You control these people's minds and actions and then you command them to kill. That makes you responsible for murder."

"I killed no one." Damek said.

"You killed six people!" I yelled.

"Aurora, only five was murdered." Flack said.

"No, he killed Sanura…the mother who died at the hospital." I said.

Damek stared at me. "I did not kill her. I helped birth her child."

I stared right back. "You killed her. You knew she needed a doctor and you wouldn't let anyone get her help. She'd have lived if she'd had help."

"You'll never convict me." Damek said.

"We'll see about that." Mac said.

I stared at him a moment longer then turned to leave.

(4PM)

"Thank goodness all those cult people are out of here." Vicaro said.

"I am glad we got that one taken care of." I said. "I am so tired."

"Come on bella, we're out of here." Danny said.

"Where we going?" I asked.

"Movie night at my place. You can relax, unwind and we can hang out and watch a movie." Danny smiled.

Flack rolled his eyes. "Run for it, Vicaro. These two are sickeningly in love."

"Oh Don….you'll live." I giggled. "Come on Danny. That sounds great."

I grabbed my things and Danny and I walked out of the station and caught the subway to his apartment.

We walked in. He checked his mail while I got something to drink.

"Danny, you mind if I take a shower? I really could use one." I said.

"Baby, you don't have to ask for stuff like that. Go ahead." Danny said.

"Well I didn't want to be rude." I said.

"You know, save time and water if we showered together?" Danny winked.

I laughed. "Aren't you suddenly the whale hugger?"

"You know me, anything I can do to help." Danny smiled.

"You're cute." I kissed him. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I walked through Danny's bedroom into his bathroom to take a shower. For a guy he kept his apartment clean, except for the laundry that was always piling up.

I showered quickly. I had a change of clothes in my bag from work, so I put those on and towel dried my hair.

I walked back out to find Danny sitting on the couch with a movie about to begin.

"What are we watching?" I asked as I sat down next to him.

"'The Terminator'. You said you liked it a while back." Danny said and pulled me closer to him.

"Oh I do. It's great." I smiled.

"And I believe a few months ago, you said something about making out during a movie to get the theater experience." Danny smirked.

"But it's one of my favorite movies." I giggled.

"And there's a big sex scene that is bound to get me excited." Danny said.

"You're just too cute." I said and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Danny said and started the movie.

"Will you make me some popcorn?" I asked.

"Have I ever denied you anything?" Danny smiled and stood up as the opening credits started.


	35. Summerslam

_BongoBaby- That's one reason I like writing stories. I can throw in bits of opinions here and there! Love that someone else feels the same way! Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Meadow567- Geez, you're not demanding, lol! You'll just have to see what I have planned. Craig and Kylah is a bit slow bc I am not sure how to work it, but I am getting there._

_BridgetLynn- Well after all that drama, I figured something sweet was needed. This is a fun chapter as a relief from all the seriousness. Hope you like it. I like figuring out criminal minds too._

_Jordayna- Here is some fluff. Hope you enjoy it. It is scary to think people like Damek are real, I agree._

_LizfromItaly- I am glad you like my chapters so much. I like your reviews, especially since you know the Italian stuff so well._

_Dybdahl- Danny is cute. He is cute here too. This is some lightness after such drama._

_Emador- Well glad you liked the end. Here is a fun chappie since the cult stuff was so serious. Just keep the melting to a minimum so there is no mess! LOL _

"Aurora, are you ready yet? Don and Aiden are probably already there." Danny yelled to her.

Aurora was in her bedroom getting ready to go out for the evening with Danny, Aiden and Don. Danny was in her living room, trying to get her to hurry so they wouldn't be late.

"Will you wait a minute? What is the hurry?" she called back.

"There is a reason I am in a hurry. What is taking so long?" Danny asked.

"I had to wait for my toenails to dry. I am wearing sandals and wanted cute toes." She called back.

Danny laughed in spite of himself and patted Rammer who was sleeping on the couch. Finally Aurora walked out of her bedroom. Danny looked her up and down as discreetly as he could. She was wearing denim shorts and a pink tank top with her hair up in a ponytail.

"Sorry I took so long. But I painted my toes." She smiled.

Danny stood up. "It's alright. You look great."

"Well you said dress casual." Aurora smiled.

"Even casual you are so pretty." Danny put his arms around her. "Can't we just stay here?"

"After all that hurrying me along, we better be going to meet some hot celebrity I am obsessed with." Aurora giggled.

"Well I don't know where Eddie Cocksucker is….." Danny winked.

"HEY! It's Eddie Cahill, and you be nice." Aurora giggled.

"And I think the Lt. Dan Band is overseas with the USO." Danny said. "But maybe Liam Neeson is in town."

"You smartass. Where are we going?"

"To meet Don and Aiden at a sports bar." Danny told her.

"All that rushing to meet those two?" Aurora looked confused.

"Well there is something special going on at the bar and if we don't hurry we'll miss it." Danny said and kissed her.

"Then let's go. How far is it?" Aurora asked.

"A quick subway ride." Danny said as they walked out of her apartment.

(Sports Bar)

They walked into the sports bar. Don and Aiden were sitting at a table close to the big screen.

"Hey guys." Aurora smiled at them as she walked up to the table with Danny holding her hand.

"Messer, I can't believe you talked me into this. From Aurora I expect this, but from you…..she's wearing off on you." Flack said.

"Oh I just thought it'd be fun. Besides, you were the one that brought up bra and panties matches." Danny rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?" Aurora asked.

"Tonight is the WWE's big summer Pay-per-view." Danny said.

"Right. Summerslam, they have it every August." Aurora said.

"Well we're gonna watch it. The bar is showing it on the big screen." Danny smiled.

"You mean you actually brought me to watch wrestling?" Aurora asked. "You're so great."

Aurora hugged him tight and kissed him.

"Get a room you two." Flack joked.

"Flack, I really can't believe you agreed to watch this. I mean you and Danny both protested left and right when we went to the Gardens to see it." Aurora said as she sat down.

"Like he had anything better to do." Aiden said. "A few more months and he can apply for the priesthood."

"It's not been that long, just…….okay it's been awhile." Don said.

"Don't worry Don. I am sure some nice girl will come along as long as you don't make the big mistake of screwing just anyone, because that is a big turn off to nice girls." Aurora said.

"Is there a bra and panties match tonight?" Flack asked.

"Ummmm, actually there is a pillow fight. Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson…both have been in Playboy." Aurora said.

"Danny probably has them stuffed between his mattresses." Aiden joked.

Danny rolled his eyes and put his arm around Aurora.

"And there is a women's championship match too. Mickie James is the champion and I think she's cute. She's wrestling Victoria who's scary." Aurora said. "So you guys will get to see the ladies."

"And what about the guys?' Aiden asked.

"Well RVD is back from a real-life leg injury and he's so hott. He's on here for something tonight. And Rey Misterio is the champion. I just love him. He was best friends with Eddie Guerrero and dedicated his title win to him…it was awesome. He's so little though. He's like 5'4"." Aurora said.

"What about Batista?" Danny asked.

"Oh…he's out right now. In real-life he tore his bicep and needed surgery." Aurora said.

"The big pansy." Danny smirked.

Aurora made a face at him, and then giggled.

"It's gonna be a good event." Aurora smiled. "Danny, thank you so much. I don't know how you think of all these sweet things."

"Hey, I just heard that this place was showing some WWE thing, thought you'd like to see it, called Aiden and Don." Danny said. "But if you want to thank me with sexual favors, I have a list."

"Subtle Messer. Next just club her over the head and drag her by her hair back to your cave." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Oh he's cute." Aurora laughed. "Ohh it's starting. It's being held in Houston."

"Hey, would you ladies like something to drink?" Flack asked.

"Oh….yeah beer." Aurora said, not looking away form the screen.

"Same for me." Aiden said.

"I'll go with you Flack." Danny said.

They walked up to the bar as the girls stayed and watched the opening interviews of the wrestling event.

"Aurora looks hot tonight." Flack said.

"No need to tell me that. Why are you looking?" Danny smirked.

"Hey, she may be your girlfriend, but I still got eyes." Flack smirked. "You hitting that yet?"

"Flack, we really need to get you a date." Danny said.

"That's a no. And I'll find a date when I want one." Flack said.

"You know Aiden hasn't had a real date since the whole thing with Lilley blew over." Danny said.

"Come on, it's Aiden." Flack said.

"Well it'd be better than Miss Ginger at 1-900-Phone-Sex." Danny laughed.

"Oh you're a real riot." Flack rolled his eyes. "I'm not that desperate."

"Hey you were the one talking about Aiden's lips." Danny laughed.

"I love pouty lips." Flack smiled.

Danny sighed. "I'm getting back to the table before Aiden and Rora faint over some wrestler."

Danny walked over to the table where Aurora was catching Aiden up on a few of the storylines that were going on.

"How's it going?" Danny asked. He sat back down and put his arm around Aurora.

"Just fine. That's Ric Flair. He's been around since….Biblical times. He's trying to become champion for a 17th time. And Triple H is the world's biggest bastard….well him and his father-in-law. Which by the way is the only way he has been champion so many times is because he married Vince McMahon's daughter." Aurora was going on.

"The opening match is about to start…..what the hell is that?" Don asked looking at the screen.

"He's The Boogeyman. Cracks me up, mainly because he taunts Booker T and Sharmell who are both annoying as hell." Aurora said.

"He's eating worms." Aiden said.

"Yeah, I don't know who they found willing to play that part, but here he is." Aurora said.

"Such a sweet pretty girl to watch such a ridiculous show." Flack said.

'They used to have way better storylines….like when Miss Elizabeth and Randy Savage got married. That was my favorite fairy tale as a kid." Aurora said.

"Hey look there is Mac." Aiden said.

They looked up; Mac had walked in the front door of the bar and was at the bar.

"I'll go ask him to sit with us." Aurora jumped up.

Aurora walked up to the bar where Mac was waiting for his drink.

"Hey Mac, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, I just stopped in to get a beer." Mac said.

"Why don't you come join us? We're all watching Summerslam." Aurora said.

"Watching what?" Mac asked.

"Professional wrestling. Come on." Aurora grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the table.

Mac shook his head and allowed her to pull him to the table where Danny, Don and Aiden were sitting.

"Make room, Mac is sitting with us." Aurora said.

Mac pulled another chair up to the table and sat down.

"Aurora, you actually like this stuff?" Mac asked.

"I know it's fake and silly, but I love it. The storylines and all the hott guys." She giggled.

"Mac, the sad part is you start watching this…and it sucks you in. You actually start wondering what's gonna happen next." Flack said.

"It's a soap opera." Danny said.

"It is. But it's entertaining." Aurora said.

Mac didn't look convinced but was amused at Aurora's enthusiasm. He sat sipping his beer watching with the others.

"Do these men have careers other than wrestling?" Mac asked.

"Oh yes. Many of them have degrees and wonderful educations." Aurora said.

"Must be big money in dressing in spandex and sweating it up with other guys." Danny said.

"John Cena is in the main event. I just love that man. I love to hear him rap. He is such a smart mouth." Aurora said.

"So is Danny. You must have a thing for them." Aiden said.

"That's possible." Aurora said and leaned against Danny.

"Now who's this guy?" Flack asked as a new match was being introduced.

"Edge…he's a real life asshole. He was married and ended up with another wrestler's long time girlfriend. It was this whole big scandal." Aurora said.

"Now a punk like him, I could take in a real fight." Flack said.

"I'd pay to see that. I'd actually stand back and let you beat him." Aurora said. "Him and Randy Orton and a few others."

"Mac, what do you think of all this?" Danny asked.

"I am surprised this is something Aurora would like. Then again she's a Boston fan." Mac said.

"Et tu Taylor?" Aurora laughed.

"She even got Aiden to cheering for Boston." Flack said. "These women are ganging up on us."

"You just wait till hockey season starts. You're going to hear all about Mike Ramsey and the Minnesota Wild. Maybe the Pens will actually win a few." Aurora said.

"The only thing that wins in Pittsburgh is the Steelers." Flack smirked.

Aurora growled across the table at him. Mac chuckled watching his staff interact.

"When is this Cena guy's match? I want to hear this rapping you keep talking about." Aiden said.

"He'll be out last because he is in the main event. He's the champion and he'll be defending his title against Chris Masters. One look at Masters and you'll know he's on more steroids than Barry Bonds." Aurora said.

"I thought the short guy was champion?" Danny asked.

"There are two of them because the WWE is split into two factions. Each one has their own champion." She explained.

"I don't know how keep up with all this." Aiden said.

"Try sitting through a NASCAR race with her. She knows every driver, their number, sponsor, model car, crew chief and shoe size." Flack said.

"What can I say? I love sports." She smiled.

"Her and Danny both love baseball so much…I don't want to be near them when the play-offs start." Aiden said.

"Yeah, we do have to place bets on the play-offs." Aurora smiled at Danny.

"As long as no one ends up naked singing Backstreet Boys songs." Aiden said.

"Damn, that's what I planned to do for the NYPD Christmas party after a few drinks." Flack laughed.

(Later)

"Okay this is Cena's match. Aiden, I am telling you he is so cute. And has this cocky grin that just…….no wonder I love Danny!" Aurora laughed.

"That is who you've been so excited about all night?" Flack asked.

"He's just great. I hope he wins. Masters is so annoying." Aurora said.

"You know, they already know who is going to win." Mac said.

"Oh I know, but…I just hate Chris Masters." Aurora said.

"You're right about Masters being on steroids." Danny said.

"The WWE was supposed to implement drug testing after Guerrero died. Guess they forgot to test Masters." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Did you like the guy that died?" Mac asked.

"Oh yes. He was great. Latino Heat. And when he died he was Batista's partner!" Aurora said.

"I knew you'd find a way to sneak Batista back in here." Flack said.

"Hey you know me. Give me a few minutes and I'll work Mike Eruzione into the conversation." She laughed.

The match started and Aurora was on the edge of her seat the entire time.

"Rora, calm down before you hurt yourself." Danny laughed.

"I am watching for the 'Master Lock' its Masters finishing move." She said. "Cena's is the FU."

"Cena is hott." Aiden said.

"I told you." Aurora smiled.

"That pillow fight earlier was the best. Girls in their nighties having a pillow fight…do they show that kind of thing often?" Flack asked.

"A few times a month." Aurora said.

"I need to start watching this stuff." Flack said.

Aurora jumped out of her seat as Cena almost got a 3 count.

"Danny sit on her." Flack laughed.

"I might get hurt. She is so wound up right now." Danny laughed.

"No kidding." Mac smiled.

Aurora was still on the edge of her seat when Cena was able to hit the FU and get the three count.

"He won! John-John won!" Aurora yelled and hugged Danny, kissing him.

"John-John?" Flack raised an eyebrow.

"Cena won! He's still the champ!" Aurora said and hugged Mac.

"She's gonna pass out." Aiden laughed.

"Oh sorry Mac. I was just so excited." Aurora said.

Mac laughed. "It's okay. But it is getting late. I should be heading home."

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow." Aurora said as Mac stood up.

"You guys have a goodnight." Mac said and headed out.

"After that I have to pee." Aurora said.

"I'll go with you." Aiden said.

"Why do women go to the bathroom together?" Flack asked. "What goes on in there?"

"Women things. We boil water, give birth, nurse babies, and have hot flashes." Aiden rolled her eyes.

Aurora laughed as she and Aiden walked to the back of the bar to the bathroom.

"How you doing Danny?" Flack smiled.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"You haven't taken your hands off Aurora all night." Flack said.

"I…it's…..I just like being close to her." Danny said.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what it is." Flack said with sarcasm.

Danny ignored Don.

A few minutes later the girls returned from the bathroom and Aurora sat down on Danny's lap.

"Something wrong?' Danny asked.

"No, just in a snuggle mood." Aurora said.

Danny nodded. Aurora picked up her beer took a few drinks while she and Aiden talked about an upcoming movie they wanted to see.

Danny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Flack saw this and laughed.

"You okay Danny?" Flack smirked.

Danny glared at him. "Just fine."

"What's up?" Aurora asked.

"Nothing. But it is getting late. We should head home." Danny said.

"Yeah. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Aurora said and stood up.

"Have fun you two." Flack said.

Danny rolled his eyes and took Aurora's hand as they walked out of the bar.

(Manhattan)

"Danny, that was so sweet of you. I know wrestling isn't your thing, so I appreciate you going for me." Aurora said as they stood at her door.

"It wasn't so bad. We all had fun. I even saw Mac smiling and laughing." Danny said. "And making you happy is worth anything."

Aurora smiled. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

"Non ti merito." Danny said and stroked her cheek.

She smiled at him and waited for him to tell her what he'd said.

"I don't deserve you." Danny whispered.

She leaned in and kissed him, he held her tight holding there a few seconds.

"Amo i tuoi teneri baci." Danny said.

"I've got to learn Italian….what was that?" she asked.

"I was just saying that I love kissing you." Danny smiled.

"You say the prettiest things…and you say them in Italian whish makes them even sexier. I still get weak in the knees from that." Aurora said.

"That's why I keep saying it." Danny smiled.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah. Want to hang out after work?" Danny asked.

"I can't. I have my strip aerobics class." Aurora said. "But I'll call you when it's over."

"When do I get to see some of these strip aerobics?' Danny smirked.

Aurora giggled. "Oh I don't know."

"Sogni d' oru." Danny said. "Means sweet dreams."

Aurora smiled. "Buona notte."

"Ti amo." Danny whispered.

"Ti amo anch'io." Aurora whispered. Danny leaned in to kiss her.


	36. Being Sick

_Fallenstar1004- Thanks. This is a short but needed chapter. Some fluff, some serious._

_LizfromItaly- I am glad they amuse you. I don't mean to make Don seem jealous, a little maybe. But he's to seem more like giving Danny a hard time in a guy way._

_BridgetLynn- This chappie is short but important. And its got some fluff and serious!_

_Emador- Kylah and Craig are getting there. It's a vital part so I have to get it right. And I knew you'd love the Italian._

_Jordayna- Writing that chapter I just saw Mac as sitting there being a good sport and being amused at everyone's antics._

_Meadow567- I try to add other stuff in the wrestling chapters so everyone has something to enjoy. Hope you get the tickets._

_Dybdahl- He is, isn't he? Well this chappie is short, but needed. Hope you like it._

(8AM)

I walked into the station and sat at my desk and put my head down. I had been sick since last night.

"Aurora……is something wrong?" I heard Flack ask.

"I'm sick. I've puked until I can't puke no more and now have the dry heaves." I sighed and turned my head to look at him. "I even threw up plain water."

"And yet you came into work?" Flack asked.

"You might need me. Danny might need me." I said. "Besides it's just that virus that has been going around."

"Are you sure that's all it is? Is this morning sickness?" Flack smirked.

"Donald, come here so I can kill you. I am too sick to chase you." I said.

"Well you and Danny have been together almost a month now." Flack said.

"Remind me to puke on you later." I groaned.

"Go on home Rora. The NYPD can survive one day without you." Flack said.

"But I might be needed." I protested.

"And they don't give medals for puking above and beyond the call of duty." Flack said. "Go home and rest. If you still don't feel well tomorrow don't come in."

"But I hate being sick." I whined.

"Who enjoys it? Go home. Relax, rest. Watch your Miracle hockey movie with Eddie Demsey and Patrick Cahill and Nate Bah Humbug." Flack said.

"Well you almost had it." I sighed. "You'll call me if you need anything?"

"I promise, if we need you to puke on someone we'll call." Flack said. "Now go home."

"Alright, fine." I mumbled. "Just give me a few minutes to sit here and die first."

"Would you like me to take you home?" Flack asked.

"No, I'll make it. But if I should die….tell Danny I love him. And kiss him for me." I chuckled.

"Go home and get some rest." Flack rolled his eyes.

(9AM)

I managed to get home. I fell onto my couch. I had just closed my eyes when my cell phone rang.

"Denton." I answered.

"Aurora, where are you? Are you okay? Flack told me you were sick." Danny said.

"I am at home, lying on my couch. I just have one of those stomach viruses that have been going around." I said.

"Are you okay?' Danny asked.

"I'll be fine. It'll just have to run its course. Although I am so thirsty, but if I drink anything, it revisits me." I said.

"Mi dispiace te malato." Danny said.

"Now that's a start to feeling better. What did you say?" I asked.

"I am sorry you're sick." Danny said. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm just going to stay around my apartment, try to get something in my stomach and relax. I might watch a few movies or something." I said.

"Well if you need anything, you call me. Mac, Flack and I are working a double shooting in the Bronx." Danny said.

"Do you need me?" I asked.

"We need you to get better. Just stay home and get better." Danny said.

"Okay, you be careful and have a good day." I said.

"Migliorare." Danny said. "That means get well."

"Feeling better already." I smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll call you and check on you later." Danny said and hung up.

I smiled despite feeling so sick. I wondered how I ever managed to find someone like Danny. I stood up and went into my bedroom. Careful not to move too fast I changed into some lounge clothes.

I slowly made my way back into my living room. I decided I would watch a movie to help pass the time. I popped in a random horror flick that I grabbed and lay down on the couch to relax.

(1 PM)

My phone ringing woke me up. I looked at the clock and realized I'd slept a few hours.

"Denton."

"Ciao bella. How are you feeling?" Danny asked.

"Danny had to call his woman." I heard Flack in the background.

"Hush, she is sick." Danny muttered. "How are you?"

"I had fallen asleep watching….I think this is one of the Friday the 13th series." I said. "I haven't thrown up anymore."

"That's good. We're just now finishing up that double shooting scene. It was messy, lots of bullets. Definitely a drive-by, most likely gang activity." Danny said.

"Mi manchi." Danny said. "That means I miss you."

I giggled. "Yeah, its not often we don't see each other at work."

"Spero che presto tu stia meglio." Danny said. "I hope you feel better soon."

I could hear Flack laughing in the background. No doubt giving Danny a hard time.

"Tell Flack to hush. And your Italian is making me feel better. It's very sexy." I said.

"Aspetta i madrelingua per altre spiegazioni?" Danny asked.

"If you were asking for something sexual, it'll have to wait until I feel better." I giggled.

Danny laughed. "Actually I was asking if you wanted me to bring you anything."

"Oh no. I'm fine. You just finish your case and have a good day. You can call me when you leave work." I said.

"I will and if you need anything, you call me or Flack." Danny said.

"Okay, but I think I'll be okay." I said.

"I'll call you later. Love you." Danny said.

"Love you too." I said and hung up.

I started the movie over since I had missed most of it.

(4:30PM)

I was in the middle of watching another Horror movie when the buzzer to my apartment started ringing. I walked over and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Baby it's me, buzz me in." Danny said.

"Shouldn't you be at work? What are you doing here? I'm sick." I said.

"Just buzz me in." Danny said.

I buzzed him in and a few minutes later Danny was knocking on my door. He walked in carrying bags and sat them on my kitchen counter.

"Danny what is all this?' I asked.

Danny turned around and kissed my forehead. "My tesoro is sick; of course I am going to take care of her."

"But you should be at work?" I protested.

"I left early. Mac had everything under control." Danny smiled.

"But you don't have to take care of me. I don't want to ruin your evening by having you sit here waiting for me to vomit." I said.

"Rory, I love being with you. And I didn't want you to be alone while sick." Danny said.

"Have I ever told you you're the sweetest man alive?" I smiled.

"You have no idea how much I love you." Danny said. "Now go lie down on the couch. I brought you some light food to try to eat and I stopped and picked up some medicine that is supposed to help with nausea."

"You're spoiling me." I giggled as I walked towards the couch.

"You spoil me too." Danny smiled.

I lay down on the couch and watched as Danny puttered around in my kitchen.

"What did you find on the double-shooting?" I asked.

"Mac is running the ballistics. We're pretty sure there was more than one gun involved." Danny said.

"What was the gang that was attacked?" I asked.

"The Black Cobras. They're an African-American gang, dabbles in rap." Danny said.

"They got issues with any particular rival?" I asked.

"We're still trying to find out. You know how well gangs want to cooperate with police." Danny said.

"That's true. I'm sure Mac will figure out something." I said.

Danny brought over a glass of something and plate of crackers.

"its clear soda and some crackers. If you can keep this down, we'll try some soup." Danny said.

"I'm sorry. I feel like I am turning you into a nursemaid." I said.

"Don't apologize. I WANT to be here." Danny said as I sat up to eat. "Ti voglio far sentire meglio."

"What?" I smiled.

"I want to make you feel better." Danny said.

"That Italian is so sexy…if I wasn't sick right now I'd probably jump on you." I giggled.

"Then let's hurry up and get you better." Danny smirked.

"Do you know how much I love you?" I asked.

"Not as much as I love you." Danny smiled and kissed my forehead. "I brought you something else."

"What?" I asked.

Danny went back into the kitchen and looked through the bags before pulling out a DVD and tossing it to me.

"Just released today and you've been wanting it." Danny said.

I looked down and saw the Rock's latest movie. "Danny you didn't…"

"I thought it'd cheer you up. And you were going to make me watch it sooner or later." Danny said and sat down next to me.

"thank you it does cheer me up. Can we watch it?" I asked.

"Sure, I'm here with you all evening." Danny said.

(10:30PM)

"You sure you don't want me to stay the night?" Danny asked.

"Sweetie, I kept down the crackers and soup. I'd say my stomach is settling and I'll be okay." I said as I climbed into bed.

"Okay, but if you get sick in the middle of the night call me, I'll come back." Danny said.

"You don't have to do that, but I appreciate the thought." I giggled. "Would you hold me until I fall asleep?"

"You know I will." Danny crawled on the bed beside me. I curled up on his chest and relaxed.

"Thank you for coming over tonight. It was better than being alone." I said.

"It was no trouble." Danny said.

"Danny…I know we've only formally been together a few weeks, but it feels like so much longer….and I am already in so deep." I said.

"Mi sono innamorato di te." Danny said. "I fell in love with you. I am in love with you. I have been for a long time. Long before I told you."

"Me too…..and I just wanted to tell you how happy you make me. I know I'm getting sappy and all, but…..you mean so much to me." I said.

"Ti amo e tu sei la mia vita." Danny said.

"Talk to me in Italian. You don't have to tell me what you're saying; just say pretty things in Italian." I said and closed my eyes.

"Mi fai impazzire. Ti amo più di ogni altra cosa, tesoro. Ti amo moltissimo, per me sei tutto……"


	37. Old Rivalries

_Meadow567- Wow, expensive tickets! Yeah Danny was saying that he loved her and needed her at the end. All that good fluffy stuff._

_Jordayna- Funny you said that, the sick thing was partly inspired by the fact I had it a few weeks ago. And I wish I'd had a Danny to take of me then! _

_Dybdahl- His whole past with the mob and Tanglewood isn't a flaw? And you can't steal Danny because Aurora is protective of him and she carries a gun! LOL _

_Emador- It's a secret where I find it. And I thought you liked Danny speaking Italian? Yeah I thought you'd like the name joke. And BTW- Happy Birthday a bit late. You'll understand in a few minutes! _

I walked into the station and sat at my desk. Flack walked up and sat a mug of coffee on my desk and then started staring at me.

"Don?" I asked.

He got close and looked at my face. "Nope, not yet." He said.

"What? Flack are you nuts?" I asked.

"Glad you're back to work Rora." Flack said. "With you sick, I had no one to keep me amused all day. And Danny was always calling you to check on you."

"Flack, I missed two days of work." I said. "And so what if Danny called me."

"Oh it's no big deal. I just like giving him a hard time. I mean I've known Danny a long time and I'm very amused to see him serious about a girlfriend." Flack smiled. "Actually we're all amused."

"Well I am glad it's so amusing." I chuckled.

Flack's phone rang and he answered it.

I called Danny while Flack was on the phone.

"Messer."

"Good morning." I said.

"Ciao bella. How you feeling?" Danny asked.

"Fine, I'm at the station. What are you doing?" I asked.

"Mac and I have been going over some ballistics and made a connection on two cases." Danny said. "Mac is supposed to call Flack."

"Might be who Don is on the phone with." I said.

"You busy after work?" Danny asked.

"Not that I know of. What do you have in mind?" I asked.

"Maybe we can spend the evening together. Just head out and see what happens." Danny said.

"That sounds wonderful. Catch me around after work?" I said.

"I'll be looking for you." Danny said.

"Gotta go, Flack is motioning that we need to leave. Love you." I said.

"Love you too." Danny said.

I hung up. "What's up Flack?"

"That was Mac. Last night there was another drive by in the Bronx. Another Black Cobra was hit in the shoulder but he lived. The bullet pulled out of him matched one from the double shooting earlier this week." Flack said.

"So we're headed to the hospital to speak with the surviving victim?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's roll." Flack said.

I got up to follow him. "Which hospital?"

"County." Flack said.

Flack and I hopped into an SUV and started for the County Hospital.

"What is the surviving victim's name?" I asked as we rode through the city.

"DeShawn Jones, his street name is 'D-Dawg'." Flack said.

"Oh that's original. His mother must be proud." I rolled my eyes. "What do we know about this Black Cobra gang?"

"They have territory in the projects of the Bronx. All of them have been arrested on one thing or another. African-American gang. They think they're rappers." Flack said.

"Don't all gang members?" I asked.

Flack gave me that knowing grin. "Anyways, earlier in the week while you were sick, two of the Black Cobras were killed in a drive-by. Ballistics identified three different guns used. None of the Black Cobras are willing to talk to us. Last night another drive-by caught DeShawn."

"Rival gang?" I asked Flack.

"Possible. Problem is, the guns are not matching anything in our databank. Mac said he's going to check the national ballistics database." Flack said.

"I hate gang violence." I said.

We pulled up at the County hospital and walked inside. DeShawn was being kept on the post-surgical floor. There was a guard at his door since he was considered witness to a crime.

"Great more cops." DeShawn said as we walked in. "Man when they gonna let me outta here?"

"We're not doctors. We have no idea." I said.

"I'm Detective Don Flack. This is my partner Detective Aurora Denton. We're here to talk to you." Flack said.

"I didn't do nothing." DeShawn said.

"We're here about who shot you." I said.

"Do you know who it was?" Flack asked.

"All I have to say is if I do, it'll be handled the Cobra way." DeShawn said.

"We don't want more crime scenes to visit. We don't want to talk to anyone's family giving them bad news." I said.

"You think I give a fuck what you want?" DeShawn said. "They killed two of my brothers and shot me."

"Who are they?" Flack asked.

DeShawn wouldn't answer.

"Kenrick 'Kquik' Adams. Latham 'Major Chaos' Shoan…….they were friends of yours." Flack said.

"They were my brothers. Shot down in the street." DeShawn yelled.

"We're trying to get justice for them. Tell us what you know. If you cared about Kenrick and Latham." I said.

"Where were you the night they were shot?" Flack asked.

"I've already been through this with pigs. I told them, I was with my boys." DeShawn said.

"And where were you and your boys hanging out?" I asked.

"We were at the recording studio. We were waiting on Latham; he'd just made a deal to record a promo." DeShawn said.

"But he never showed. He was killed on his way there." Flack said. "Who's your rival gang?"

DeShawn wouldn't answer.

"DeShawn, two of your friends have been killed. You're very lucky you weren't fatally wounded. This isn't going to stop unless you let us help you." I said.

"What do you care? To cops we're all just gang bangers." He said.

"That's not how I feel. Let me help you. I want to lock up who did this to you and Kenrick and Latham." I insisted.

DeShawn looked at me. "I can almost believe you care."

"I do. I'm here aren't I? I care enough to argue with you." I said.

"It's not your responsibility." DeShawn said.

"It is our responsibility." Flack said.

"DeShawn, who have the Black Cobras feuded with as of late?" I asked.

"Latham was on his way up. A lot of people were jealous about that." DeShawn said.

"What did Latham rap about?" Flack asked.

"Life on the streets. Hustling, police beatings, shootings." DeShawn said.

"Who was jealous of Latham?" I asked.

"Just some people we have an old beef with." DeShawn said.

"Who?" Flack asked.

"Don't worry about it. When we strike back on their turf, you won't have to worry about it." DeShawn said.

"Why won't we?" I asked. "DeShawn, killing more people doesn't make anything right."

"They aren't gonna take down two of my brothers and get away with it. And what would you do if you caught them? Put them in jail? Fuck that!" DeShawn yelled.

Flack and I looked at each other. We knew reasoning with him further would be useless.

"We already have your statements regarding your shooting from the officers that responded. If we have any other questions, we'll be in touch." Flack said.

DeShawn said nothing. We walked out of his room.

"Well that was a waste of time." Flack said.

"There is gonna be a blood bath if we can't find who's doing this." I said.

"Let's head back to the station. We'll pull every file we have on the Black Cobras and see what we can learn." Flack said.

(Station)

"What do we have so far?" Flack asked.

We'd been sitting for two hours looking over everything we could find on the Black Cobras.

"Their colors are black and white. Approximately 15 known members, all African-American. Their turf is in the Bronx." I said.

"Yeah, seems they've had a few feuds with a couple others gangs. Nothing related to this case." Flack said.

"This is odd. Gang members Osgood Geffal and Delmar Owens were arrested in the stabbing of a man in 1997 in Los Angeles. Both served five year terms and came back to New York." I said.

"On vacation and can't stay out of trouble." Flack shrugged.

"All the Black Cobras' recent arrests have been for drugs and illegal guns. Nothing here about fighting with anyone." I said.

"That makes this a lot harder. I checked out this Latham Shoan. Everyone says he was an up and coming rapper." Flack said.

"So he finally catches a break just to get killed." I sighed.

"Whoever is shooting these people seem to have issues with just the Black Cobras. In less than a week they've struck twice, each time shooting Cobra members." Flack said.

"And yet no one is willing to give us a description of the car, the shooters, nothing." I said.

"In this world, helping the police gets you killed." Flack said.

"Gavin." I said.

"What?"

"Gavin Moran, he worked the Bronx. He knows these gangs. He might be able to help us." I said.

"I don't think Mac would take kindly to me talking to Gavin about a case." Flack said.

"Just sit and talk with Gavin and see what he can tell you about the Black Cobras, their rivals, and such. If we can save more people that's what's important." I said.

Flack nodded. "I'll give him a call."

While Flack called Gavin, I went to talk to Danny. I had a few minutes to spare and thought I'd surprise him in the lab. I found Danny in the beak room getting water to drink.

"Hey good looking." I giggled.

Danny turned around. "Buon pomeriggio."

"Good afternoon?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to teach you Italian." Danny smiled.

"I dunno, you saying it is so sexy. It's kinda your special thing." I said and sat on the couch.

"But…oh never mind." Danny said and sat down beside me. "How's your day?"

"Flack and I are working on the Black Cobras case." I said.

"Yeah, Mac and me have been trying to track down the guns all day." Danny said.

"I just hope we can keep anyone else from getting hurt. I mean, I know they're gang bangers, but somewhere they've got moms and families who care." I said.

"Gang cases are hard to figure out. They don't want the cops involved and they want to handle things their way." Danny said.

"Enough about the case. I came to see you for a break from that." I said.

"Well if you're looking for 'distraction' we need to lock the door." Danny winked.

"Yeah, I could just see Mac walking in on THAT!" I giggled.

"We'll lock the door." Danny smirked.

"And he wouldn't figure it out!" I rolled my eyes.

(Later)

"Aurora, talked with Gavin." Flack said as he walked back into the station.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"That stabbing in LA back in 1997 was over the East Coast/West Coast rap war." Flack said.

"Are you kidding me? They actually went to LA and stabbed someone because of a rap war?" I was stunned.

"Gavin says that a copy-cat gang of the Bloods has some rappers in it. And in 1997 the whole East Coast Vs. West Coast was in its heyday." Flack explained.

"How does a gang in NYC get into a fight with a gang in LA?" I asked.

"Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records are the big rap labels. But getting signed by one of them is easier said than done." Flack said. "So the competition for other labels is fierce."

"And gangs on opposite coasts with rappers vying for contracts…."

"Leads to a rivalry that gets out of hand." Flack said.

"But aren't the Bloods associates of Suge Knight of Death Row Records?" I asked.

"Allegedly." Flack rolled his eyes.

"But what's that have to do with now? 1997 is long over, and the rap war has calmed down." I said.

"Gavin said that the Cobras never really let it go. And that with Latham about to be signed…..a lot of old friction stirred up." Flack said.

"This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Who the hell flies across the country to shoot someone over rap music?" I said.

"You and I both know murder doesn't always make sense. And people have been killed for more stupid reasons." Flack said. "Besides this is like gang pride and territory thing."

"Can't they just stay in LA and feud with the Crips?" I muttered. "Are you sure about this? It sounds ridiculous."

"Rora, you weren't in New York when the East Coast Vs. West Coast rivalry was at its hottest. People were really wrapped up in that stuff. And you throw in violent gangs." Flack said. "The guy that was stabbed in LA was one of those Bloods wanna-bes and was about to get signed too. Problem was, he was getting signed to a company that Delmar Owens was trying to get on with."

I shook my head. "I always thought the whole East Coast Vs. West Coast thing was played up. I didn't really think people took this so seriously."

"Welcome to New York City." Flack said.

"You really think some of these Bloods knock-offs came out here and is doing drive-bys?" I asked.

"Makes about as much sense as anything else that has happened this summer." Flack said.

"DeShawn did say that when the Cobras got revenge it wouldn't be our responsibility. And that people they had an old problem with were the ones jealous of Latham." I sighed. "This is just stupid and crazy enough to be true."

"Now we just have to find a way of linking this Bloods people to the Cobras. We have to place them at the crime scenes." Flack said.

"You guys talking about the Black Cobras case?" Mac asked as he and Danny walked in.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked.

"I spent all day working on the national ballistics database and found a match on one of the guns used in the double shooting earlier this week." Mac said.

"Let me guess the gun is out of California." Flack said.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Danny asked.

"Relates to some other info we have." I said.

"This hand gun in particular was used in the unsolved murder of a Crips gang member in LA." Mac said.

"Flack, with security at airports since 9/11, whoever brought that to NYC gun had to register it and have no criminal record. Find out a name." I said.

Flack picked up his phone. I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

"I don't get it. I thought after Tupac and Biggie was killed that their people all got together and said enough is enough. That it had all gone way too far and was blown out of proportion. To just let it go." I said.

"That's what this is about? More East vs. West?" Danny asked.

"That's how it's looking." I said.

"Some people just don't know when to let go." Mac sighed.

"And all this time I thought all that gang talk in rap was hype. Looks like there is more to it than I thought. Of course, I don't know much about rap." I said.

"If these gangs from opposite sides of the country are rivals…you can bet they know each other quite well. I mean these LA guys knew exactly who they were after and where to find them." Mac said.

"Gangs have eyes everywhere." Danny said.

"Got some news. On a flight into JFK from LA an Ephraim Lishur registered his handgun a .22 with the airport. He flew home this afternoon." Flack said.

"Well what do we do now?" I asked.

"We're going to Cali." Flack said.

**To Be Continued…..**


	38. Old Rivalries Part 2

_BridgetLynn- Gritty and dark? Hmm, I never think of them that way. Hope you like the 'road trip'. LOL_

_Meadow567- That would be an interesting show. Here is what else happens. Craig and Kylah was updated too._

_Jordayna- It's okay to be demanding. Here is more of the story. I am glad you like it so much. I love writing it and have so many ideas! _

_Anarwen2- I am so glad you like my story. Thank you so much! _

_Emador- Well here is Cali. I hope you like it. Happy Birthday to you! _

(Los Angeles)

Flack, Mac, Danny and me stepped off the plane at LAX. I looked around.

"So this is LA?" I said. "Never been here."

"You're really not happy about this are you?" Flack asked.

"I want to solve the case and put an end to this ridiculous violence. But working with the LAPD…the most scandalous police department ever…..I just don't know about this." I said.

"Just be nice to them. You don't have to like them." Mac said.

"We have to get our luggage." Danny said.

We walked to the baggage claim and waited for our things.

"That flight was so long." I sighed.

"Yeah, my back is stiff from sitting still so long." Danny said.

"I told you two to go join the mile high club." Flack said.

I laughed. "You give the best advice." I rolled my eyes.

"The LAPD is expecting us. Let's not keep them waiting." Mac said.

"Of course not, might cut into their time of white cops beating black men." I sighed.

We walked out of the airport and caught a cab.

"Where are we staying?" Flack asked.

"NYPD is paying for us a couple hotel rooms." Mac said.

"Think we'll be able to find anything out?" I asked.

"When I spoke with the homicide department's captain, he sounded glad to help us." Mac said.

"So many of the LAPD is involved with these gangs themselves. I am just wondering how cooperative they'll be. Or if they'll tip off the Bloods as to what we're doing." I said.

"We'll have to be careful." Mac said.

"You really don't trust the LAPD." Danny said.

"Not really. Too many scandals, they got away with beating Rodney King. And the way they've mishandled the Biggie murder investigation and the stuff Suge Knight has gotten away with." I said.

"So you do know a little about rap." Flack smirked.

"I know about the case. I keep up with well known crimes." I said. "Part of being a cop."

"She's right about gangs in LA having connections with the LAPD, so stick close to each other, careful who you talk to and let's close this case fast." Mac said.

We pulled up in front of the LAPD homicide station. We got out and gathered our things before heading inside.

"I'm Detective Mac Taylor, NYPD. I'm looking for Captain Mertaw." Mac said.

"His office is in the back." The officer told us.

We made our way to the back, and Mac knocked on his door. We were told to go in.

"Captain Mertaw, I'm Detective Taylor, we spoke on the phone." Mac said.

"Yes, I've been expecting you." Mertaw said.

"Thank you. This is Detective Danny Messer, one of my crime scene investigators. Detective Don Flack and Detective Aurora Denton, both NYPD homicide." Mac said.

"I'm glad you all could come. Detective Taylor has spoken to me about the case. I have gathered information about the Bloods and some of the knock-off gangs, but was unable to find. Ephraim Lishur listed in any one of them." Mertaw said.

"He could be a new recruit. Or has managed to avoid a run-in with the police." Flack said.

"That is my theory. Some of my detectives are speaking with informants to find out which gang he belongs to." Mertaw said.

"We know there was more than one shooter. We believe the others bought weapons on the street once in New York City. They probably have records." Mac said.

"The murder on the Crips member that is still unsolved, did any particular gang take credit for it?" I asked.

"Several of the Bloods, nothing could ever be proven. Gang violence is hard to prove." Mertaw said.

"We'd like to get started. Look over the files, hear what your detectives find out from informants." Mac said.

"Of course, you can leave your things in here for now." Mertaw said.

(Later)

"Detectives, this is my lead investigator Detective Grant Tolin." Mertaw said. "He just came from speaking with some of our informants on the streets."

"We've been looking over the files you provided to us. These gangs have learned how to kill informants and avoid the system." Mac said.

"That's what they do best." Mertaw said.

"I found out that Ephraim Lishur is in a Bloods gang that calls themselves the Death Riders." Tolin said.

"That a biker gang?" I asked.

"No. Most of the gang sports low riders. Ephraim has been in the gang about a year. He's quickly moving up in the ranks within the gang." Tolin said.

"Where does this gang hang out?" Danny asked.

"East LA." Tolin said.

"Did your informant know anything of the New York murders?" Mac asked.

"He just said he'd heard some talk of getting even for Lil Pimp's stabbing." Tolin said.

"Lil Pimp?" Flack asked.

"He was stabbed in 1997 by the New York gang members. That was his stage name. His real name is Garett Ashten." Tolin said.

"Where is Ashten now?" I asked.

"He's dead. He went to prison in 1999 for murder and was killed inside the prison by a rival gang." Tolin said.

"So much for talking to him." Danny sighed.

"Guess now we head to East LA and talk to Ephraim Lishur and his friends." Mac said.

"I'll get some of my officers to go with you. And I'll get a search warrant. The ballistics match is enough for one. Be ready for anything." Mertaw said.

Mertaw left to speak with his officers. We stood up.

"He's not gonna confess." Flack said.

"We get there and look around. Maybe we can find out something. Also be on the look out for weak members. Someone who might break down and tell us something." Mac said.

"I wish we knew where the guns were. Lishur didn't even take his back to LA with him." I said.

"They've dumped them somewhere." Danny said.

"When we get out there, stick close to one another. Watch each other's backs." Mac said. "I didn't come all the way to LA to lose one of my officers."

We nodded as Mertaw and Tolin walked back in.

"I got some of my officers ready. Let's go." Mertaw said.

Mertaw, Tolin and a few uniformed officers loaded up with the four of us and we headed to East LA. Danny sat in the back of an SUV beside me.

"You gonna be okay?" Danny asked.

"I'm fine. I just don't know what to expect, but I can handle it." I said.

"Be careful. Stick close to Mac, Flack and me." Danny said.

"I'll be okay. I've worked gang banger cases before." I said.

"I love you, you know that." Danny smiled.

"I know. I love you too." I said and squeezed his hand.

When we arrived in East LA at the hang out of the Death Riders, it turned out to be an old garage. Inside we could hear them working on cars.

"Told you they liked low riders." Tolin said as we filed out of the vehicles.

"Chop shop?" Flack asked.

"No, they legitimately buy their low riders. Several of them are local rappers and make descent money performing in the clubs." Tolin said.

"On the way here I compared the passenger list with the list of known Death Riders." Mac said. "Three of them were on the same flight as Lishur."

"Who are they?" Danny asked.

"Immanuel 'Crazy Chains' Brandt. Arrested in 2001 for weapons violations. Konrad 'Oscar K' Nemen, arrested in 1996 and 1999 for drug possession. And Stanley 'Stan Man' Edger, arrested in 2003 for assault." Mac said.

"Stupid nicknames." I said.

"All of them were convicted felons; they wouldn't have been permitted to take a gun on a plane with them." Flack said.

"Well let's go see what they have to say." Mertaw said.

We walked inside the garage.

"LAPD, stay where you are!" Mertaw yelled.

"What now?" one of them said.

I looked around. There were two low riders being worked on. One was a red convertible that they were painting a Virgin Mary on the hood. The other was a blue, late model car. They were working something on the interior.

"We got some detectives here from New York City that would like to speak with you. And we have a search warrant." Mertaw said.

"New York City…a little out of your jurisdiction aren't you?" Another said.

"They're working with us. Answer their questions here and we can avoid any unpleasantness." Tolin said.

The LAPD officers began searching through the garage. I was glad that there were two LAPD CSI's there.

"Which of you are Immanuel Brandt, Konrad Nemen, Stanley Edger and Ephraim Lishur?" Mac asked.

"I'm Konrad, but it's Oscar K." one up front said.

"I'm Edger." One painting the convertible said.

"I'm Crazy Chains." Another said.

"And I'm Lishur." One up front said.

"We have some questions for you four." Flack said.

"New York accents." Konrad laughed.

"You four were in New York City this week. What were you doing there?" Danny asked.

"Visiting the Statue of Liberty." Crazy Chains smirked

"Ephraim Lishur, why did you take a gun to New York with you?" I asked.

"I never go anywhere without it." Lishur said.

"You didn't bring it back from New York. Where is it now?" Mac asked.

"I lost it somewhere. Maybe Central Park." Lishur said.

"You know anything about the Black Cobras?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, they stabbed one of our boys a few years ago." Edger said.

"They stabbed Lil Pimp……did you ever retaliate?" I asked.

"Bastards were arrested and then once they got out of prison, they ran back to New York. They knew we'd be gunning for them." Crazy Chains said.

"Speaking of guns. Ephraim your gun has been linked to the double murder of two of the Black Cobras. Kenrick Adams and Latham Shoan." I said.

"Wasn't me. Someone must have found my gun and used it." Ephraim smirked.

"So you're on the turf of a rival gang, lose your gun and someone else shoots members of that gang. That's quite a coincidence." Flack said.

"Life is funny that way." Ephraim smirked.

"Did you know that Latham Shoan was getting a deal?" Danny asked.

"Punk didn't deserve it, guess now he won't be." Edger said.

"You hate East Coast rappers?" Flack asked.

"We're loyal to West Coast. Biggie started it." Oscar K said.

"Oh my god. That was over ten years ago, get over it." I said. "Tupac always blamed Biggie for not warning him about someone going to shoot and rob him. Started that whole big feud. And they're both dead now. It's time to move on!"

"It's more than that. Tupac was our dawg." Edger said.

"And even his mother has asked for the violence to stop. Do you all realize how ridiculous you sound?" I said.

"You wouldn't understand. You live a cozy little life. You don't live on the streets. And then when someone disses you, kills your homeboy." Crazy Chains said.

"That's great. Next why don't you tell me about your baby's mama and bling bling." I said with sarcasm.

"Listen at her; she got a mouth on her." Ephraim said.

"Where were you Sunday night and Wednesday night?" Mac asked.

"Out clubbing. We were in New York City after all." Oscar K said.

"And let me guess, no one can verify your alibis?" Danny said.

"You got it. Us four out and about." Ephraim said.

"If you're all West Coast, why come to New York?" Flack asked.

"We needed a vacation." Edger laughed.

"You shot those Black Cobras because you heard Shoan was getting a deal. And you wanted revenge for the stabbing of Lil Pimp." Mac said.

"Rap is a rough industry. Don't mean we killed those three men." Ephraim said.

The four of us from New York looked at each other.

"Detective Tolin, you can arrest them now. They just stuck their feet in their mouths." I said.

"What? What'd we say?" Edger asked.

"That you didn't kill THREE men….but we had only told you about TWO men being killed." Flack said.

"When we was in New York, we read about those three men being killed." Crazy Chains said.

"No you didn't. Because that third man you shot, survived." I said.

Ephraim took off running. Danny chased after him out the front door. I followed, running as fast as I could. Outside I saw Danny wrestle Ephraim to the ground. I hurried over to help Danny restrain him.

Ephraim was able to roll over and punch Danny in the jaw. Danny fell back and Ephraim started to get up.

I pulled my gun. "Don't move!"

Ephraim looked up at me as Danny tackled him again, pinning him to the ground.

"Why you gotta run if you're innocent?" Danny yelled and cuffed him.

Tolin walked out and began reading Ephraim his rights. Tolin took Ephraim from Danny.

I went to check on Danny. "Are you okay?"

Danny rubbed his jaw. "I'm fine….I'm going to feel it for a few days. But I'm okay."

"My sweetie." I said and hugged him. "I'll baby you later."

Danny smiled as we walked over to where Mac and Don were waiting for us.

(Hotel)

Mac, Danny, Don and I stepped out of the cab at the hotel the NYPD was putting us up in. We gathered our things and went inside.

"The LAPD crime lab is running ballistics on some shell casings they found out back of the garage. Said it was most likely from target practice." Mac said.

"Any of the Death Riders talking yet?" I asked.

"Nope, I called the DA back in New York to work out a deal for the one that does start talking." Flack said. "He's ready to start working on their extradition as soon as we get some more evidence against them."

"It's been such a long day. I just can't wait to take a hot shower and rest." I said.

Mac went to the desk to get our room keys and such.

"Danny, how is your jaw?" I asked. "That was a hard punch."

"It's sore." Danny said.

"You need to put some ice on it." I told him.

Mac walked back over to us. "We only got two rooms. How do you want to do this?"

"Well I say we let the married couple have their own room." Flack smirked.

"Aurora is that okay with you? We can get you your own room if you want." Mac said.

"No, that's okay. We're all adults here. I can share a room with Danny." I said.

Mac handed me a room key. "If anything new in the case happens we'll call you."

I nodded. Danny and I took the elevator to the 3rd floor where our room was. Our room was 326. We walked down the hall, and I unlocked the door for us.

"I am so tired." I said as we sat our bags down.

"Me too. The flight and everything." Danny said.

"Let's get some ice on that jaw for you. You're probably going to have a bruise." I said.

"Rora, I'm fine." Danny said.

"Hush, you took care of me while I was sick. It's my turn to fuss over you a bit." I smiled. "I'm going to get some ice."

I found one of those little ice buckets on the table and headed down the hall to get some ice for Danny. I found the ice machine and filled up the bucket. I yawned and started back down the hall.

When I went back into the room, Danny had taken off his shoes and jacket and was sitting on one of the beds. I went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. I dumped some of the ice in it. I walked over and sat on the bed next to him.

I put the ice against his jaw. "This will help the swelling and bruising."

"Thanks. He caught me good." Danny said.

"It must hurt." I said.

"I'll be okay." Danny said. "Don't worry."

I moved the ice and kissed Danny's jaw where he'd been hit. I put the ice back in place.

"That was to make it feel better." I said.

"It worked too." Danny smiled.

I chuckled. "You're so sweet." I leaned in and kissed him. "I'm off to shower."

Danny took the ice and held it himself. I went to my suitcase and picked out a few things, then went in the bathroom.

I was so tired. I took a long shower to relax. I took time to just let go of the stress of the day.

I put on a pair of lounge pants and a tank top and walked out of the bathroom. Danny was lying back on the bed, holding the ice against his jaw. He'd taken his shirt off and was just lounging in his jeans.

"I think I used up all the hot water. You might want to wait a bit. I'm sorry." I said.

"Don't worry about it." Danny said. "Feel better after showering?"

"Yeah. How's your jaw?" I asked.

"Still sore, but the ice has it kinda numbed." Danny said. "I just want to shower and relax."

I walked over to the bed. "Sit up. I'll rub your shoulders to help you relax. Then you can take a nice hot shower."

"You don't have to." Danny said.

"Oh hush. It's no trouble. You said your back was stiff and after the day we've had…..this way you can be nice and relaxed, enjoy your shower. And you'll sleep better." I said.

Danny sat up. I sat down behind him and started rubbing his shoulders.

"How's that feel?" I asked.

"Great." Danny said. "Feels nice."

"You feel really tense. A lot of knots for me to work out." I said.

I rubbed Danny's shoulders. Starting at the neck and moving out to the shoulders. In the mirror I could see that Danny had closed his eyes.

"You okay?" I asked him.

He didn't answer just nodded. I rubbed his shoulders a bit more than started kneading his back.

"Sentirsi bene." Danny mumbled, eyes still closed.

"What?" I asked.

Danny didn't answer. I finished his back and moved my hands up to start massaging his scalp. Danny moaned softly.

"Feel good?" I asked.

"Mi ecciti." Danny said.

"I don't know what you said, but okay." I giggled.

I massaged his scalp a moment longer.

"Rora, that's good. I feel much better now." Danny said. "I think I'm gonna go shower."

"Okay, glad I could help." I said.

"That felt great, trust me." Danny smiled.

He got up and walked across the room, grabbed his bag and went in the bathroom. I heard him lock the door. I got up and walked to the next bed and turned down the covers. I turned out the lights and climbed in bed.

I could hear Danny turn the water on. I relaxed, and laid down.

Danny took a long shower himself, but I was still awake when the water was turned off. I heard Danny moving about in the bathroom. Then the bathroom door opened, and Danny walked out, shutting off the lights in the bathroom.

"Rora, you still awake?" Danny whispered.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"I just wanted to kiss you goodnight." Danny said.

"You're so sweet." I said and sat up.

Danny walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He was wearing lounge pants and a white t-shirt. I leaned over and kissed him.

"Buona notte." I said.

"Buona notte, caro." Danny said and kissed me again. "Sogni d'oru."

"Ti amo." I said.

"Ti amo anch'io." Danny said and kissed me one last time.

Danny stood up and walked to the other bed. I lay back down and could hear him moving the covers back and getting into bed. I settled back and closed my eyes.

I tried to fall asleep but couldn't. I was so tired too. In the other bed I could hear Danny shifting. I couldn't tell if he was tossing and turning or moving in his sleep. I turned over and tried sleeping again. I didn't fall asleep, but could hear Danny moving again.

I bit my lip for a moment. I'd been lying awake for over an hour and couldn't sleep despite how tired I felt. Truth is, I wanted to be closer to Danny. I really wanted to curl up with him.

I got up and slowly walked the few feet to his bed. I pulled back the covers and crawled in next to him.

"Rory?" Danny asked.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I asked.

"No, I couldn't fall asleep." Danny said.

I moved over and snuggled against him. "I wanted to sleep snuggled up with you."

Danny put his arm around me and pulled my head on his shoulder. "I'd really like that."

I yawned and closed my eyes. "Goodnight, I love you."

Danny leaned over and kissed me. "I love you too."

I moved closer to Danny and put my arm across his chest. Danny started rubbing my back, just gently stroking along my spine. He leaned over and kissed me again.

"I love you Aurora." Danny said.

"I love you too." I yawned again. "Night."

Danny settled back. "Night, sleep well."

And I fell asleep curled up in Danny's arms.

(Next Morning)

The phone ringing startled me awake. Danny grabbed for it.

"Hello?" he said. "Really? Okay…….yeah we'll be ready."

Danny hung up.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Mac. The ballistics on the shell casings found at the garage matched." Danny said.

"Nice. The DA gonna file for extradition now?" I asked.

"Yeah, especially since when offered a deal, Edger started telling everything he knew. He was just the driver in both shootings." Danny said.

"So I guess we can head back to New York." I yawned.

"We leave in two hours. Mac is taking care of everything." Danny said.

"Somehow, I feel this case is over to easy." I said.

"Our part is done. We need to get ready to go home." Danny said.


	39. One Month

_LizfromItaly- I know how you feel, I wouldn't mind sleeping in their arms either. There is some Italian in this chappie too. I am glad you like it. And the great part is, you know what Danny says! Hope you like this._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Thanks so much. I love all kinds of reviews! Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_BridgetLynn- Yeah, but Aurora helps make it better! LOL Hope you like this, its some fluff._

_Meadow567- Hope you like this chappie. It's some fluff, but it's got a purpose._

_Jordayna- So would I. Glad you liked the chapter, it was fun to write._

_Dybdahl- Jinxed herself? I'm sorry, you lost me totally. _

_Emador- I am sure that happened in your mind and was too naughty even for me, LOL. And here is more. And you can melt all you want._

Flack and I walked back into the station after talking to a family to tell them their son had committed suicide. It was never easy to do that. It was close to the end of the day and I was looking forward to the weekend, hoping that murder took time off.

"Romeo has been here again." Flack smirked.

"What?"

"On your desk, look." Flack said.

I looked on my desk and there was a single red rose with a note. I smiled and picked it up.

_Aurora,  
__Happy one-month! I'll see you tonight. Pick you up around 6. Ti amo.  
__Danny_

"Well?" Flack asked.

"It's our one month anniversary." I smiled.

"I must have missed the parade." Flack joked.

"You smartass." I giggled. "It's been such a great month."

Flack raised an eyebrow. "So what are you two doing to celebrate? What is the one month anniversary? Is that the toilet paper anniversary?"

I playfully punched his arm. "You're so bad. I don't know what we're doing. Danny just said I'd love it."

"You two depress us single people." Flack said.

I looked at my watch. "I have to go shower and get ready."

I picked up my note and rose and hurried off to the locker room.

(TPPOV)

Flack walked into the locker room to get ready to head home for the evening. He saw Danny spraying on cologne.

"Getting ready to take Rora out?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, what are you doing tonight?" Danny asked.

"Heading home. Might watch a ballgame." Flack said. "Aurora was all smiles when she found what you left on her desk."

"Well that was the point." Danny said.

"One month...and you still ain't getting laid." Flack smirked.

Danny rolled his eyes and went to put his contacts in. "Your point?"

"I am just surprised is all. I mean she is so hot and I know how long you've been jonesing for her." Flack smirked.

"Flack, one of these days you'll understand." Danny said.

"You are really in love aren't you?" Flack said.

"Don…I look at Rora and I just want to do everything for her. When she's happy, I'm happy. When she hurts, I hurt." Danny said and blinked to adjust to his contacts.

"I never thought you'd fall like this." Flack said. "But I'm happy for you. I think Aurora is good for you."

"Don't worry; it'll happen to you one day. When you least expect it, it'll hit you over the head." Danny said.

"I don't think so." Flack said.

Danny laughed. "I'm telling ya. It happened to Mac, it's now happened to me. It'll happen to you someday. It'll even happen to Vicaro…..god help that poor woman."

"So what do you have planned for tonight?" Flack asked.

"She's never been to Coney Island." Danny said.

"Did you go to Tiffany's? I don't see a blue box." Flack joked.

Danny rolled his eyes and checked himself in the mirror. He was wearing jeans and tight blue t-shirt.

"You look fine." Flack said.

"You're not the one I was hoping to impress." Danny smirked.

(FPPOV)

I finished getting ready in the locker room. I'd decided to wear a sleeveless shirt and shorts with keds. I pulled my hair in a ponytail and headed out to find Danny. Danny was sitting at my desk talking to Flack.

"Hey sweetie." I said and bent to wrap my arms around him.

"Ciao bella." Danny turned his head to kiss me.

"You smell so good." I said. Flack started laughing and turned away pretending to cough.

"You ready to go?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, where are we going?" I asked as Danny stood up.

"How would you like to spend the evening at Coney Island?" Danny smiled.

"Oh that sounds wonderful. I've never been there and I've wanted to go." I said.

"I thought as much when you started asking questions about it. Come on, let's catch the subway." Danny said and took my hand.

"You two kids have fun. Take two dimes for a phone call. Don't take candy from strangers." Flack laughed.

"See you later Don." I laughed and walked with Danny out of the station.

"Gotta love this heat wave." I giggled.

"Guys love summer." Danny said. "Girls wear less clothing."

I laughed. "I've heard guys say that before."

We walked to the subway. It was crowded in the late evening. People commuting home and going out for the evening. I stuck close to Danny as we boarded a train.

"How was your day?" I asked him.

"One of those days when Mac wants to go over pending cases." Danny sighed. "But I'm with you now, so its okay."

"I can't wait to get to Coney Island. I've always wanted to ride the Cyclone." I said.

"You'll love it." Danny smiled.

"Can we grab dinner? I am starving. I didn't get to eat lunch today. Some kid decided to shoot himself in the middle of Strawberry Fields." I said.

"Yeah we'll go to Nathan's on the boardwalk." Danny said.

We rode the subway to south Brooklyn and stepped off and walked out of station. I looked around, many things I'd seen on TV.

"You come here a lot?" I asked Danny.

"Not a lot. I actually haven't been here in a few years." Danny said.

We walked along the boardwalk to Nathan's. Danny held the door and we walked inside.

"Coney Island invented hotdogs?" I asked.

"So they say. The food here is awesome." Danny said. "What do you want?"

"I don't know everything looks so good. And they got caramel apples." I said.

"We'll eat caramel apples. What the hell, when you're at Coney Island you eat carnival food." Danny said.

I giggled and laid my head on Danny's shoulder. When we were handed our caramel apples, Danny and I went to sit by the window so we could look out at the boardwalk.

"These are really good. Messy but good." I said.

"So what do you want to first after we eat?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. What would you suggest? I don't know what all is here." I said.

"Well, since we're eating first, we should probably wait awhile to ride anything." Danny said. "But we could go see the Circus sideshow in the meantime."

"The one with the people who do weird things like drive nails in their noses?" I asked.

"Yeah, I forget what they call it." Danny said.

"That sounds interesting, we can do that." I said.

Danny and I sat and finished our caramel apples, while talking and watching people on the boardwalk. The water looked nice.

"Ready for the sideshow?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, where is it?" I asked as we stood up.

"Down the boardwalk a bit." Danny said and we walked out of Nathan's.

"I'd liked to have seen one of the original sideshows put on by PT Barnum back in the day. Of course they were offensive by modern standards." I said.

"Really?" Danny asked.

"Well back then people who had abnormalities such as an extra limb or a missing limb, hypertrichosis, a Siamese twin, a parasitic twin, or were a midget was in the sideshows often portrayed as freaks of nature. Now days we're more accepting of things like that and can medically explain them." I said.

"I think in the Coney Island museum there is stuff about PT Barnum and his sideshows." Danny said.

We found the sideshow. It was called Sideshow by the Seashore. We walked past the barker outside inviting people in and walked in.

"Have you figured out how they do some of these tricks?" I asked as we sat down.

"No, some of them I really don't want to think about. Like this guy I saw on TV that can lift cinderblocks with his Prince Albert ring." Danny said and put his arm around me.

"Ouch." I said.

The first act was Insectivora. She was a girl with her face heavily tattooed and her body was pierced all over.

"She must have a thing for pain." I said.

"Flack's been wanting a date." Danny joked.

She could breathe fire, and twirl fire and swallow fire. She did a whole act of fire tricks. Then she climbed a ladder of swords barefooted.

"That makes me hurt to watch that." I cringed.

"Look at this guy walking out." Danny said.

The next performer had outer space tattooed on his face and chest. Planets, stars, and comets the whole bit. He called himself Eak the Geek. He was from Mexico City.

"He's going lay down on that bed of nails." I said.

I watched as Eak lay down on the bed of nails and had three people stand on his back.

"Are you okay, Rora?" Danny asked.

"I just can't believe that doesn't hurt them." I said.

The next act was a cute and innocent looking blonde girl- Heather Holiday. She was all cute and innocent until she opened her mouth and started swallowing various swords.

"You're the medical person here, how do they do that?" I asked.

"I've heard you have to learn to control your breathing and relax your throat." Danny said.

The next guy was introduced as Scott Baker; he walked out in a straight jacket. We watched as he struggled and twisted until he worked his way out of it. Once free of the straight jacket he started swallowing razor blades.

"Those have gotta hurt coming out." Danny said.

I wasn't expecting to hear that and started laughing. Danny looked over and smiled at me.

The next act was Bambi the Mermaid. She walked out wearing next to nothing. Pasties and a sequined skirt. She was a snake charmer and had a long yellow snake wrapped around her neck. I looked over to see Danny's reaction. He seemed to be watching the same as he had the other acts.

"Like her costume?" I giggled.

"Wait that's one of those trick questions that there is no right answer to." Danny winked.

I laughed. "In my opinion, her boobs aren't shaped that nice."

Danny looked at me. "You're so awesome. Most women would have a bitch fit if they were watching this with their boyfriend."

"Well you're not going to run off with her. And you're not drooling. And they aren't shaped that nice." I laughed.

Danny leaned over and kissed me.

Todd Robbins was the next act. He was an older man. I cringed as he began breaking cinderblocks with the top of his head. He then advertised that he had lungs of steel. To prove it be blew up a hot water bottle until it burst.

The last act was a contortionist- Ula the Rubber Girl.

"Mac explained about contortionists to me. Something their ligaments are loose. And it's inherited." I said. "He had a case about one."

"She's who we should hook Flack up with, look how flexible she is." Danny joked.

I rolled my eyes.

When the show ended we stood up and walked outside on the boardwalk. The sun was setting.

"How about some rides now?" I asked.

"Are you afraid of any?" Danny asked.

"Nope. Do you get sick on them?" I asked.

"Nah. Come on." Danny said and pulled me towards where I could a lot of amusement rides.

I could see the legendary Cyclone. Some of the lights on the rides were being turned on as it got darker. Coney Island really looked pretty.

"How about Top Spin?" Danny asked.

I looked at Top Spin. It was three rows of seats with shoulder harnesses to hold you in. The whole thing was then lifted on large arm type things and would spin you around and flip you every direction.

"You hold my hand?" I asked.

"I thought you weren't scared?" Danny smiled.

"I'm not…I just want to know you're right there with me." I said.

"Yeah, let's go." Danny said and we hopped in line.

"You having fun?" I asked.

"Yeah, are you?" he asked.

"I always do when I'm with you." I smiled and kissed him.

When we got on Top Spin, we sat in seats next to each other and strapped in. Danny reached over and took my hand.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"I'm fine. One more thing I should mention, I scream a lot on rides." I said.

"That could be taken in another context." Danny laughed.

The ride started and I gripped Danny's hand tighter. It took a few seconds to get spinning completely around. By that point I was yelling, and I could hear Danny laughing. Finally we were put back on the ground.

"You okay?" Danny laughed.

"I'm fine. It's fun but scary when it's happening." I laughed and walked off the ride with him.

"You are a screamer for sure….well up there…you know what I mean." Danny said and put his arm around me.

I giggled. "What's Dante's Inferno?"

"Oh, it's like a Haunted House. You get on one of those little two people cars and ride through a haunted house." Danny said.

"Can we ride it?" I asked.

"If you want." Danny said and we walked over and got in line.

"What kind of scary stuff is in here?" I asked.

"Stuff jumping out at you, flashing lights, spiders, bats you know the usual." Danny said.

I snuggled closer to him. "I'll probably jump in your lap."

"In that case we might have to ride it twice." Danny said and kissed me.

We climbed onto the little car and started through the Haunted house. I snuggled close to Danny and he wrapped an arm around me. As we rounded the first corner some kind of demon jumped out at us. I flinched and Danny held me tighter.

'Flames' jumped up on both sides of us and the sound effects were blaring. As more things popped out and appeared in the dark, I actually started laughing.

When we stepped off the ride at the end, Danny took my hand and started to get back in line.

"Danny, we just rode this." I said.

"I know, but it's like a law when you ride this kind of ride, you have to make out." Danny smiled.

"I thought you did that in a Tunnel of Love ride, not a spook house." I said.

"Either way it's just us on that little cart in the dark." Danny winked.

I smiled and leaned against him. "Just don't get carried away. I don't want to come out the other side and frighten small children."

"I could just see trying to explain that one to Mac." Danny chuckled.

We stepped onto the ride again, getting a strange look from the operator. I snuggled close to Danny as we headed through the doors and into the house. We were barely through the doors when Danny kissed me. I smiled against him and ran my fingers through his hair. Danny ran his hand along my leg and moved closer, pinning me in the corner of the seat.

I looked up in time to see the exit. I pulled away from Danny.

"The ride is over." I said.

"Wasn't long enough." He smiled.

"I want to ride the Cyclone." I said as we stepped off.

"Okay, it's this way." Danny said and took my hand.

We walked in the direction of the Cyclone which was all lit up as it was now dark. We got in line.

"Have you ridden this before?" I asked.

"Yeah, its fun. You'll like it." Danny said.

"I am so excited. I've heard so many stories about this rollercoaster." I said.

Danny and I climbed into a car near the front. I smiled and took a deep breath as we started out. I saw Danny was smiling and having fun.

As we went down hills and around turns, I screamed and laughed. Wooden rollercoaster's were extra bumpy and I was thrown against Danny. When we pulled back into the station, I was laughing.

"Did you like that?" Danny asked.

"I loved it, that was awesome." I laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Danny said and we walked off the platform.

"Where are the restrooms?" I asked.

"Did you wet yourself?" Danny chuckled.

"No, I drank that Pepsi earlier." I giggled.

Danny chuckled. "Right across from us."

"I'll be right back." I said and hurried into the ladies room.

After using the facilities, I fixed my ponytail. Riding had sent it in every direction. Once I had fixed my hair and washed my hands, I walked out to find Danny.

Danny was sitting on one of the benches. I walked over and sat down next to him. There was a teddy bear on the bench.

"Oh no, some little kid left their toy here." I said.

Danny smiled. "Rory, I bought that for you. Do you like him?"

I picked the little bear up. He was brown and fuzzy, wearing a white t-shirt that said 'I Survived The Coney Island Cyclone'.

"Danny he's adorable….but why?" I asked.

"Happy one month. And he's cute like you. And you can't come to Coney Island and not get a souvenir." Danny smiled.

I leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you so much. I love it."

"You're welcome." Danny smiled.

"How do you say bear, or teddy bear in Italian?" I asked.

"Orsetto." Danny said.

"Orsetto." I repeated. "That's what I am naming him."

Danny stood up. "Come on, every Friday at 9:30 they have fireworks on the beach."

I took his hand and followed him off the boardwalk and down the stairs. We stopped at the edge of the sand.

"We should take our shoes off." I said.

I bent down and pulled my shoes off and watched Danny pull his shoes and socks off.

"Where do you want to watch them from?" I asked.

"Let's just find a nice place on the beach. Anywhere is fine." Danny said.

We started across the beach, kicking at sand. We finally found a nice spot that wasn't crowded and sat down. The water sounded peaceful. Danny sat on the ground with his knees up. I sat between his knees and leaned back against Danny with his arms around me.

"Tonight has been so fun. Thank you so much." I said.

"I've enjoyed it too." Danny said.

The fireworks started. They were large and gorgeous.

"They're so pretty." I said.

"They are nice." Danny said and nuzzled his head against mine.

I looked up at all the bright colors across the sky. I turned my head and nuzzled against Danny's neck. He held me tighter.

I turned back to look at the sky. The fireworks continued for several more minutes until the grand finale.

When they were over most people started leaving the beach.

"Can we stay here awhile?" I asked. "This is nice."

"Of course we can." Danny said.

The beach was nearly empty. The lights of Coney Island could be seen and I could hear the people, rides and games.

"We'll have to come to the beach someday and just hang out. Have a picnic or something." I said.

"You wear a bikini?" Danny asked and started nuzzling my neck.

"I haven't been to a beach in so long….do I even have a swimsuit anymore?" I thought aloud. Danny was still nuzzling my neck. "That feels nice."

"Voglio accarezzarti aleggiando sulla tua pelle come fossi la luce del sole al mattino." Danny said.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"My secret." Danny said.

I turned my head and kissed Danny. He held me in place and I lifted my arms around his neck.

"Quanda ti tengo tra le braccia, mi sento come se fossi morto e in paradiso." Danny said.

"You gonna tell me that one?" I asked.

"When I hold you, it's like I've died and gone to heaven." Danny said and kissed me again.

"Una ragazza che ti toglie il respiro!" Danny said.

"That all sounds so pretty." I whispered.

"I love you, Rory. So much." Danny said.

"I love you too." I said and leaned up to kiss him again.

Danny held me in place and kissed me. Danny ran his hands along my arms and down my sides finally resting on my stomach.

I pulled back and chuckled. "You're certainly affectionate tonight."

"Being with you does that." Danny smiled.

"Wanna head back to the boardwalk? I could go for a corndog." I said.

Danny nodded. "Yeah, in a few minutes. I just want to sit here a bit."

"Are we heading in early tonight?" I asked.

"We can stay out as late as you want." He smiled.

"Sounds great." I said.


	40. Girls and Guys

_Dybdahl- I am glad it made you smile. I like writing fluff._

_Jordayna- Yay, it was meant to be romantic. I just love sweet Danny._

_BridgetLynn- I am so glad you liked it. I just thought it'd be such a cute date for them._

_Meadow567- What naughty? You kinda lost me there. He was doing something naughty? Or you were thinking something naughty?_

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Not in this CSI:NY fic, but in another I have planned. Glad you liked last chapter. This one is short but amusing and important._

_Fallenstar1004- Do you understand the Italian? I love sweet Danny. Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Emador- Well if you can get yourself back together, try to forgive me for this, but I just had to do it. _

I walked into the lab to find Danny and Aiden sitting at their desks. Flack was talking about something with them.

"Hey what's up?" I asked.

"I'm waiting on Sheldon, we're going out tonight." Flack said. "I'm trying to talk Danny into going with us."

I leaned down and kissed Danny. "Sweetie you should go with the guys. Aiden and I are having a girl's night tonight. You three guys could have a guy's night."

"They're going to a strip club." Danny said.

"So? Go ahead and have fun." I said.

"Wait, you wouldn't mind your boyfriend going to watch strippers?" Flack asked.

I shrugged. "Not really. It's a guy thing. Besides, it's not like he is going to go into one of those back rooms and screw a stripper. I trust him."

"A woman who doesn't mind her boyfriend seeing strippers…..marry her Danny. If you don't, I will." Flack said.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Rora, you sure? I mean…"

"Danny, the little woman gave you permission, you're going." Don laughed.

"Have a good time." I said and kissed him again. I went and sat on the arm of Aiden's chair. "Aiden and I are hanging out tonight. Kinda like a pajama party."

"Are you gonna have pillow fights in your underwear?" Don smiled.

"No. But we might check out some new make-up colors, nail polish or something." I said and leaned over to hug Aiden.

"I still say you two should make out." Don said.

"Hey, they're my threesome." Danny joked.

"I was going to let you watch too. They are both hot now picture them together." Flack smirked.

"What is it with guys? I could kiss Aurora even on the lips and it wouldn't mean anything; neither of us would give it a second thought. Women are just affectionate." Aiden said.

"And we want to watch that affection." Flack smiled.

"Danny, be sure to buy Flack a lap dance tonight." I said.

Sheldon walked in. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, Danny is coming with us." Flack said.

"We gotta stop by the bank. I gotta get some one dollar bills." Sheldon said.

"Come on Aiden, I think the guys are set for the night. We can head to my place." I said.

"What are you girls doing tonight?" Sheldon asked.

"They're hanging out at Rora's." Danny said.

"Pillow fights in their underwear?" Sheldon asked.

Aiden and I shook our heads.

"Danny, I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun tonight." I said and kissed him.

"You too." Danny smiled.

"I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He said.

"Alright Messer, we're going to look at topless girls. Come on." Flack said and pulled him out of the lab.

(Manhattan)

"Why do you have so much nail polish?" Aiden asked.

"I like having lots of options for my toes." I said.

We were painting our toenails while listening to an evening radio show of love songs.

"You have enough polish here to paint your bathroom." Aiden laughed.

I giggled. "I always thought my toes were funny looking, so I decided to decorate them. I paint them and wear toe rings."

"What do you think the guys are doing?" she asked.

"Probably downing a few drinks as women take off their clothes in front of them." I said.

"Danny going really doesn't bother you?" Aiden asked.

"Nah. The guys are just having fun and they're not addicted to it or anything." I said.

"How are things with Danny?" Aiden asked.

"So great. He is the most wonderful man." I said.

Aiden laughed. "You really love him. And it's very obvious how much he loves you."

"I waited a long time to find someone like Danny. The last few men I dated, I wish I'd never met."

"I know how that feels." Aiden said.

"But Danny is different." I said. "Every time he kisses me, I still get tingles."

Aiden smiled. "I can't believe someone is saying that about Danny. The way he used to talk about not falling in love and all. But that's all changed. Of course he still jokes about having a threesome with us."

"Danny is amazing. I just can't believe I'm with him." I smiled.

"You're good for him. I've never seen him so happy. Since you two started dating its like he's put everything with Tanglewood, the subway shooting, promotions problems, all of it behind him." Aiden said.

"He makes me happy. I don't think I've ever been so happy. And it's strange because we've only been together a little over a month." I said.

"But you two have been falling for each other since you got to New York." Aiden said.

(Secrets Strip Club)

Danny, Sheldon and Flack walked into a club called 'Secrets'. There were two runways of girls dancing with poles at the beginning of each runway.

"So many beautiful women." Flack said.

"Nice, want a table up close?" Danny said.

"Oh yeah." Sheldon said.

The three men walked to one of the runways and took a table at the end so they'd have a good view of everything.

"Been too long since I've been to a strip club." Flack said.

"This is gonna be great." Sheldon said. "What do you think Messer?"

"We should order a few drinks." Danny said.

"Wow, these girls are hot. Flack you like blondes or brunettes?" Sheldon asked.

"Don likes anything that wears a skirt." Danny joked.

"Look who's talking. Before Aurora you went after anything in a skirt too." Don said.

"But I got a gorgeous woman now." Danny said.

"He's got you Flack." Sheldon smiled.

"We used to have guys nights all the time…this is our first one in a while." Flack said.

"Yeah, things have been crazy lately." Danny said.

"But since Aurora doesn't mind, we have to do this more often." Sheldon said.

(Manhattan)

"I haven't watched this movie in so long." I giggled. "Patrick Swayze is so hot. I'd love to dance with him."

"In line behind me, you have a man." Aiden laughed.

"Oh fine fine." I giggled.

"I so want to be Baby in this movie. I mean Swayze grinding with you that leads to sex……I must have watched this movie a hundred times in college." Aiden said.

"That is pretty hot." I said.

"So what about Danny…you two getting close to that yet?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know. We both decided to just wait and let it happen." I said.

"Well, have you thought about it?" Aiden smiled.

"Yeah, of course I have." I said.

"And? You anxious?" Aiden asked.

"A little…yeah." I said. "I mean I love Danny and the physical attraction is strong……I just want it to be right."

"It'll be great when you guys finally do it." Aiden said.

"I think so too." I said. "And if he tried I wouldn't deny him."

"I think it'll happen soon. I mean you two are so close already." Aiden said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"You mean like condoms? I guess I should pick up some of those. It is my responsibility too." I said.

"That…and what about some sexy lingerie." Aiden winked.

"Oh…actually I haven't bought anything new like that in a long time." I said.

"Come on, we'll go on Victoria Secrets website. We're shopping for you." Aiden said.

(Secrets)

"Wow, she's hot." Flack said as some redhead pranced across stage in front of them.

"Think she's a natural redhead?" Sheldon asked.

"She's probably shaved and you couldn't tell." Flack smirked.

"That brunette on the pole isn't bad." Danny said.

"I dunno, nipple piercings don't do anything for me." Sheldon said.

"What about the blonde that just walked out?" Flack asked.

"Those are way too big." Danny said.

"There is no such thing as too big." Flack smiled.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine try explaining those black eyes to Mac."

"Danny you like legs, look at the girl that just walked out." Sheldon said.

"Eh, she's alright." Danny said.

"After this is an intermission." Flack said.

"Think the girls have given each other make-overs yet?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. We're looking at this and you're thinking about that?" Flack laughed.

"Oh come on, I was just wondering." Danny said.

"This making you horny for Rora?" Flack smirked.

"This? No, these women are all so fake." Danny said.

"And all so fine." Sheldon smiled.

The lights came up as the strippers left the stages for a 15 minute intermission.

"Danny, usually when we're here we're pulling you off stage what's up?" Sheldon asked.

"Well to be honest, my mind is wandering." Danny said.

"Don't tell me you're missing Rora?" Don asked.

"No, not missing her. I'm….you know I love her. And I've always had a thing for her. And the more I am with her and here lately, I'm really starting to want her." Danny said.

"In all seriousness, you've never dated a girl this long and not had sex. You used to be all about getting laid." Flack said.

"I know that. But, with her it's different." Danny said.

"Of course it is, because she's not some random lay. You really fell in love." Hawkes said.

"I know. We're just seeing what happens." Danny said.

"Well have you two been close to doing it?" Flack asked.

"I thought about it in LA, but she was so tired. And last week at Coney Island, I had to keep reminding myself we wee on a public beach." Danny said.

"It'll happen soon." Sheldon said.

"When it happens, it happens. I'm not going to nag her about it because she'll feel pressured." Danny said.

"You gonna give her the big O?" Flack smirked.

"Just because you're selfish in bed doesn't mean we all are." Danny rolled his eyes.

"I am not….okay that one time with that girl from South Carolina." Flack said.

(Manhattan)

"Aiden, I'm not even sure what kind of lingerie Danny likes?" I said. Aiden and I were using my laptop to shop online for Victoria Secrets.

"The kind that is crumpled on the floor next to his bed." Aiden smiled.

"I don't know. You think he has a preference?' I asked.

"Honey, he is so crazy about you, he'd be thrilled with anything." Aiden said.

"I like that one." I pointed to white lacy thing.

"That is nice. And you can see everything….Danny would love that." Aiden said.

"Make sure this order comes here and not to the station. Flack would never let me hear the end of it." I giggled.

"What do you think of some of these thongs?" Aiden asked.

"I have a lot of those, but some new couldn't hurt." I giggled.

"Danny is gonna flip." Aiden smirked.

(Secrets)

"You ready to leave?" Flack asked.

"Already?" Sheldon whined.

"The place is closing, it's 2AM." Danny said.

"I hate going home alone after being at a strip club." Sheldon said and stood up.

"You got your left hand." Flack smirked.

"Messer, you could go find Aurora now." Sheldon smiled.

"No, I don't want our first time to be her slammed up against her front door, and that's about as far as we'd get right now." Danny said.

"Now that's our horny Danny we used to know." Flack smirked.

"But I am gonna call her and tell her goodnight." Danny said as they walked out of the club.

Danny took out his cell phone and called Aurora.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey baby, did I wake you?" Danny asked.

"No, I was just about to go to bed." She said.

"Are she and Aiden in the same bed?" Sheldon asked.

Aurora heard them and giggled. "How were the strippers?"

"You know, all the same. Implants and high heels." Danny said.

"Well at least you had fun." She said.

"I just wanted to call and say goodnight. We're going for a early breakfast now." Danny said.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Aurora said. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io. Buona notte." Danny said and hung up.


	41. Bigotry

_Fallenstar1004- Well you're allowed to look it up, LOL. I want things to be a natural as possible. Loved your review._

_LizfromItaly- I am a polish person too. Danny is definitely in love and I am trying to portray that as changing him a little but for the better. Here is the next chappie, hope you like it._

_Jordayna- It's one of my favorites. Well at least Danny was trying to be sensitive, LOL._

_Meadow567- Well the chappie said he took a long shower, so draw your own conclusions. LOL And you'll just have to watch things progress._

_Dybdahl- Well if it makes you feel any better he was thinking of her while watching strippers because he was horny, LOL. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- No I am not Italian, but love the language. Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_BridgetLynn- Gotta love Flack. Thank you for the comments. I try so hard to make them realistic and still in character._

_Picchic- I loved your review. I am so glad you like the story and the way things are going. Hope to hear from you again._

_Emador- Well Sheldon is okay, just a regular guy being a guy. And here is something you're sure to like. A big present for ya._

Flack handed me a cup of coffee and then started staring at my face.

"Don, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Nope, still hasn't." Flack said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"It's not important." Flack said. "Where is Romeo today?"

"He's presenting evidence before the grand jury. He'll be in court most of the day." I said.

"I heard the trial of Tony Baba and Joe Spangal had been moved to a later date." Flack said.

"Yeah, they are trying to claim some kind of group influence defense. They're claiming that Sonny Sassone guy had such an influence over them that it's all his fault I was kidnapped." I said.

"No doubt Sonny had a big enough part in it, but it wasn't all him." Flack said.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"We have a call out of Spanish Harlem, dead female at a fruit stand. Uniformed officers on site." Dispatch said.

"We'll take it. We're on our way, call CSI." I said and hung up. "Flack, we gotta roll we got a call."

"Where at?' Flack asked.

"Spanish Harlem." I said.

Flack and I hurried outside and hopped in an SUV and headed through the city. September in NYC and it was still hot as hell.

"So what are we looking at?" Flack asked.

"Dispatch said a woman was dead by a fruit stand. Uniforms are there, they'll know more." I said.

Flack and I pulled up at the scene. It was in the worst section of Spanish Harlem. On the sidewalk was a young woman, her throat cut and blood around her head. She was lying in front of a small fruit cart.

"What do we have?" I asked a uniformed officer.

"Her name is Paloma Perez; an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. She set up her cart on this spot every day." The officer said.

"Anybody see anything?" Flack asked.

"Neighbors in a nearby building reported hearing a scream at 8:30. When one looked out, Paloma was lying on the street, no one else around." He said.

"Did she have any family?" I asked.

"She was married. Her husband is Javier Perez." He said.

"Where is he?" Flack asked.

"We've been unable to locate him."

"Thank you, keep the perimeter set and only let CSI in." I said.

Flack and I walked over and looked at Paloma. She was young, couldn't have been more than 30. Her eyes and mouth were wide with horror. She had seen it coming.

"Messy scene." Aiden said as she walked up with Mac, kits in hand.

"Who is she?" Mac asked.

"Paloma Perez, immigrant from the Dominican Republic." Flack said. "We can't find her husband yet."

"It was her routine to set up her cart here every day." I said.

"Cause of Death is pretty apparent." Aiden said.

"Any witnesses?" Mac asked.

"No one saw anything. They just heard her scream." Flack said.

"I'm gonna have uniformed officers search the area. The murder weapon might have been thrown away nearby." I said.

"That's a good idea. We'll process the scene." Mac said.

I gathered three uniformed officers and sent them to search the area, looking for anything that might have been used to cut Paloma's throat. I walked down the street, seeing nothing.

I turned down an alley and saw a large dumpster. I walked over and peered inside, holding my breath from the stench intensified by the heat. I looked again and on top of egg cartons was a large bloody scalpel.

I dialed my cell phone. "Taylor."

"Mac, I am in an alley just down the street. There is a bloody scalpel in the dumpster here." I said.

"I'll be right there to get it." Mac said and hung up.

I looked again, wondering what was going on. Scalpels were not an item you just walked into a store and buy.

Mac walked up with his kit.

"What can you tell from the body so far?" I asked.

"Skin under her nails, she fought off her attacker." Mac said.

"That gives us DNA. In there is the bloody scalpel. I am puzzled. The regular person does not have a scalpel." I said.

"From the looks of this one, it's for professional use." Mac said. "And it tested positive for human blood. I'll test it for prints."

"You have any theories?" I asked.

"None yet. Someone had to be brave to kill her in the street in broad daylight." Mac said.

"Any prints?" I asked as Mac dusted.

"Yeah, looks like I have one that is not smudged." Mac said.

"DNA and prints…now we just need someone to compare them to." I said.

(Station)

"Aurora, we found Paloma's husband. He was at work." Flack said. "He works the docks loading ships, all under the table. He doesn't have the proper work papers."

"So they can pay him next to nothing." I sighed. "Where is he now?"

"In an interrogation room, we have a problem." Flack said. "He doesn't speak a word of English."

"Someone around here has to speak Spanish." I said.

"Vicaro does, he's waiting for me to go into interrogation." Flack said.

"You think this guy killed his wife?" I asked.

"I don't know. This whole case seems strange." Flack said.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, Hawkes just called me. He finished Paloma Perez's autopsy….she was pregnant." Mac said.

"Damn it. How far along?" I asked.

"Not far, 6 weeks Hawkes thinks. It explains the card for a women's clinic we found in her dress pocket." Mac said.

"We found the husband. He doesn't speak English but Vicaro knows Spanish." I said.

"See what he says. Make sure they ask him to give a DNA sample for comparison." Mac said.

"I will. Anything from the prints or DNA yet?" I asked.

"Nothing in CODIS or AFIS." Mac said.

"Okay, I'll let you know what we find out." I said and hung up.

"That Mac?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, Paloma was six weeks pregnant." I sighed. "Mac found a card for a women's clinic in her pocket."

"Anything from the DNA or prints?" Flack asked.

"No, so whoever did this is not in the system." I said. "Mac said to be sure to ask Javier Perez to volunteer a DNA sample for comparison."

"I'm off to go talk to him now." Flack said.

I sat down at my desk, wondering if Flack and Vicaro would be able to find out anything. My cell phone rang again.

"Denton."

"Ciao bella." Danny said on the other end.

"Hey baby. What are you doing?" I asked.

"We're in recess. I should be done in a few hours. How's your day going?" Danny asked.

"Murdered pregnant woman in Spanish Harlem. Her throat was cut." I said. "Flack and Vicaro are interrogating the husband now."

"Sounds like a rough day." Danny said.

"I just want to close this case." I said.

"Ti voglio far sentire meglio." Danny said. "I want to make you feel better."

I smiled. "You always make me feel better."

"If you're not too late tonight you want to head out for dinner?" Danny asked.

"I'd love to, thank you." I said. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. Be careful." Danny said and hung up.

I smiled and went to see how the interrogation was going. By the time I got to the room, Flack and Vicaro were standing outside.

"What'd he say?" I asked.

"He didn't know his wife was pregnant." Flack said. "He was shocked as hell when we told him."

"Why wouldn't she tell her husband she was pregnant?" I asked.

"Maybe she didn't plan to keep it." Vicaro said.

"Or maybe it wasn't his baby. Wouldn't be the first time a woman kept secret a pregnancy by a boyfriend." I said.

"It's possible." Flack said.

"Does his alibi check out?" I asked.

"So far." Flack said.

"Did he volunteer his DNA?" I asked.

"Yeah, he wants to know who killed his wife and is cooperating all the way." Vicaro said.

"You know he says he didn't know about the baby, but maybe he killed her because of it." Flack said. "If he knew it wasn't his…or didn't want it…"

"Keep him here as long as you can. I'm calling Mac, we're going to that women's clinic and see if they know anything. Maybe they can tell us about Paloma's pregnancy."

(Women's Clinic)

Mac and I walked into the clinic. It was busy, full of people. We walked up to reception.

"NYPD, we need to speak with the doctor that examined Paloma Perez." Mac said.

"I'll have to look up her file and see who it was." Reception said.

Mac and I waited while the receptionist looked up what we needed.

"She was examined Friday by Dr. Anderson. You can find him down the hall and to your right." She said and pointed us in the right direction.

Mac and I walked down the hall and found the doctor in an empty exam room.

"Excuse us, NYPD. We have a few questions about a patient of yours." I said.

"You know that all patient information is private." Dr. Anderson said.

"Paloma Perez, she was found murdered this morning." Mac said. "We need your help."

"Murdered? Oh my…what happened?" he asked.

"She was killed in the street." I said.

"I just saw her last week. I ran a pregnancy test for her. She was pregnant. She was so happy." Dr. Anderson said.

"Did she mention who the baby belonged to?" I asked.

"Her husband. She couldn't wait to tell him. She was all excited saying she would plan something special to tell him." He said.

"Was there any reason she might not have told her husband?" Mac asked.

"I don't know. But when she left here she was very excited." Dr. Anderson said.

One of the male nurses walked in with a tray of supplies. I noticed he had scratch marks along one arm.

"Excuse me? Those are fresh scratch marks on your arm…how did you get those?" I asked him.

"My cat did that." He said.

"Your cat? What do you have? A lion?" I asked.

"Do you have access to medical supplies around here?" Mac asked the male nurse.

"Of course, we're a clinic." He said.

"Did you Paloma Perez?" I asked.

"No…that name doesn't ring a bell." He said.

"You remember Erich; she was the pregnant woman last Friday that was planning to tell her husband by planning something special." Dr. Anderson said.

"Oh yeah…sorry. We get so many patients it's hard to keep track." Erich said.

"Did you have any contact with Paloma Perez today?" I asked.

"No, I came straight to work from my home." Erich said.

"What time did you punch in?" Mac asked.

"9:12." Erich said.

"Odd time to punch in. You were late for your shift that started at 9." I said.

"So? I woke up late." Erich said.

Mac knelt down and looked closely at Erich's shoes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Erich asked.

"You've got tiny red specks on your shoes." Mac said. "When you cut someone's throat, blood sprays everywhere."

"If I did that, my clothes would be bloody." Erich said.

"Is there a locker room here for the staff? A place where they can change clothes?" I asked the doctor.

"Yeah, it's down the hall." Dr. Anderson said.

"Hey, you got a warrant to go through my things?' Erich asked.

"Don't worry, we'll get one." Mac said.

(Station)

"Who is this guy?" Flack asked me.

"Erich Wilhite, he's a male nurse at the Women's clinic Paloma went to last week. He assisted the doctor during her exam and pregnancy test." I said.

"What motive would he have for killing this woman?" Flack asked.

"I don't know. But he has scratch marks on his arm, access to medical supplies including scalpels. And when Mac searched his locker, he found a bundle of bloody clothes." I said.

"So this guy just randomly picks Paloma and kills her?" Flack asked.

"When has murder ever made sense?" I said.

"When will Mac have the DNA back?" Flack asked.

"He's having it rushed." I said. "But we already know it was Erich's prints on the bloody scalpel we found. And tests concluded it was Paloma's blood on that scalpel."

"There has got to be something to this that we're not getting." Flack said.

"Well when Mac gets here with the rest of the test results, we'll interrogate Wilhite and see what we're missing." I said.

"I'm here with the rest of the test results." Mac walked in smiling.

"Well, is Wilhite as guilty as he appears?" Flack asked.

"DNA doesn't lie. It was his DNA found under Paloma Perez's nails. And it was her blood all over his clothes he had hidden in his locker." Mac said.

"That's why he was late for work. He killed her on his way to work and had to clean himself up." I said.

"There is still no motive." Flack said.

"Well let's go ask him what his reasons were." Mac said.

Mac and I walked to the interrogation room where we'd left Erich earlier.

"So Erich, you ready to tell us what happened this morning?" I asked.

Erich said nothing.

"It's okay. He doesn't have to say anything. We have it all. His DNA, his fingerprints." Mac said. "I'll start this story. You, for some reason decided to kill Paloma. You stole a scalpel from work over the weekend. Then this morning you found her and went to cut her throat. But she fought back and managed to scratch your arms before you killed her. Then you threw the scalpel away and went to work where you changed clothes."

"The only thing we don't know is why. Why did you kill this person that as far as we can tell you didn't even know?" I asked.

"How did you even find her? You don't live in Spanish Harlem." Mac said.

Erich still said nothing.

"You must be really proud of yourself. Killing an innocent woman when it should be the happiest time of her life. Killing her baby in the process." I said.

"Just two less wetbacks for me to take care of." Erich gritted out.

"You killed Paloma because she was Hispanic?" Mac asked.

"I killed her because I am tired of these immigrants in this country that hard working people have to take care of!" Erich yelled.

"You killed her because she was an immigrant?" I asked.

"I saw her at the clinic last week; she was there on a fucking welfare medical card. She was getting free medical care. Bitch didn't even speak good English, we could barely understand her. And she was pregnant, bringing one more for me to take care of. She'd put that baby on welfare and get all kinds of free medicine and food for it. But citizens with low-paying jobs can't get that. Come over here and fucking sit on your ass speaking another language and you got it made." Erich said.

"Paloma did work. That little fruit stand she was at when you killed her was hers. Her husband worked too where he could. She was trying her best. She was trying to make a life for herself……a life that you took away." I said.

"I took a stand. I am tired of having to scrimp by while these immigrants get the best of everything from the government. I decided to fight back." Erich said.

"You see what you did as an act of patriotism?" Mac asked.

"Damn right. I am a great American." Erich said.

"No, he is a great American." I pointed to Mac. "A marine that served his country and now serves the city of New York. You……you're a murderer. Nothing else but a cold blooded murderer."

"How did you find her?" Mac asked again.

Erich smirked. "I looked on her file at work. It gave her address."

I stood up. "Keep smirking. You won't be smirking in prison when the other inmates find out you're a baby killer."

I walked out of the room. I hated bigotry and these cases got to me. I went to shower, and hoped Danny would be around when I was finished.

(Later)

I walked out of the locker room towards my desk. Danny was just walking into the station.

"Hey Rory, you close your case?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I did. How was court?" I asked.

"You know how it is." Danny shrugged. "Ready to go out for dinner?"

"Yes, and after that can we head to your place and watch a movie?" I asked.

"Of course we can. Something wrong?" Danny asked.

"No, just a long day and I want to be near you is all." I said. "Let's go."


	42. Questions and Fears

_Fallenstar1004- Well this isn't a case but is necessary. I hope you enjoy it! _

_Pnkrckprncss- I try to write Aurora as a sweet but smartass girl, LOL. And I originally wanted to call her Dawn but thought that Don (Flack) and Dawn would be silly._

_Jordayna- I do too. Sad thing is I know people like that. Here is the next chappie._

_Meadow567- They were just trying to cover all bases, exercise every possibility kind of thing. That was meant as a present for someone who needed it._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Sadly some people do kill for reasons like that. As a matter of fact, here a few years ago, we had a man go on a shooting rampage. He drove to different areas of minorities killing them. In one day he killed people at two synagogues, a Indian Grocery store, and a Vietnamese Restaurant._

_LizfromItaly- I hate people like the nurse I wrote about. And I just had to get some Mac loving in there! LOL _

_Anarwen2- The Italian that is not translated is stuff Danny is saying to Aurora that is romantic but he doesn't want her to know. Prior to them hooking up it was flirting. Now it's more or less how horny he is! LOL_

_Dybdahl- I am pretty sure my last boyfriend cheated on me. So I get your point. Thanks, I try to write good cases of my own. _

_Emador- Glad you liked how I portrayed Erich. Interested in your comments on this one! _

"This is a suicide no question." Flack said.

"Well considering three people watched him shoot himself, I'd say so." I sighed.

It was early in the morning and we'd been called to a half-way house in Queens. A man had been depressed and shot himself in front of others that lived with him. Two older uniformed officers that I did not recognize had responded and were on-scene when Flack and I arrived.

"We don't need to bother CSI for this one." I said.

"Yeah, but Hawkes will have to do an autopsy anyway." Flack said.

I heard snickering from the two uniformed officers.

"Taylor and his squad, what a joke." One said.

"He still has Papa Messer's kid working for him." The other laughed.

"Well you know he's been bought and paid for, wonder how many cases he's fixed." The other said.

I looked at Flack who was clenching his jaw.

"Hey, that's enough!" Flack yelled. "You two are on desk duty and I'm writing both your asses up!"

"For what?" one asked.

"Disrespecting a fellow officer. Danny Messer is one of the finest officers in the NYPD I don't give a fuck who his dad is." Flack said.

I watched as Flack threw them out of the area and sent them home for the rest of the day. I sighed.

"Don't let that bother you Rora." Flack said.

I shrugged. "I've heard other things here and there about Danny's dad."

"A lot of the old timers in the NYPD are still bitter that they never could make charges stick on Papa Messer. And when Danny became an officer there was a lot of talk. Not so much anymore, but some just won't let go." Flack said.

I nodded. "I know. Danny does the right thing and still has to live with his father's name."

(Later)

The officers' comments from earlier were still nagging at me. I hated when anyone talked bad about Danny. And I wanted to know more about his dad, although Danny was reluctant to tell me anything. I knew it couldn't be easy for him to talk about. I walked down the hall of the lab to Mac's office.

"Mac, do you have a minute?" I asked.

"Sure Aurora, Come on in." Mac said and set down a folder he'd been reading through.

I sat down in front of his desk. "Mac, what do you know about Papa Messer?"

Mac leaned back in his chair and looked at me. "I knew this conversation would happen sooner or later."

"Danny is reluctant to talk about his dad, and I understand that. But I hear bits and pieces and I don't know what is real or exaggerated." I said.

"When I interviewed Danny to come work for me in the lab, I had a lot of people warn me not to hire him. All of them told me about his dad. But I went with my gut; I knew Danny was not his dad, and I didn't want to punish him for things his dad had done." Mac said.

"You know to talk with Danny and get to know him; you'd never think he was the son of a mob boss. He's such a wonderful person." I said.

"Danny is a great man, that is why I hired him. And why I stood by him through the subway shooting and everything with Tanglewood." Mac said.

"And his dad?" I asked.

"I don't know much. By the time I came to New York, Papa Messer was out of power and a thing of the past. I know that Danny's dad did a lot of business with Sonny Sassone, Sr." Mac said.

"That Sassone name." I sighed. "I am so thankful Danny got away from all that."

"Me too." Mac said. "You know, you're really good for him. Since you two got together Danny's been the happiest I've ever seen him."

I smiled. "Thanks. He means the world to me."

"Has Flack told you anything about Papa Messer?" Mac asked.

"No why?"

"I don't know how much Don knows, but his dad was one of the officers that investigated Papa Messer on several occasions." Mac said.

I nodded. "Thanks Mac, I just wanted to see if you knew anything.

I stood up to leave. "Aurora, don't let what some people mumble under their breath bother you. There are a lot of rumors around the NYPD. A lot of officers say the reason Flack was promoted so fast was because of his dad…and you know better than that." Mac said.

"Oh I always ignore rumors." I laughed. "I'll see you later Mac."

I walked out of Mac's office and down the hall to where Danny was sitting at his desk. I walked in and sat down on his desk.

"And to what do I owe this pleasant afternoon surprise?" Danny smiled at me.

"Danny, we need to talk……"

(TPPOV, Sport's Bar)

Flack and Hawkes walked into the bar that evening hoping to have a few beers and relax.

"I figured you'd have to work late tonight." Flack said to Sheldon.

"All I had was the suicide you and Aurora sent me this morning. Easy day." Sheldon said.

"Let's grab a few beers. Maybe we can watch a ballgame." Flack said as they approached the bar.

"Aurora talking your ear off about the upcoming playoffs?" Sheldon laughed.

"And how. She's already said that when the Braves clinch their division she is putting Braves decorations around her desk. I think they are 2 games away from clinching." Flack laughed.

"Hey, isn't that Danny back there?" Sheldon motioned to a back corner.

Flack turned and looked. Sure enough, Danny was sitting alone in a booth in the back of the bar. Flack frowned wondering where Aurora was. He noticed Danny didn't seem to be himself.

"Yeah that's Danny, but something isn't right." Flack said. "Let's go talk to him."

Flack and Sheldon walked to the back of the bar to the booth where Danny was sitting alone. They sat down beside him.

"Hey Danny, where is Aurora?" Flack asked.

"At home." Danny shrugged. It was very easy to see that he was drunk.

"What's wrong? You're sitting here by yourself, apparently drinking an awful lot." Sheldon asked.

"Aurora asked me about my dad today." Danny sighed.

"And what'd you tell her?" Flack asked.

"That I didn't want to talk about it. That it brought back a lot of unpleasant memories for me." Danny said.

"And what'd she say to that?" Flack asked.

"That she understood and would listen when I was ready to talk." Danny said.

Flack and Sheldon looked at each other confused.

"Am I missing something?" Sheldon asked.

"If Rora was understanding and you two didn't fight or anything, why are you here drowning your sorrows?" Flack asked.

"I'll have to tell her eventually." Danny said. "What if….."

"Danny, she already knows your dad was in the mob. She knew that before you two started dating." Flack said.

"I'm not good enough for her. She deserves so much better than Papa Messer's son. Aurora is smart and beautiful." Danny said.

"I don't want to hear another word of that. You are too good enough for her. She loves you so much. I should know, I see that dreamy look on her face every time someone even says your name." Flack said. "And you deserve her. You left behind the mob life……you deserve a good person to love you."

"I love her Don." Danny said. "I'm so in love with her I can't see straight sometimes."

"We all know that." Sheldon said.

"What if she can't live with the things my father did?" Danny asked.

"Danny, don't underestimate her. She knows you grew up with a mob father. And she is smart enough to know that you've seen horrible things because of that. But you're not your father. And she loves you." Flack said.

"I haven't told anyone about my dad. When I left home I left my dad and Tanglewood behind." Danny said.

"Danny, you've needed to talk to someone about all this for a long time. And Aurora is the perfect person to talk with. You've been needing healing from your past….now you have her." Flack said.

"Do you know how lucky I am?" Danny sighed.

"We're all jealous of you. She has a gorgeous body and a mind……and she let's you go to strip clubs!" Sheldon smiled.

"I don't want to lose her." Danny said.

"You won't. I don't think anything could get her away from you." Flack said. "She is as devoted to you as Mac was Claire."

"Flack, we sound like a couple of women consoling each other." Sheldon said.

"We do, don't we? I blame Aiden and Aurora. I am seriously about start having chocolate cravings." Flack joked.

(FPPOV, Manhattan)

I was sitting in my living room watching TV when my buzzer started ringing incessantly. I jumped up and went to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Rory, it's me. Can I come in?" Danny said. He sounded drunk.

"Danny, are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, I fucked up." Danny said.

I sighed. "Stay right there. I'll come down and get you."

I hurried out my door and down the stairs. Danny was standing outside the door to my building, leaning against the wall. I opened the door.

"Danny?" I said.

He looked up and hurried over to hug me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"For what? What happened?" I asked.

"I….I got to thinking about my dad and everything and……I got drunk." Danny said. "I know I promised you I wouldn't turn to alcohol to deal with problems. I'm sorry."

I hugged him tighter. "Oh baby, it's okay. Let's go upstairs."

I held Danny's hand and we walked up the stairs. I led him into my apartment and sat him on the couch.

"Are you okay other than drunk?" I asked him.

"I let you down. I'm sorry." Danny said.

I sat down beside him and took his hand. "You didn't. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked about your dad."

"No, you have a right to know. I just don't know how to tell you everything." Danny said.

"You don't have to tell me anything until you're ready. But I want you to know that no matter what your dad did, NOTHING can change how I feel about you. I love you more than anything. I love you, not him. You're not your father." I said. "Stop blaming yourself for things your dad did. You can't help your dad being in the mob anymore than I can help my mother never wanting me."

Danny looked up at me.

"And when something bothers you, come talk to me. I want to help no matter what is bothering you." I said.

"I love you so much." Danny said.

"I love you too." I said and kissed him quickly. The taste of alcohol was strong on his lips.

"Can I stay here for awhile?" Danny asked.

"You should stay the night. You're drunk and will probably have a hangover tomorrow." I said. "Come on; let's take your jacket off."

I helped Danny out of his jacket.

"Just relax; I am going to get you some water." I said.

I walked over to the sink and got him a glass over water. When I went back to my couch, Danny had laid down.

"Here, drink some of this." I handed him his water and sat down on the edge of the couch next to him.

"Mi dispiace di averti fatto male." Danny said.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." Danny said.

"You didn't." I smiled.

Danny sat up and kissed me. "Il mio cuore batte grazie a te."

"What?"

"My heart beats because of you." Danny said. "Temo di perderti……..I am afraid to lose you."

"You won't ever lose me." I said.

Danny reached up and touched my cheek. "You're so pretty…….but I'm drunk."

I was confused but didn't ask any questions. "You want to sleep on the couch or in bed beside me?"

Danny groaned and closed his eyes. "I better sleep on the couch."

(TPPOV, Next Morning)

The next morning, Danny was sitting at Aurora's kitchen counter while she was in the shower. She'd given him some aspirin. He was drinking coffee, trying to feel better before they had to go into work.

Danny looked over by her garbage can and noticed a box. It seemed out of place. I carefully walked over and picked it up. It was addressed to her from Victoria Secrets. Danny stared at the box and shook his head.

"This is some cosmic joke. As if I am not horny enough, now I find this?" Danny said to himself.

Danny wondered what she had ordered. He sat the box down and went back to the counter to sip his coffee. Soon Aurora walked out dressed for work.

"How do you feel?" she asked and kissed him.

"Not bad. The headache is easing up." Danny said.

"That's good. I didn't want you to be sick at work today." She smiled.

"No, I think I am going to be distracted enough." Danny smiled.


	43. Cursed

_Fallenstar1004- That will be awhile off and a big drama, so hang in there. _

_Meadow567- It will be interesting that is for sure. In the meantime, I decided to have a little fun with this chapter._

_LizfromItaly- Ah yes a plot that is building. But I don't know if all women dream of having men with dad's that were mob bosses and a negative past! But I love that you understand what Danny says to her._

_Jordayna- And I am sure his mind is running away, LOL. The Papa Messer is a plot developing._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I certainly feel everyone is equal. It's sad that everyone doesn't feel that way._

_BridgetLynn- Thanks. Danny has a lot going on in this story! LOL_

_Emador- Well, you should be able to forgive this. Just don't read if you need to use the restroom! LOL_

"Come on Aurora, we got a call." Don said before I could even sit down at my desk.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Out in Amityville on Long Island. 112 Ocean Avenue." Flack said.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "I ain't going out there."

Flack looked at me. "What's you problem?"

"112 Ocean Avenue is a very famous address. It's the house from the Amityville Horror." I said.

"We got a call at THAT house?" Flack asked. "But that house is….."

"Possessed." I said. "That house has a past, the devil or demons are there."

"We just got a call that a family had been murdered there…."

"AGAIN? I was shocked. "That has happened in that house before. Back in…"

"1974, I know. My dad was one of the officers that investigated Butch DeFeo." Flack said.

"Well what are we gonna do?" I asked.

"I called Mac. He and Danny will be there as soon as they can. It's out call." Flack said. "But that house?"

I hurried back to my desk and started digging through one of the drawers.

"What are you looking for?" Flack asked.

"This past Easter Mac took me to church with him since I was new in town and had no family here. I know it's in here somewhere…….yes I found it." I said and pulled out a set of Rosary beads. "If I am going into a house that is possessed, I am taking this with me."

Flack looked at me a moment. "Stick close when we there."

I nodded and followed Flack out of the station.

We drove across the city and caught the ferry to Long Island. We pulled up in front of the house in Amityville at 112 Ocean Avenue. It had the same distinctive shape that it did in 1974 and in the subsequent movies. I gripped my Rosary beads and stepped out of the SUV.

"The place even feels creepy." Flack said.

"Do you really believe it's possessed?" I asked.

"I don't know, but something isn't right about this place." Flack said.

"November 14, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. nicknamed Butch murdered his entire family. Both parents and four siblings." I said. "Later claimed he heard demonic voices."

"Then when the Lutz family moves in, they left less than a month later claiming all kinds of horror stories about the house." Flack said.

"Everything from demonic voices to blood oozes from the walls." I said.

"And now another family has been murdered in there." Flack said.

"Hey…."

I screamed and jumped at Flack.

"Aurora?" I turned and saw Mac standing with his kit in hand. I looked beyond him and saw Danny walking up with his kit in hand.

"Mac, you scared the hell out of me." I said and took a deep breath.

"Don't sneak up on us. Do you know what house this is?" Flack asked.

"Don't tell me you two believe that non-sense." Mac said. "Danny was talking about it on the way here."

"Mac you gotta admit something is strange about this house." Flack said.

"Stella told me you freaked out about that allegedly haunted monastery." Mac smiled.

"Mac, this house is possessed." I said.

"See Mac, I told you." Danny said joining us.

"Aren't you three a bit old to believe in ghost stories?" Mac asked. "Danny and Don grew up in New York City so I can see them knowing about this place. How do you know about it Aurora?"

"I'm a horror movie buff." I said.

Mac raised an eyebrow. "We better get in there and get started."

"What do we know?" Danny asked.

"The family gardener showed up this morning to collect his paycheck and found everyone dead." Flack said. "He called it in."

"Who lives here?" Mac asked.

"John and Lydia Frednan with their three small children." Flack said.

"The crime scene been secured?" Danny asked.

"Uniformed officers arrived earlier." Flack said.

We stood at the door. I held my Rosary beads in front of me and followed Mac into the house.

"The bodies are upstairs, dead in their beds." Flack said. "Aurora you go upstairs with Mac and Danny. I'll go speak with the gardener."

"Me?" I said.

"You've got the rosary beads." Flack said.

I gritted my teeth and held my beads out in front of me and slowly started up the stairs.

"New York's finest." Mac chuckled as he and Danny followed me.

At the top of the stairs, we turned into the master bedroom. In bed were the parents, blood spattered across the walls.

"Gunshots." Danny said.

"Looks to be from a shotgun." Mac said.

"Just like Butch DeFeo." I said.

"This place should be burned to the ground." Danny said.

"From the position of the bodies, I'd say they were shot in their sleep and never saw it coming." Mac said.

"I'll go check the children's rooms while you process in here." I said.

"Want to pray over some sterile water for you to sprinkle around?" Mac chuckled.

"Don't mock….you might anger the demons or something." I said.

I walked down the hall to the next bedroom. Inside were two little boys killed hiding in the corner. They must have heard the shots that killed their parents and tried to hide. Blood covered the wall and hardwood floor.

I cringed and continued down the hall, my rosary held out in front of me. The next bedroom had a little girl lying half out of her closet. She must have been trying to hide as well.

I turned and headed back down the hall, still holding out my rosary beads for protection. Back in the parent's bedroom, I found Danny snapping pictures while Mac dusted for fingerprints.

"The children were all killed while trying to hide. The parents must have been killed first and the shots woke the children." I said.

Flack walked in.

"What did find out from the gardener?" Danny asked.

"He said that a maid comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays to clean the house. That a handyman stops by on Wednesdays for odd jobs. And the gardener himself is here Mondays and Fridays to work." Flack said.

"We'll need to interview the staff." I said. "Did he mention any enemies the family had?"

"No, he didn't know who would want to do this." Flack said.

"I am telling you this place is cursed." Danny said.

"A curse didn't shoot these people in cold blood." Mac said.

"But demons could've made someone do it." I said.

"This place gives me the creeps." Flack said.

"Flack, we need to search the rest of the house and see what we can find." I said.

"Uniformed officers are searching the outside buildings for the murder weapon." Flack said.

Flack and I walked down the stairs and started looking around the main floor. The kitchen and living room didn't have anything in it. There was also a den that was clean of any evidence.

"There is a basement." Flack said.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no. The basement is where the Lutz family dog kept digging against the wall till his paws bled. There is something particularly evil in that basement." I insisted.

"Rora, we have to check the basement. I am not any happier about it than you are." Flack said.

"But, but….let's do this fast and get it over with." I said.

"I finally get a woman to say that to me and she is dating my best friend." Flack smirked.

"Flack, I love you dearly but have no sense of humor right now." I said.

I grabbed Flack's arm and we headed down to the basement. I held the Rosary beads far out in front of me and looked around cautiously.

"Are you okay?" Flack asked.

"I hate this." I said as we stepped off the bottom step and started looking around.

The basement had a concrete floor and was used for storage. We walked around looking for anything of significance.

I still felt uneasy. "Our father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name…."

"Aurora, Flack?"

I screamed and wrapped myself around Don. "Oh no, now I've angered the demons! Don, tell Danny that I love him!"

"Tell him yourself, that was Sheldon!" Flack said.

I looked over to the steps and saw Sheldon doubled over with laughter.

"Hawkes what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I…you…Mac….oh god." Sheldon kept laughing. "That's the funniest damn thing."

"It's not funny." I said.

"If you could've seen your face." Sheldon laughed. "I take it you know the history of this place."

"You mean you're not scared?" I asked.

"No, that's all a big urban legend that's been blown out of proportion." Sheldon said.

"Why are you here Hawkes?" Flack asked.

"Mac called me out here. And on my way in one of the uniformed officers told me to tell you they found a recently fired shotgun in the boat house." Sheldon said.

"We're coming right up." Flack said. "There is nothing important down here."

Sheldon started snickering again. "I angered the demons." He said in a high pitched voice.

"I don't like you." I scowled at him.

(Station)

"We found a few shells with the shotgun. The gun blast is consistent with the wounds caused on the Frednan family." Mac said. "Caused from approximately five feet away."

"They were shot at close range." Flack said.

"We talked to the maid, she checks out." I said.

"Hawkes said that the family was killed early this morning, most likely around 1AM." Mac said.

"The handyman is coming in soon. He has keys and access to everything." Flack said.

"We found prints on the shotgun." Mac said. "Danny is running them through AFIS now."

"Prints in the house?" I asked.

"Belonged to the family and maid." Mac said.

"Interviews from the neighbors showed no reason for the family to be killed." Flack said.

"Guess we have to wait and see what we get from AFIS." Mac said, and then smiled at me. "Aurora, Hawkes told me that you angered the demons."

"That man! I am going to choke Sheldon!" I said.

"It'll have to wait; we have to talk with the handyman." Flack said. "And I'm pretty sure that's him."

I looked up and saw a young man dressed in jeans with paint and a t-shirt walk in. He looked nervous.

"Let's show him to an interview room." I said.

(Later)

"So, Mr. Kincaid….you do odd jobs for the Frednan family." I said.

Flack and I were interviewing Kyle Kincaid the handyman to see if he could tell us anything about the murders. Problem was, he was so nervous and jumpy. We weren't sure if he was hiding something or just nervous around cops.

"Yes, once a week I stop by and see what they need done around the house." Kincaid said.

"How did you come by doing odd jobs for the Frednan's?" Flack asked.

"I placed an ad in the paper saying I was willing to do work for people." Kyle said.

"How long have you been working for the Frednan's?" I asked.

"Three years." Kincaid said.

"Any problems with them?" Flack asked.

"No, they're nice people." Kyle said.

"Do you know why anyone would want to kill them?" I asked.

Kincaid was silent for a moment. "No I don't."

There was a knock on the window. I got up and walked out of the room. Danny was waiting for me.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"We got a hit in AFIS. Prints on the shotgun came back to Kyle Kincaid. Arrested four years ago for soliciting a hooker." Danny said.

"This is enough for a warrant for GSR on his hands." I said.

"I already got it." Danny smiled. "I'm ready when you are."

I walked back into the interview room with Danny behind me.

"Mr. Kincaid, why don't you tell me how your fingerprints got onto the shotgun that killed the Frednan family?" I asked.

"They told me to use that gun. Leave it in the boathouse." Kincaid started to space out.

"Who told you? Kincaid?" Flack yelled.

"Voices…..they taunted me and made me do it." Kincaid started rocking back and forth.

"Mr. Kincaid calm down!" Danny yelled.

"They made me do it. They wouldn't leave me alone." Kincaid yelled.

"Can we legally call this a confession?" I asked.

"I am not sure he is in his right mind to know what he is saying." Flack said.

"Danny needs to test his hands for GSR." I said.

"Mr. Kincaid, Detective Messer needs to test your hands for GSR. Now you can cooperate or we'll hold you down." Flack said.

"Don't hold me down." Kincaid said and held out his hands.

Danny stepped forward and swabbed Kincaid's hands. The pad turned pink and Danny nodded at us.

"Kyle Kincaid, you are under arrest for the murder of the Frednan's. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." I said.

"They made me do it. They'll get you too." Kincaid yelled and stood up.

"Kincaid, sit down!" Flack yelled.

"They told me to!" Kincaid said.

Flack and I managed to get Kincaid handcuffed despite that he kept screaming.

(Later)

"What did Dr. Carmen say about Kincaid?" I asked.

"He's sending him to Bellevue for observation." Mac said.

"You heard him; the demons made him do it." I said.

"Halloween is in five weeks." Mac said.

"Mac, there is no motive. Kincaid works for three years for these people just to kill them for no reason!" I said.

"There isn't always a good motive to murder, but I don't believe this guy heard demons." Mac said. "He knows the story of that house and is using that as an excuse."

"I don't know. Too much has happened in that house. Too many coincidences in this case and Butch DeFeo's." I said.

"Whatever, we have enough to convict if we're allowed to prosecute." Mac said. "I need to get back to the lab."

I watched Mac walk away and turned back to finish my paperwork. I wondered what really happened to make Kincaid snap.

"Are the demon's still angry?" I heard Sheldon ask and laugh.

I looked up to see Sheldon walking with Danny, Flack and Aiden. We had plans to go out for dinner together.

"Sheldon, I am not speaking to you." I said.

I stood up and walked over to join them. I hugged Danny.

"She was afraid she'd never see you again." Sheldon laughed again.

"Alright, enough before I start telling stories on you." Aiden said.

"Like what?" Sheldon asked.

"Like the night you, Danny and Flack got drunk and decided to sing karaoke 'Margaritaville'." Aiden laughed.

"Hush, you promised never to talk about that again." Flack said.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Few years ago, Flack gets dumped by some girl so we all go out drinking. Well Larry, Moe and Curly here get wasted. Just happens the bar we're at is having a karaoke night. They drag their happy drunk asses in front of everyone and did their own drunken rendition of 'Margaritaville'." Aiden laughed. "You should've seen it. Hawkes and Danny are more or less holding Flack up."

I cracked up. "That is hilarious. I wish I had seen that."

"I actually had to talk them out of an encore. They wanted to go back up there and sing 'Ebony and Ivory'." Aiden laughed.

I laughed till I started crying. "Sheldon, that's worse than what I did today."

"Aiden, remind me to kill you later." Sheldon mock pouted.

"Where are we eating dinner?" Danny asked.

"I dunno, somewhere that serves alcohol and has karaoke. Hey you guys get two more guys to join you and you could be a boy band." I laughed.

"I was in a boy band once." Sheldon said. "We were the Backseat boys!" he winked.

"Let's go. I'm hungry." I rolled my eyes.


	44. Aiden's Birthday

_Jordayna- I just had to do an Amityville house chappie. So glad you liked it. Here is a bit of fluff that will be very needed soon._

_BridgetLynn- LOL, I totally agree with your rant. I have watched documentaries about DeFeo and Lutz. I just had to do an urban legend/haunted house kind of story and Amityville is right there. And I know that places that are allegedly haunted make me a little nervous despite my best common sense, so I thought Rora being freaked would be funny. Gotta love Sheldon._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- It was supposed to be like Aurora was a little superstitious and more comedy than serious other than the murder part._

_Meadow567- Here is some fun and fluff. Hope you like it._

_Emador- You're little backseat boy is at it again. Glad everything with Kyle made you happy. I love revenge! _

Flack and I walked down the hall towards the lab. It was Aiden's birthday and all of us were going out that night. Stella had been called out of town last minute, but had made sure to call Aiden earlier in the day. We walked into the lab to find Aiden sitting at her desk.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie." I rushed and hugged her.

"Give her a big birthday kiss!" Flack smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Flack, you're so lonely that if I did kiss Aiden you'd come in your pants."

Aiden cracked up laughing.

"When I want a date I'll get one." Flack said.

Sheldon and Danny walked into the lab.

"And since Danny got married, Flack is my partner for meeting girls tonight." Sheldon smiled.

"Why does everyone keep saying we're married?" I asked.

"Because it's amusing." Flack said.

"Well any way you look at it, Messer is off the market. Don and me are single." Sheldon smirked.

I kissed Danny hello. "Where is Mac, we're just waiting on him now."

"Should be here soon." Danny said.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"Aiden picked some bar in Queens." Flack said.

"Danny, there is something coming to New York that I want to go to." I said.

"Tell me it's not the WWE." Flack said.

"It's not. It's ECW! They are doing a pay-per-view in New York City." I said.

"What the hell is that?" Danny asked.

"Well years ago it was a wrestling organization with no rules. It went under and the WWE bought it out. But they are reviving it for a pay-per-view bringing back all their wrestlers and stuff." I gushed.

"Wrestling with no rules?" Aiden asked.

"Oh it was awesome. They used to bring all kinds of stuff into the ring. Ladders, chairs, baseball bats, barbed wire. One guy used to bring a shopping cart of stuff. And they once had a match with the ring surrounded with barbed wire." I said.

"This wrestling thing with you is starting to disturb me." Mac said from the doorway.

"I think it's cute. Its part of her charm." Danny smiled and kissed me. "Besides, we saw you enjoying Summerslam a while back."

Mac laughed. "Are we headed out?"

"Yeah we were just waiting for you." Flack said. "Let's get going. I am buying the girls tequila tonight."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm just a nice guy!" Flack winked.

(Bar)

We were all sitting around a table at the bar. It was semi-crowded, but not bad for a Friday evening. Flack and Sheldon came back to the table giving Aiden and me shots of tequila.

"This is the second time you've brought us shots, what are you doing?" I asked.

"We're just nice guys." Sheldon smirked.

"Why don't I trust that?" Aiden laughed.

"So Aurora, I see your Braves have been knocked out of the play-offs." Mac said.

"It happens every year like Christmas. So now that they're out I'll have to cheer for the BoSox more than ever." I giggled.

"Hold tight to your gun and don't say that too loud." Danny laughed.

"Don't worry; we'll get even with her when the Steelers win the Superbowl again." Flack smirked.

"I do carry a gun." I winked.

"Flack, blonde twins at the bar." Sheldon nudged Don.

"Tequila?" Flack smirked.

"Ohhhh yeah." Sheldon and Flack took off.

"What is it with them and tequila tonight?" I asked Danny.

Danny shrugged. "I have no clue."

"Mac, you see any ladies in here that catch your attention?" I asked.

"I'm not looking." Mac said.

"So Aiden, you feel any older?" Danny asked.

"Not really." Aiden laughed. "Tomorrow is when I do the whole family birthday party thing."

"Well here is your birthday gift from me and Danny." I said and handed her a card.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Aiden smiled.

"Are you kidding? You're my best friend." I giggled.

"And I work with you all the time, but I'm no good at buying gifts for friends so this was mostly Rora's idea." Danny said.

Mac snickered. "I used to let Claire handle that type of thing too."

Aiden opened the card that Danny and I had signed earlier and found her pass for a day at a spa.

"Rora, this is awesome. I have always wanted to do this." Aiden smiled.

"Don't all women." I giggled. "I figured you'd love it."

"I do, I can't wait till I get a day off to go." Aiden said.

Flack and Sheldon walked back over to the table and sat down. They gave Aiden and me a few more shots of tequila.

"What happened to the twins?" Danny asked.

"Don't ask." Sheldon said.

"Even I want to know why you keep bringing Aiden and Aurora tequila." Mac said.

"Yeah what is up with the tequila? And don't give us some story about being such nice guys." Aiden said.

"Well, Rora, you know that country music you're making me listen to when I let you control the radio?" Flack asked.

"What about it?" I asked.

"Well I actually found a good country song…that one we were listening to yesterday driving back from Staten Island about tequila making a girl's clothes fall off." Flack smiled.

"The Joe Nichols song? You're nuts." I laughed.

"What is this song?" Aiden asked.

"It's a cute song actually. It's about a girl that gets drunk on tequila and loses her clothes all the time." I explained.

"You were hoping it'd make us drunk enough to get naked?" Aiden laughed.

"Or at least make out." Sheldon smiled.

"You guys, Mac is here." I said.

"So, he's been in the marines and is now a NYPD CSI, he's heard it all. And he's a guy too." Flack said.

I rolled my eyes. "Just the same, our clothes are staying on."

"Speaking of country music…….someone changed the station on my radio in the morgue to country. Any idea who that was?" Sheldon looked at me.

I smiled. "I have no idea."

Danny chuckled.

"I turn on my radio and suddenly I am listening to some guy singing about lightning….work something." Sheldon said.

I cracked up laughing.

"I was actually surprised he was singing about something other than his dog dying." Sheldon joked.

"Oh you're silly." I laughed.

"What do you get when you play a country song backwards?" Flack asked.

"Not this joke again." Danny said.

"You get your dog back, your wife back, your truck back." Flack laughed.

I rolled my eyes but laughed. "You wouldn't know a good country song if you heard one."

"I could sing country." Sheldon said. "Oh my wife left me and took the satellite dish…."

"You guys are hopeless." I laughed.

(Later)

Flack and Sheldon had given up flirting with girls around the bar and had started getting pretty wasted. The rest of us were enjoying watching them be stupid. Danny and I had danced a few times. Aiden even dragged Mac out to the dance floor.

"Aiden, can me and Flack give you you're birthday spanking?" Sheldon asked.

Mac nearly choked on his drink.

Aiden rolled her eyes. "Not this year."

"Rora when is your birthday?" Sheldon asked.

Danny cleared his throat.

"I'll give her back." Sheldon laughed.

"Come on Aiden, I need to use the restroom." I said and stood up.

"Danny, Mac…keep an eye on these two." Aiden said and walked away with me.

Back at the table Flack watched a girl walk by the bar.

"Sheldon, what do you think of her?" Flack asked.

"She's more your type. At least a double D." Sheldon said.

"And we all know what you like Sheldon. And Danny is a leg man." Flack said.

"Rora does have nice legs." Sheldon said.

"You should've seen her at that rave we went to." Flack said.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Yes I have a beautiful girlfriend."

"What about you Mac? What kind of guy are you? Leg man like Danny, or implant guy like Flack?" Sheldon asked.

"You expect me to actually answer a question like that?" Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Come on Mac. It's just us guys here." Danny said.

"Yeah you can tell us. We won't tell Rora and Aiden." Flack said.

"I am so busy with work; I don't have time to look." Mac hoped to satisfy them.

"But what on a girl makes your head turn?" Danny asked.

"And none of those corny answers like 'a sparkling personality'." Sheldon said.

"We know you've checked out women before." Flack said.

"We won't quit bugging you until you tell us." Sheldon insisted.

"Oh just tell us. You're a guy. You look at women….what do you like looking at?" Danny smiled.

Mac sighed and muttered. "Asses."

Flack laughed. "I knew it. I could so see Mac as a closet ass man."

"Alright, that's enough." Mac said.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked and sat back down.

"Trace elements." Mac said.

"Oh, well if you all don't mind, I'd like to get home and relax." I said.

"Relax?" Flack winked.

I rolled my eyes and hugged Aiden. "Happy birthday sweetie. I love you."

"Come on and kiss her. You just said you loved her." Flack said.

"We're outta here. Mac, good luck with these two." I laughed.

"Goodnight." They called to Danny and me as we walked out of the bar.

(Manhattan)

"Did you have fun tonight?" Danny asked me as we walked up the stairs to my apartment.

"Yeah, I love all of them. Moving to NYC was the best thing I ever did. I got great friends, and you're just the most wonderful thing." I smiled.

"I'm so glad you moved here." Danny smiled and kissed me.

I stopped at my door. There was a small package there. I bent down to pick it up.

"Mail man must have left it here." I said and looked at it. "Wait a minute, it's addressed to me, but I don't know this person."

"Don't worry, I ordered it form eBay. That's the guy who had it." Danny smiled.

"What?"

"You didn't think I forgot did you?" Danny smiled and kissed me. "Happy two months."

"But that's not until Sunday?"

"This way I totally surprised you." Danny smiled.

"I love you so much." I kissed him.

"Ti amo cosi tanto." Danny said.

I unlocked my apartment and walked in. Danny followed me in. Rammer meowed at my feet, happy that I was home. I patted him quickly then walked over to my couch.

"What did you order me?" I asked.

"Will you just open it and find out?" Danny smiled and sat next to me.

I pulled the tape off the box and opened the flaps. Inside wrapped in layers of bubble wrap was a baseball in a case and certificate.

"A commemorative baseball." I read the certificate. "Signed by Cal Ripken Jr.?"

"You said he was your favorite." Danny smiled.

"Danny, I love it. Thank you….I don't know what to say." I started crying. "You do the sweetest things."

Danny hugged me and kissed my eyelids. "Non riesco a sopportarlo."

"I really love you so much. I am so lucky." I said and wiped my eyes. "Thank you."

"Nessuno ha mai toccato il mio cuore in questo modo, tranne te." Danny whispered. "No one ever touched my heart, until you."

I kissed Danny before I could start crying again. Danny pulled me closer to him.

"Do you…" Danny started.

My phone started ringing.

"Denton."

"Aurora, body found in the Hudson. I'm trying to get Sheldon and Flack sobered up. You and Danny get there as soon as you can." Mac said.

"We're on our way." I said.


	45. Trying Times

_BridgetLynn- LOL, poor Danny. Don't worry, I do have a plan._

_Meadow567- Use your imagination as to what that question was….I think you have a good idea! _

_Jordayna- You cursing the dead bodies was so cute. And I swear I just saw Mac as an ass man, LOL. _

_LizfromItaly- I am glad you liked it. Everything is going according to my plans. Love your review, you nailed it perfectly._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Yes, but duty calls. I love writing humor, glad you enjoyed it._

_Dybdahl- Well, funny that you reviewed that just as I was about to post this chapter. And I have my plot planned just be patient._

_Emador- Step away from all weapons and take a deep breath. Hey you gotta love Mac and his trace elements. _

Flack and I met at the station. Later that day we were scheduled to testify in the trial of Matthew and Andrew Camden. The Camden brothers had murdered Charles Duncan in retaliation for their sister dating a black man. Andrew and Matthew were both members of a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

"Did you see the trial on the news last night?" I asked Flack.

"Yeah, its nuts. The entire Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus showed up at the courthouse. Those who couldn't get in rallied outside." Flack said.

"The judge ordered that no KKK robes be worn in the courtroom." I said.

"The Klan is turning this case into publicity for themselves. A chance to get their message out. And they're hoping to intimidate witnesses." Flack said.

"And it's gotten worse today." Vicaro walked up to us.

"What's happened now?" I asked.

"I just got a call from downtown. Other white supremacy groups showed up and joined the Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus outside the courthouse. We got one big Klan rally going on down there." Vicaro said.

"Police there to keep things from getting out of hand?" Flack asked.

"Yeah and more are being assembled." Vicaro said.

"These people want to rally for murderers and we have to protect them." I said with disgust.

"The KKK now sees Matthew and Andrew as heroes. The Klan sees them as men who 'took a stand to protect white women'." Flack said.

"Yeah, Charles Duncan was a real dangerous person." I said with sarcasm.

"When do Mac and Danny testify?" Flack asked.

"They're scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. The prosecution has a lot of evidence to present. He has a very strong case against the brothers." I said.

I saw Danny walk into the station. He walked over and kissed me.

"Ciao bella." Danny said. "I just wanted to come and see you before you left for court."

"Have you heard what's going on down at the courthouse?" I asked him.

"I caught a newsflash. It looks like one of those KKK marches from the 1960's down there." Danny shook his head. "Grand Dragon somebody or other will be speaking later today."

"Terrific, nothing like standing on the steps of the courthouse and spewing hate over the city." I sighed.

"I just want Andrew and Matthew convicted and sentenced to death." Danny said.

"I feel so sorry for the Duncan family. His widow and children." I said.

"I need to get something out of the locker room. And then we can head to the courthouse." Flack said.

"Okay, I'll wait outside for you." I said and pulled on my jacket.

Danny and I walked out of the station and stood on the sidewalk waiting for Flack.

"You look so pretty when you're dressed up for court." Danny said and pulled me against him.

"So that's why you came to see me before I left." I giggled.

"You're one of those witnesses that shows a lot of leg to sway the jury." Danny winked.

"I am not." I laughed.

"Well I get to go to court tomorrow." Danny said. "I hate those two men."

"I remember interrogating Andrew with you." I said.

Danny clenched his jaw. "When that asshole spit on you I wanted to tear his head off his shoulders."

"For a second I thought you were going to." I said.

Danny gave a small smile. "It was before I got up the nerve to tell you how I felt about you….and when he did that….I just wanted to protect you."

I giggled. "You still want to protect me from everything. Course its not easy considering my job."

"But at least we work together a lot. And I trust Flack with you." Danny said.

"I'm so glad I have you." I said and kissed Danny.

"I was thinking…how would feel about the two of us going away for the weekend?" Danny asked.

I smiled. "Where to?"

"I dunno. I was just thinking that it'd be nice to get away for a few days, just the two of us." Danny said.

"I'd really like that." I smiled. "Where do you want to go?"

"Doesn't matter, you pick the place. We'll go anywhere you choose." Danny said.

"Wow, there are so many nice places to visit in the fall. We could go to New England and see the leaves change. Or the Smokey Mountains is having their fall festival." I gushed.

Danny chuckled. "Anywhere you choose is fine with me."

"I'll think about it and let you know." I said and kissed him.

"Enough you two. No personal stuff on department time." Flack joked.

"This coming from the guy that wants to watch me make out with Aiden." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, I want to see that too." Danny smiled.

I giggled and kissed Danny again. "I'll see you later tonight. I love you."

Danny kissed me again. "I love you too."

I let go of Danny and walked with Flack to get in an SUV.

(Courthouse)

When we arrived at the courthouse, it was every bit the circus I pictured it would be. In front of the courthouse were a couple hundred Ku Klux Klan members in robes. Many of them were holding signs showing support for Matthew and Andrew Camden. There were a few Confederate flags and American flags across the crowd.

"This is outrageous. Isn't there some statute to prevent this?" I asked.

"Someone bought the proper rally permits and they have the right to assemble. No one is being violent so there is nothing we can do." Flack said. "Stick close to me."

Flack and I stepped out of the parking garage and started making our way towards the courthouse. I could see police scattered around to make sure nothing got out of hand. As we got closer we could hear someone giving a speech from the front of the crowd.

"That must be the Grand Dragon Danny was talking about." I said.

"….they were brought here as slaves. The only reason their free is because some nigger loving Jews set them free!" Grand Dragon yelled. "Look out niggers the Klan is getting bigger! White power!"

The crowd gave the 'seig hail' salute and responded.

"Let's go." Flack said and nudged me inside the courthouse.

Once inside the courthouse Flack and I passed through medal detectors, showed our ID and headed for the courtroom. Those who were in the Klan were easy to spot. Despite being barred from wearing robes in the courtroom, they were wearing swastika pins, many had their heads shaved and others wore t-shirts expressing white power rhetoric.

Flack and I took our seats behind the DA and waited for Andrew and Matthew Camden to be brought in. The jury was already seated. I looked behind us and saw Mrs. Duncan.

Finally Andrew and Matthew were brought in, both in cuffs and shackles and wearing prison orange.

"All rise, the honorable Judge Michaels presiding." The bailiff said. Everyone stood as the judge entered the courtroom.

"You may be seated." The judge said. "Is the prosecution prepared to continue with their case?"

"We are your honor." The DA said.

"You may proceed." Judge Michaels said.

"The prosecution calls Detective Don Flack." The DA said.

I watched as Flack walked up to the stand and placed his hand on the bible.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"I do." Don said.

"Be seated." The bailiff told him and Flack sat down.

"For the record would you please state your full name and occupation." The judge told him.

"Donald Gayle Flack, Jr. NYPD detective, Homicide Division." Flack said.

"Detective Flack, you were the first detective to arrive on the scene of Charles Duncan's murder?" the DA asked.

"Yes, my partner Detective Denton and I responded. We called Crime Scene Investigators to collect forensic evidence." Flack said.

"And what evidence from the scene led you to Matthew and Andrew Camden?"

"The break in the case came when their sister Barbra Camden came to report that she believed Matthew and Andrew had killed someone." Don answered.

"And what reason did she tell you made her think her brothers killed someone?"

"Barbra told Detective Denton and me that Matthew and Andrew had caught her with her African-American boyfriend and were very upset. That after her boyfriend ran from the apartment, Matthew and Andrew stated they were going to go 'kill a nigger'. The next morning when she was at the home of Matthew and Andrew, she saw bloody clothes in their bathroom." Flack said.

The DA picked up a document. "I am entering into evidence as document 1-C the statement taken by the homicide division from Barbra Camden that corroborates the testimony of Detective Flack." The DA handed the document to the judge. "Detective Flack, what did you do after Barbra Camden made her statement?"

"Detective Denton and I asked Miss Camden to give a DNA sample to the crime lab for comparison of other forensic evidence. She volunteered. After the crime lab verified that Miss Camden was a sibling to the murderer, we got a warrant to search the home of Matthew and Andrew." Don said.

"What did you find during your search of the Camden home?" the DA asked.

"Detective Denton along with two Crime scene unit detectives searched the home. I watched Matthew and Andrew to be sure they didn't try to run." Flack answered.

"But enough evidence was found for you to arrest Matthew and Andrew?"

"Yes, the other detectives found the bull whip that had been used on Charles Duncan. And they found bloody clothes just as Barbra had said." Flack said.

"You interrogated Matthew Camden, what did he say during that interview?"

"He would not tell Detective Taylor or me anything. He was tight lipped until we mentioned that we knew about his sister's boyfriend. Then his entire mode he changed. He started telling us about being a member of the Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus." Flack said.

"No further questions. Your witness." He DA sat down as the defense attorney stood up.

"Detective Flack, at any point when you interrogated Matthew Camden did he confess to murdering Charles Duncan?" the Defense asked.

"No."

"Did he admit to knowing Charles Duncan?"

"Duncan's murder was a random killing." Flack said.

"Answer the question, did Matthew admit to knowing Duncan?"

"No." Flack sighed.

"Did he confess to any wrong doing by himself, Andrew or other members of the Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus?"

"No." Flack said.

"No further questions." The defense attorney sat down.

"Detective Flack, you may step down." The judge told Don.

Don stood up and left the stand, coming back to sit near me.

"Call your next witness." The judge said to the DA.

"The prosecution calls Detective Aurora Denton to the stand." The DA said.

I stood up and walked up to the stand, placing my hand on the Bible and raising my right hand.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"I do." I said.

"You may be seated."

I sat down.

"For the record please state your full name and occupation." The judge asked.

"Aurora Dawn Denton, NYPD detective, homicide unit." I said.

"Detective Denton, you worked the Charles Duncan case with Detective Flack?" the DA asked.

"Yes."

"When you and Detective Flack arrived upon the scene of the murder, what was your comment to the other detectives?"

"I told them the scene looked very reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan lynching." I answered.

"Describe the scene."

"Mr. Duncan was hanging from the rafters of an abandoned building. He had gashes in his back." I said.

"What was your next step in the investigation?" DA asked.

"I did some research about hate groups in New York City. Then Barbra Camden came to speak with Detective Flack and me." I said.

"When you searched Matthew and Andrew's home, what did you find?"

"Detective Mac Taylor and Detective Danny Messer, both of the Crime Lab conducted the search with me. In the bathroom we found the bathtub full of bloody clothes that had been doused with bleach. In the bedroom, we found a bullwhip in a trunk. Detective Taylor verified that the whip had human blood on it." I answered.

"What was their home decorated like?" the DA asked.

"Objection. What relevance is decor?" Defense said.

"Your honor, I am trying to show the lifestyle of Andrew and Matthew." The DA said.

"Overruled. Detective Denton, answer the question." The judge said.

I nodded. "Their home was decorated with swastikas and hate messages aimed at minorities painted on the walls. They had KKK robes on display."

"You and Detective Danny Messer interrogated Andrew Camden."

"Yes."

"What did Andrew say during that interrogation?" DA asked.

"Andrew did not say anything about the murder of Charles Duncan until we told him that his sister had spoken with us. He then became more aggressive. He claimed that he and Matthew had caught his sister being raped by an African- American man. Then said that white women were not for breeding mixed raced children. Of course none of his language was quite as polite as I am stating this." I said.

"Did Andrew at one time state that he wanted to kill his sister's boyfriend, Lequan James?"

"Yes." I said.

"Thank you. Your witness." DA said to the defense.

"Detective Denton, did at anytime during the interview did Andrew Camden actually admit to killing Charles Duncan?" the defense asked.

"No."

"And isn't true that Detective Messer attempted to assault Andrew and you stopped him?"

I was shocked. "No, and I resent such an implication."

"Did Detective Messer not pull Andrew out of his chair and push him against the wall?"

"Objection. Relevance to the case?" DA said.

"I am trying to show what else happened in the interrogation of one of my clients." Defense said.

"I'll allow the question for now." The judge said.

"Now Detective Denton, did Detective Messer pull Andrew out of his seat and push him against the wall?" the defense asked.

"Detective Messer was restraining Andrew after Andrew had spit on me. Detective Messer was attempting to keep control of the situation." I said.

The defense attorney stared at me. "No further questions."

"Detective Denton, you can step down." The judge said.

I stepped off the stand and walked back to my seat.

(Later)

When the court broke for recess, Don and I decided we could leave. Our part was done.

"Defense really rubbed you wrong when they brought up Danny." Flack said.

"I was so angry that they would question Danny's credibility." I said as we walked down the hall of the courthouse. "I felt like leaping off that stand and choking the defense attorney. But I figured you'd laugh your ass off."

"I would. You losing your temper is so cute." Flack smiled.

"Danny thinks it's cute that the more pissed I get the worse my language is." I laughed.

"So when are you and Danny gonna screw?" Flack asked with a wink.

"I don't think that's any of your business." I rolled my eyes.

"I gotta hand it to Danny, he's got willpower." Flack smirked.

"Somewhere in that is a compliment." I laughed as we walked out of the courthouse.

The Ku Klux Klan was still out there rallying. Someone else was talking from the steps. I looked and saw small children dressed in Klan robes; that broke my heart.

"These people are teaching their children to hate." I sighed.

We started walking down the sidewalk towards the parking garage. The cheers and chants of the crowd were loud.

"Do you think Danny will be done at the lab? I was hoping to spend the evening with him?" I asked.

"Give him a call when we get in the SUV." Flack said.

"Aiden and I have been talking about dragging you two to 80's night again soon." I winked.

"Danny and me should just get a couple pairs of white shorty-shorts, pro-life t-shirts and white gloves and hop around." Flack shook his head.

"That would be hilarious. Hey maybe you can do that for Halloween, it's in a few weeks." I laughed. "Which reminds me I need to hang up a few….."

"Aurora look out!" Don yelled and pushed me to the ground.

I looked up and saw one of the Klan rally-goers fire a handgun. The shots were loud and I could hear screaming mixed with cheering. I saw officers rushing into the crowd after the gunman.

I looked over and saw Flack on the ground, he'd been hit in the shoulder, and blood was seeping form the wound. His dress shirt and sports jacket stained with blood. After he'd pushed me down, I hadn't realized he'd been hit. It all happened so fast.

I crawled over to him, his eyes were open. "Don?"

"Rora? I'm hit." He said.

I took off my jacket and pressed it against his wound applying pressure and pulled him into my lap.

"Hang in there Don, it's gonna be okay." I said and started to dial my cell phone for help.

I noticed Don's eyes starting to close. I shook him. "Don, stay with me! Stay with me Don! Don't you dare die on me!"

Don's eyes slipped closed.

I dialed my phone. "This is Detective Aurora Denton; I need an ambulance at the courthouse right now. Officer down……."

**To Be Continued…….**


	46. Trying Times Part 2

_Emador- Wow, you're more upset than anyone. Glad everyone is safe from you! LOL Here is part two. Don't kill or kidnap anyone._

_BridgetLynn- Well here is part two. Plots are just happening everywhere! LOL_

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I have seen almost all of CSI:NY. And I rarely watch Vegas. I have just recently discovered Miami._

_Meadow567- Something like that only a little nicer. And I have cousins (male) that have the name Gayle. They are father and son named Gayle Frederick Harris. I just had to do Flack with a goofy middle name._

_Jordayna- Happy Birthday! I wrote this after the Easter stuff. Hope you enjoy it! Loved your review._

_Dybdahl- LOL, well here is part two. See what you think._

I sat in the waiting room, my head in my hands. I was panicking more than I ever thought possible. I was more scared now then when Tanglewood had kidnapped me.

_I put my cell phone down, help was on the way. _

"_Don, Don stay with me. Hang in there, help is coming." I said and applied more pressure to the wound. "You are not going to die."_

I couldn't stand just sitting here. I felt helpless and I wanted to scream. I was alone in the waiting room.

_Paramedics pulled me away from Don so they could stabilize him. _

"_I am going with him!" I insisted._

"Aurora!"

I looked up and saw Gavin Moran walking down the hall towards me. I was so happy to see someone, anyone.

"Gavin, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"It's all over the news that Donnie was shot. Where is he? Is he okay?" Gavin asked.

"He's in surgery. I don't know anything else. They won't tell me because I am not his family." I said.

"How are you holding up?" Gavin asked.

"I don't know. I am scared to death. Don is……and if he doesn't make it…." I couldn't finish the thought.

"Don't even talk like that. Donnie will be fine." Gavin hugged me. "He's a fighter."

I nodded. I just wanted someone to tell me how Don was doing. I felt so many things at once.

"It's really nice that you came." I said to Gavin.

"Donnie means a lot to me. He's a good kid." Gavin said.

"I just don't know what to do." I said.

An older man suddenly walked through the doors of the waiting room. He looked around.

"Don, over here." Gavin said.

"Gavin? The hospital called me. They said Donnie had been shot and was in surgery."

"I heard it on the news and came as fast as I could." Gavin said.

"You must be Aurora. Donnie has told me so much about you. I'm his dad." Don Flack, Sr. said.

"I wish we could've met under different circumstances." I said.

"How is he?" Flack, Sr. asked.

"They won't tell me anything because I am not his family." I said.

"Well I am his family and I am getting some damn answers." Flack Sr. said and walked away.

I sat down and nervously waited for Donald Sr. to come back. My hands were shaking and I tried to steady them.

"It's gonna be okay." Gavin said.

"I hope so. Don means a lot to me. I can't lose him." I said.

Donald Sr. walked back over to where we were.

"What did they say?" I asked.

"He's in surgery and a doctor will come talk to me when he's in recovery." Donald said and sat down.

"Mr. Flack, is there anything I can do for you?" I asked.

He smiled a bit. "No, I'm okay. I'm glad you're here. I've wanted to meet you. Donnie is just crazy about you. He'd be glad you're here."

"I adore him too." I said.

"Donnie tells me you're dating Danny Messer." Sr. said.

I wasn't sure where he was going with this and I knew he investigated Papa Messer.

"Yeah…..Danny is…."

"I like Danny." Sr. assured me. "When he was first hired I was skeptical. I knew him from when he was a kid because of his dad…..but Donnie became friends with him so I gave him a chance. And I found that Danny is one damn good kid. Papa Messer didn't deserve to have him as a son."

"Thank you….I love Danny a lot." I said.

"I know. Donnie mentions you every time I talk to him. You have to come over for dinner sometime." Donald said.

"Thank you. I appreciate that." I said.

"Where is he?" I heard Aiden scream.

I jumped up and went to her. She had just walked in, crying, on the verge of hysterical.

"Aiden, he's in surgery." I hugged her.

"Is he gonna be okay? He can't die!" Aiden cried.

I tried to get her hair out of her face. "Just stay calm. Don's is strong. We'll know more when he is out of surgery."

"What if he doesn't make it?" Aiden cried.

"Don't think that." I said and hugged her again.

"I am scared." Aiden cried.

"He'll be okay." I said and hoped I was right.

"Aurora, how is he?" Mac hurried in.

"He's in surgery." I said. "We won't know anything until they talk to his dad."

"Are you okay?" Mac asked and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah I wasn't hurt. Other than just being scared to death." I said.

Mac's hand was shaking. "You sure?"

I hugged him. "I'm fine. I am just scared."

Mac held me tight. "Me too."

"Who is working the case?" I asked.

"Stella is going over the evidence. The shooter was caught at the scene. Vicaro is interrogating him." Mac said.

I held tight to Mac, just glad to have comfort and trying to stay strong.

"Mac?" Sheldon walked in.

Aiden ran to him and started crying more. Sheldon hugged her.

"How is he?" Sheldon asked.

"In surgery." Mac answered.

"Aurora, you okay?" Hawkes asked.

"I am hanging in there. I'm here for Don." I said.

"We should sit down and wait." Mac said.

We all started walking over to where Gavin and Donald were sitting.

"Aurora?" Danny burst through the doors of the waiting area.

I ran into his arms, and finally broke down. All the fear, guilt and emotions just released when I saw Danny. Danny held me tight as tears came uncontrollably.

"Don? Is he?" Danny asked.

I shook my head no against his shoulder. "Surgery….don't know more."

"Are you okay? Were you hurt?" Danny asked.

I cried more and shook my head against him again.

"Come on, let's go somewhere quiet." Danny rubbed my back and started pulling me down the hall.

I didn't look up. I just let him guide me. Danny pulled me into a small quiet waiting room down the hall from where we were before.

"Calmati." Danny said and rubbed my back again. "Calmati."

"Danny it's my fault." I cried.

"It's not your fault. Don would not stand to hear you say that." Danny said.

"I didn't see the gunman until it was too late. Don pushed me out of the way. It should've been me." I cried.

"Aurora, you don't know who that madman was aiming for. Don was just getting you out of harm's way." Danny said.

"But we're partners; I am supposed to look out for him!" I yelled.

"You did. You got him help as soon as possible. Kept him comfortable until help could arrive. Don will be so proud of you when he wakes up." Danny said.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" I asked.

"He will. Aurora Dawn, listen to me. Don is one of the strongest people I know. You're the other. He needs you to be strong for him. I need you too. That is my best friend in there…." Danny broke off.

I held Danny. "We'll get through this. Whatever happens, we'll get through this."

"I was so scared. I heard Don was shot and I knew you'd be with him." Danny said.

"I needed you so much. I kept waiting for you to get here. I needed you." I said.

"I'm here." Danny pulled me against him.

"Don't let me go. I need to feel you." I said.

"I won't ever." Danny said.

Danny and I stood there holding each other a few moments more.

"You want to go back to the others?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I want to know how he is as soon as possible." I nodded.

We walked back to the others just as the doctor was walking out to talk to Donald.

"Doctor, how is he?" Sr. asked.

"He's out of surgery. We removed the bullet from his shoulder. He lost a lot of blood and had some bone damage." Doctor said.

"Will he be okay?" Gavin asked.

"It'll take awhile and he'll need some therapy. But he's young and healthy. He'll make a full recovery." Doctor said.

I fell limp against Danny. Aiden started crying tears of joy and I did too. Danny hugged her too.

"When can we see him?" Danny asked.

"Are you family?" Doctor asked.

"They are to be allowed to see Donnie. He'll ask for them." Donald said.

Doctor nodded. "As soon as he's out of recovery. But not for too long. He needs rest."

The doctor walked away. I hugged Danny and Aiden.

"Thank god he's gonna be okay." Gavin said.

(TPPOV)

Danny walked into Don's room. The doctor had told them that only a few at a time could visit him and not for long. He was still groggy from the drugs they were giving him. His dad had visited him first.

"Don?" Danny asked.

Don looked over at him. "Messer, dad said you were here. Where's Aurora?"

"She's outside. How you feel?" Danny asked.

"So much painkillers." Don said. "How's Aurora doing?"

"She's okay now that she knows you're gonna be okay." Danny said.

"Tell her this isn't her fault. I know if she'd have seen the gun first she'd have pushed me out of the way." Don said. "I know she'll blame herself."

"She was blaming herself. We got the guy you know. Vicaro is ripping him a new one as we speak." Danny said.

"Thank you for protecting her." Danny said.

"She's my partner…and she's my little sweetheart. Besides, you almost lost her once; you didn't need to go through that." Don said.

"She loves you a lot, you know." Danny said.

"Is Aiden here?" Don asked.

"Yeah, she was freaking out earlier, but has calmed down. You know good and well that those girls are going to mother you to death." Danny laughed.

"Think I could get them to wear nursey outfits for me?" Flack smiled.

"Only if I can catch a cold or something and need nursing too." Danny smiled.

"Can I see them?" Don asked.

Danny walked over and poked his head out the door. "Ladies, he wants to see you."

Aurora and Aiden rushed into the room.

Aiden rushed over and hugged Don. "Thank god you're alright. I was so worried."

"Easy." Flack laughed.

"I was so scared." Aiden kissed his cheek.

"I'll be alright." Don said.

Aurora went over and took his hand. "Don I am so…."

"Horny for Danny, I know." Flack winked. "This isn't your fault."

"But…."

"No buts." Flack insisted.

"You scared the hell out of me." She said and squeezed his hand.

"Now you know a little of how we felt when Tanglewood had you." Flack said.

"I don't know how you guys dealt with that for 4 days." Aurora said.

"Love gets you through." Aiden said.

"We should let you get some rest." Aurora said.

"We'll stop by and see you tomorrow." Danny said.

"And no chasing nurses." Aiden said.

"Are you kidding? I can get sponge baths and sympathy." Flack smiled.

"Behave yourself in here." Aurora laughed.

"Come on Aurora. You need to get home and relax. You've had a rough day." Danny said. "See you tomorrow Don."

"Bye guys." Don called.

"Do you need anything before I leave?" Aiden asked.

"No, these pain killers are making me tired. I'm just gonna sleep." Don said.

"Get some rest. You're dad will probably be here all night. But if he needs to o home and you need me, have him call me." Aiden said.

"Thanks Aiden, I'll be alright. I think you and Aurora will probably mother me to death." Flack smiled.

"Damn right!" Aiden said and kissed his cheek. "Night Don."

"Night Aiden." He called as she walked out.


	47. Halloween Festival

_Meadow567- Jimmy and Georgy waited three and a half months. Danny and Aurora have only been together almost 3 months, LOL. Just relax. Why you whistling? _

_Jordayna- I don't think the girls would wear nursey outfits no matter what Flack did. And I promise there is a big plan for everything._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Here is some fluff since lately has been so serious._

_Dybdahl- He'd look great But if Flack had died he'd have worn his dress police uniform. Yummy!_

_LizfromItaly- You are so right she needs rest, so here is some fluff! And I was upset when Speedle died too. They always get rid of the ones I like._

_BridgetLynn- You saw that? Hmmmm. Here is some fluff. It was needed!_

_Emador- Yes he is alive. Calm down. And you could buy me Mac, or just send pics! LOL_

It was two weeks after Flack's shooting. He was back to work but on desk duty only. His left arm was in a sling. Everyone looked after him to the point he'd have killed them if he didn't love them and knew they meant well. While he was on desk duty, Aurora was teamed up with Vicaro.

Danny, Aurora, Aiden and Flack had decided to go out for the evening. Flack was feeling up to it. So they decided to go to a Halloween street fair that was being held.

Danny and Don were in the locker room getting ready to head out for the evening. Actually Don was trying to shave with one hand, while Danny put in his contacts.

"How is the shoulder feeling?" Danny asked.

"Not bad. And the girls wait on me hand and foot. Every time I make a noise at my desk, Rora runs over and checks on me. Rora and Aiden have both been changing my bandages for me. It's not so bad having two gorgeous women take care of me." Flack smiled. "Of course, until this happened, I never realized the mothering streak Mac has in him."

"You know, the day you were shot was the most scared I've seen him since 9/11." Danny said and blinked as his eyes adjusted to his contacts.

"Meanwhile, I think my dad has adopted Rora. I think he found the daughter he never had." Flack smiled.

"I know she mentioned he's called a few times to check on her. And they talked a lot when you were in the hospital." Danny said.

"Verdict came in this afternoon on Matthew and Andrew Camden. They were both found guilty. The sentencing phase of the trial starts Tuesday." Flack said.

"I hope they give them a lethal cocktail." Danny said and opened his locker again.

"What is that?" Flack asked noticing a CD in Danny's locker. "Kenny Chesney? She's ruining you."

"She has nothing to do with it." Danny said.

"Danny, you've never listened to country music in your life. But we all know she likes them drinking and cheating songs." Flack smirked.

"Truth is……I was looking for a song that says how I feel about Aurora. You know how couples have their song and all that. Well you know her little joke of turning our radios to country stations. I turned on my radio one day and fond she'd done it to me, but before I changed the station….someone was on there singing exactly how I felt about her. So I found out it was Kenny Chesney and bought the CD." Danny explained.

"She thinks your tractor is sexy?" Flack laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "No, and it's sorta a surprise so hush up about it around her."

"Fine, fine. You know Rora had on a red thong yesterday." Flack said.

"You've been watching her bend down." Danny smirked. "There is this one pair of jeans she has and every time she bends just right you can see what kind of panties she is wearing."

"Wow, Danny you really are horny." Flack laughed.

"You have no idea. I can't watch her bend down anymore. Seeing her in a thong makes my mind wander too much." Danny said. "As it is my mind drifts off a lot. Usually then Mac looks over at me in the lab and I try not to blush. I know Mac can't read my mind, but those looks he gives you makes you think he can. It's like being 14 and caught in the bathroom with a magazine by your mother."

"I can't believe you've waited this long. You have never waited this long to have sex with someone you're dating." Flack said.

"You don't think I know this?" Danny rolled his eyes. "Of course, no one else has ever made me feel like she does."

"Well I am sure it will happen soon." Flack said.

"I think with all the build up to it, it's going to be amazing. I mean this will be the first time I've been in love and had sex." Danny smiled.

"Not to mention the weather has turned colder…and I remember you watching her last winter when she'd be outside and her jacket was open." Flack laughed.

"Hey we both did that. And we didn't just watch Aurora, we watched Aiden too." Danny laughed.

"Yeah….hey now that Rora's with you…does that mean I can't look anymore?" Flack joked.

Danny rolled his eyes. "You'll look anyway. Just don't touch. None of your 'opps, sorry I thought it was a Braille nametag.'!"

"Are we ready yet? I am actually looking forward to this. I haven't been out other than to work and the doctor's in two weeks." Flack said.

"Yeah we can go. Aurora has been so excited to go to this since I told her about it. She loves Halloween." Danny smiled.

The guys walked out of the men's locker room and found the girls waiting at Aurora's desk. Aiden was dressed in black pants and a red top. Aurora was dressed in hip hugging jeans and a low cut green shirt.

"You okay Danny?" Flack smirked.

Danny glared at him. "Enjoying every minute."

"Don, you okay?" Aiden asked as the boys walked up to the girls.

"I'm fine." He smiled at her.

"You didn't shower or get your stitches wet did you?" Aurora asked.

"No mommy." Flack said.

"Are we ready?" Danny asked.

"Yes, I am so excited. You know in Pittsburgh, they do something similar to this at Station Square where the three rivers meet. They set up a few haunted houses. But they charge you the price of a mortgage for it." Aurora said.

"This is set up for a few weekends before Halloween every year." Aiden said. "And it's fun."

(Halloween Street Festival)

Danny had his arm around Aurora as they walked down the sidewalk of the Halloween Street festival. Don and Aiden were walking with them. There were several street performers playing their costumes.

"I never thought I'd see Freddy Kruger playing bongo drums." Flack laughed.

"It's cute. I like that the usual street performers show up in costume." I said.

"Look at the French maid over there." Flack motioned towards a tall blonde woman dressed as a French maid.

"Wow, think she makes house calls?" Danny joked.

"Danny, you're taken. You're not allowed to look anymore." Aiden laughed.

"But I'm available." Flack smiled.

"Flack, we really do need to get you a date." Aurora smiled.

"Hey Danny, what would you do if Aurora dressed up like that?" Flack asked.

Danny glared at him.

"Aiden me and you should get matching costumes like that for Halloween." Aurora laughed.

"These two would rape us!" Aiden laughed.

"And we'd love every minute of it!" Aurora winked.

"Look there is a fortune teller." Aiden said.

"Those things are so fake." Danny said.

"Oh let's go in for just a gag." Aurora said. "It'll be fun. Maybe she can tell us when Flack will actually get a date."

"When the right opportunity comes along, I'll have a date." Flack said.

"We should go in and prove this all so hokey." Danny said. "You know those fortune tellers read body language and stuff to make what they're saying seem real."

"Yeah so let's do something to trip them up." Aiden said.

"I got it. Danny you pretend Aiden is your girlfriend. You two walk in there together and the fortune teller will start off on some big love story coming for you two." Flack said.

"I thought when Danny and Rora hooked up I was done being Danny's 'date'." Aiden laughed.

"Hey I want him back as soon as we're out of the fortune teller's tent." Aurora giggled.

Danny let go of Aurora and took Aiden's hand. The four of them walked across the street and into the fortune teller's tent. The fortune teller was dressed in a long skirt with cards in front of her.

"Come in, come in. I am Madame Nyssa." She said.

"We'd like a reading." Aiden said.

Aiden and Danny sat down in front of Madame Nyssa. Flack and Aurora stood behind them.

"Ah, you four bring so much love in here. I feel it everywhere." Madame Nyssa said. "You're all very close friends. So much love."

Flack leaned over to Aurora and whispered. "She could easily tell we're all friends."

Madame Nyssa closed her eyes and held her hands out. "Young man take my hands."

Danny took her hands looking skeptical.

Madame Nyssa opened her eyes. "You're a man very much in love."

"Here it comes." Flack whispered to Aurora.

Danny smirked and put an arm around Aiden. "Yes I am."

"Not with her." Madame Nyssa said. "The woman behind you."

The four looked at each other and then at Madame Nyssa, not sure what to think.

"You two love each other very much." Madame Nyssa said. "Please join hands."

Aurora and Danny joined hands and Madame Nyssa held their joined hands between her hands.

"You almost lost her and now you can't imagine your life without her. The bind between you two is strong." Madame Nyssa said.

"And what do you see in their future?" Aiden asked.

"This is a long lasting love. You complete each other and would fight aggressively to protect each other. Hold tight to one another." Madame Nyssa said.

"That your answers for every couple?" Flack asked with a raised eyebrow.

Madame Nyssa opened her eyes and looked at Flack. "You don't believe me. You're naturally skeptical and sarcastic. And now your emotions are in turmoil."

Flack raised an eyebrow.

"Trust your heart and let go of the past." Madame Nyssa told Flack the turned to Danny. "February 18th."

"What is that?" Danny asked.

"An important day." Madame Nyssa said.

"Thank you." Aiden said.

The four of them walked out of the tent.

"That was strange." Aiden said.

"That was so fake." Flack said.

"How did she know I wasn't Danny's girlfriend, that Rora was?" Aiden asked.

"She could probably see something in body language." Flack said.

"A haunted house." Aurora said. "Can we go in?"

"Are you sure we won't anger the demons?" Flack smirked.

"Please, can we go in? I love haunted houses. I haven't got to go to one for years!" Aurora asked.

"Let's go. I'll hold tight to Aurora. Flack, hold Aiden with your good arm." Danny said.

The four of them walked into the haunted house. Aurora was wrapped tight around Danny. She liked being scared and liked being close to Danny so it was good all the way around.

The first hall they walked through was the basics, bats low from the ceiling a few ghosts jumping at them. The guys held tight to the girls who were mostly giggling through this part.

The next hall they turned down was supposed to resemble the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. There was the meat cooking on the rotisserie. Then there were the weird sounds, bones rattling, chickens clucking and the strange decorations. Just as they were about to pass through Leatherface jumped out at them with his chainsaw raring. Aurora screamed and nearly choked Danny who was laughing. Aiden flinched too but was careful of Flack's arm in a sling.

The next hallway the walked down caused them to stop short. It was a 'Hall of fame of Serial Killers'. For cops this was creepy and just perfect for Halloween. They walked down the hall looking at mannequins of each murderer. Charles Manson, Ed Gein, Albert Fish, Henry Lee Lucas, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Jack the Ripper. Of course Jack the Ripper was just a guess of what he looked like.

The next turn brought them into an area set up like a swamp. There was dry ice coming off the water and everything. You could hear crickets and it was all quiet. Then zombies began crawling out of the water. They were soaking wet, covered in muck and walking right at them. They were making grunting and moaning sounds.

The four tried to walk through, but the zombies caught them and pulled Aurora away from Danny. She was shrieking but laughing. Danny went to grab for her out of reflex but realized she was okay. The zombies pulled her a few feet away from the other three and then dry ice covered them. When the smoke cleared Aurora was standing alone. The zombies had gone back to the water.

"I've had enough of this. Can we get out of here?" Aurora said and hugged Danny.

"Only way out is to finish the house." Danny said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah fine." She said.

The next hallway was solid black and completely dark. The four moved carefully trying not to run into anything. Suddenly all four touched a wall. It was dark and without knowing where to go they stopped.

"Now what?" Don asked.

"Follow the wall?" Aiden asked.

"But which way?" Danny asked.

Then a door opened, revealing the street. The four of them stepped out onto the street and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now I want to shop for some Halloween things. They have all these stands here to take advantage of." Aurora smiled.

(Brooklyn)

"Aurora, only you would buy so much at a Halloween street festival." Danny joked as he carried a few bags for her into his apartment.

"They were just things I couldn't pass up. I really like Halloween and horror movies to watch at this time of the year." She smiled.

"It was cute watching you." Danny smiled.

Aurora sat down on his couch. "I want to look at my stuff. Bring it here please."

Danny made sure the door was locked and then took the bags over to where Aurora was sitting on his couch. He shrugged out of his jacket.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Aurora asked him.

"I did." Danny smiled.

"Although it was getting downright cold when we left." Aurora said and took off her jacket.

Danny took a deep breath. "So what all did you buy?" he asked.

"Well I found a few cute decorations for Halloween with black cats on them. I love black cats, I used to have one. His name was Church after the cat in 'Pet Semetary'." She giggled and held up a wreath with a black cat in the center.

"Did that freak you out? Why would you name your cat that?" Danny asked.

"He was a stray born on our porch and was the runt. We didn't really think he'd live but he did. But he was an ugly kitten; fur grew in patches and was a nasty grey color. He actually looked like that cat in the movie after it comes back from the dead." She explained.

"I'm glad you have plain, cute purring Rammer now." Danny said.

"And then I bought this CD of the greatest horror movie themes. I'll play it when Trick-or-treaters come around. I dunno, what horror movie do you think had the best theme song?" Aurora asked.

Danny shrugged. "'Halloween' has that real distinct theme music. So does 'Jaws'."

"My vote was for 'Halloween' too. Or 'Friday the 13th.'" Aurora smiled.

Danny smiled over at her then leaned over and kissed her. "You're so cute when you're excited and happy."

Aurora smiled up at him. She leaned over and kissed him. Danny slid his hand up behind her neck and held her in place. She ran her hands through Danny's hair and pulled herself closer to him. Danny let his fingers gently trace circles down her back.

Danny started to gently push Aurora down on the couch when the distinctive sound of her cell phone ringing blared through his apartment.

"Let it ring." He said against her mouth.

"NYPD can't ignore their phones." She said and pulled away.

Danny sighed and took a few deep breaths as she grabbed her phone. She read the caller ID.

"It's my brother." She said.

"The one married to psycho-slut?" Danny asked.

"No, the one that is mentally slow." Aurora said and flipped open her phone. "Hello?"

Danny leaned back against the couch.

"No sweetie, you're a week early. Halloween is next weekend." Aurora said into her phone. "You did?...I miss you too………yes we're catching lots of bad guys."

Danny looked over at her. "Yes I am still with Danny……..he's very nice you don't have to worry. I'll talk to you then………I love you too." She hung up.

"Everything okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, he was wishing me a Happy Halloween. It's early but he was so excited because he got some candy corn today." Aurora smiled. "And he always asks if we're catching bad guys. He's very proud of his little sister the cop."

"I take it he knows about me?" Danny smiled.

"Yeah and he always wants to be sure you're being nice to me. He still has those protective instincts of a big brother." Aurora said.

"You said he was slow because of a problem at birth?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, he had a membrane covering his esophagus when he was born and didn't get oxygen. He was pronounced dead and the suddenly he gave out a yelp and they realized he was alive. The membrane had popped but he was without oxygen enough to do permanent damage." Aurora explained.

"Who takes care of him?" Danny asked.

"He lives in a group home. He has his own apartment there but can be supervised." She said.

"He is your brother from your dad's first marriage?" Danny asked.

"Yeah." Aurora said and snuggled up to Danny. "I am so sleepy."

Danny put his arms around her and sighed.

"Do you mind if I stay the night? I'd really like to just crash here. And then there is the bonus of snuggling with you." Aurora said.

Danny took a deep breath. "You know you can stay here. But I need to shower first."

Aurora nodded. "Can I sleep in an old shirt of yours or something?"

Danny bit his lip. "Sure help yourself. I'm gonna grab that shower."

Danny stood up and waked straight through his bedroom into the bathroom. Aurora stood up and walked into his bedroom. She needed something to sleep in.

She started opening drawers looking for an old t-shirt or something to sleep in. She wasn't sure how Danny had his clothes organized. One drawer of jeans, one of socks, one of boxers. Aurora finally found a few old t-shirts and grabbed a dark blue one.

She could hear water running as Danny took his shower. She still needed a pair of shorts or something to sleep in. She opened a few more drawers till she found a few pairs of his basketball shorts.

Aurora changed clothes. His shorts were so big on her she had to pull the drawstring as tight as she could get it. Danny was still in the shower. She yawned and decided to go to bed.

Aurora walked over and turned out the big light then crawled into bed. Danny had a king size bed with a down comforter. Aurora loved how if felt. She leaned over to turn out the lamp when she noticed the drawer of his nightstand wasn't completely shut. She tried pushing on it but it was stuck.

She leaned over more and pulled the drawer out to see what it was caught on. The drawer had been caught on a book that was wedged. But what caught Aurora's attention were two unopened boxes of condoms. She stared at them for a moment and then smiled and looked towards the bathroom.

She closed the drawer and turned out the lamp. She laid down still smiling and closed her eyes.

She'd fallen asleep when Danny finally came out of the bathroom dressed in lounge pants and a t-shirt. His room was dark, so he made his way to his bed and crawled in. Aurora was asleep he could tell from her breathing. He debated waking her up.

He pulled her against him and she sighed contently. He spooned behind her and gently nuzzled her neck.

"Ti amo. Starti lontano mi fa impazzire." Danny whispered. "Buona notte."


	48. Loved You From Hello

_**Oddie562**- Well the wait is over, here is the update. Glad you like it so much and reviewed. I love reviews. Thanks so much._

_**CrazygirlHaley5555**- Actually she'll have more in this story coming up! _

_**Meadow567**- I will look at cute Ralph when I get the chance. Between work and my two stories, I have no life. Which is sad. Just remember that date. And I understand how guy friends can be! LOL _

_**Dybdahl-** YAY, I am so glad I am keeping you interested. There is so much more to come too. And I am getting ideas for a whole new CSI:NY fic._

_**Jordayna-** Yeah, poor Danny. But he's being a good sport through it. Gotta love him._

_**LizfromItaly-** You'll have to wait and see what February 18th is. I think we all feel about cell phone's that way sometimes. _

_**BridgetLynn**- I am that way every time I pass a driver talking on one! I was in a wreck because someone hit me talking on their phone. _

_**Emador**- Loved your review. Thanks for all your help. I hope this turned out right. A lot of plots are unfolding so relax. _

_Aurora,  
__Be at my apartment at 8pm. Dress is semi-formal. Happy 3 months. Ti amo.  
__Danny_

Aurora stood outside Danny's building and read the note one more time. She had not seen much of Danny all day, but this note had been left on her desk at the end of the day. She smiled and wondered what Danny was planning. She hit the buzzer to his apartment.

"Hello?" Danny answered.

"It's me. Buzz me in its cold out here." Aurora said.

She heard the buzzer and opened the door. She walked up the stairs and knocked on his door.

"Close your eyes." Danny called from the other side of the door.

"Why?"

"Just trust me." Danny called back.

Aurora closed her eyes and a second later the door opened. Danny smiled at her and took her hand, pulling her inside the apartment.

"Danny, what's going on?" she asked.

Danny leaned forward and kissed her. "You can open your eyes now."

Aurora opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. The lights in the room had been dimmed and a candlelight dinner for two was sitting on Danny's kitchen table. Soft music was playing in the background.

"Danny this is beautiful." Aurora smiled. "How did you ever do this?"

"Blame Flack. He was ribbing me that I'd never dated one girl for three months before and this called for all out celebration with candles and music and……well the idea stuck." Danny smiled.

Aurora giggled. "I love it, it's so beautiful. I can't believe you'd do this for me."

"I'd do anything for you." Danny smiled.

Aurora took off her coat. She was wearing a short black dress that was sleeveless.

"You look beautiful." Danny said and took her coat.

"Thank you." She smiled and then gave Danny the once over. He was dressed in black dress pants and a white shirt. He was wearing his contacts.

"Dinner is ready." Danny said. He took her hand and pulled her towards the table.

He pulled her chair out for her. She sat down and he leaned down and kissed her before walking to his side of the table. The meal was lasagna with vegetables.

"Did you make this?" Aurora asked.

"Yes, its one of my best dishes." Danny smiled as he poured wine for the two of them.

Aurora picked up her fork and tried some of the lasagna

"This is really good." She smiled.

"Don't sound so surprised." He winked.

"This is the first time anyone has ever set up a dinner for two for me." Aurora smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. I thought tonight would be nice just the two of us." Danny said.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to go out of town like you wanted to." Aurora said.

"That wasn't your fault. We didn't know that Don was gonna be shot. Besides, maybe we can take a trip in the winter or something." Danny said.

"You know Matthew and Andrew Camden were sentenced to death earlier today." Aurora said.

"I heard that. But tonight is just you and me and no talk about work." Danny smiled.

Aurora smiled. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?"

"Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it." Danny said.

"Well if I start talking about how much I love you, we'll be here all night. And this meal is fabulous." Aurora said.

"There are a few things I can cook really well." Danny said.

They ate the rest of the meal talking about the upcoming holidays and suggesting things they could do. It would be Aurora's first Thanksgiving in New York City and she was dying to go to the Macy's parade. And for her first Christmas in NYC she wanted to visit Rockefeller Center and see the big tree lit up and visit Radio City Music hall.

"Danny that meal was fabulous. I say in this relationship, the man does the cooking." Aurora giggled as she stood up.

"Oh no. I like your cooking too much for that. You make the best pasta salad I have tasted since my mom died." Danny said.

"So you're just with me for my cooking, I see how it is." Aurora joked.

"No, I'm with you because I love you more than anything, not to mention you're sexy as hell. The cooking is just the big cherry on top!" Danny grinned.

Aurora walked over and kissed him. "You're so cute."

"So are you." Danny said.

Aurora walked over and sat down on the couch. "Do you need help with the dishes or anything?"

"Nah, I'll get them later. Right now I just want to spend time with you." Danny said and walked over to his entertainment center.

He put in a CD and then walked over to his desk and picked up something. He walked over to the couch as the CD began playing.

"Kenny Chesney?" Aurora asked.

"I like this song." Danny said as 'You Had Me From Hello' played.

"It's a beautiful song." Aurora said.

Danny handed her a piece of paper. "It's not big and fancy, but Happy 3 months."

Aurora looked at it. Danny had handwritten it on a beautiful stationary that had shades of blue.

_Uno vacabolo, cioe tutto tu detto.  
__Qualcosa in tuo voce causata me girare mio testa.  
__Tuo sarriso, semplicemente catturotomi, to fossi in mio futuro per quanto riuscirei vedere.  
__Non lo so in che modo lo successo ma lo successo tuttavia.  
__Tu domandare mi se ti amo, se io per sempre arbitrio.  
_

_Tu avessi mi da ciao, io sentire amare inizio a sviluppare.  
__Il momento quell io guardare in tuo occhios tu conquistare mio.  
__Lo fossi finito da il inizio, tu completamente rubato mio cuore e ora tu arbitrio non licenziare.  
__Io mai anche avessi un opportunita sai?  
__Tu avessi mi da ciao._

_Interno io construito un barricata, cosi altezza intorna mio cuore io pensiero averi mai innamorarsi.  
__Uno roccare, tu portato lo tagliare.  
__Mattones di mio difesas sparso sopra il terreno.  
__E io giurare a mio quell io ero non andando a amore di nuovo.  
__Il scorsa tempo ero ultimo io permettere qualcuno in.  
_

_Tranne tu avessi mi da ciao, io sentire amare inizio a sviluppare.  
__Il momento quell io guardare in tuo occhios tu conquistare mio.  
__Lo fossi finito da il inizio, tu completamente rubato mio cuore e ora tu arbitrio non licenziare.  
__Io mai anche avessi un opportunita sai?  
__Tu avessi mi da ciao.  
__Cioe tutto tu detto. _

_Qualcosa in tuo voce causata me girare mio testa.  
__Tu avessi mi da ciao.  
__Tu avessi mi da ciao.  
__Aurora, Io sperimentare amato tu da ciao._

Aurora smiled. "Danny, what does all this say?"

Danny leaned over and kissed her. "Listen to the words of the song. He is singing exactly how I feel."

Aurora looked at him. "You wrote the words to this song in Italian?"

Danny nodded. "When I heard this song…it's just how I feel. I really think I've loved you from the first minute I saw you."

Aurora started crying. "Danny, this is the sweetest most wonderful thing. I can't believe…."

Danny reached up and wiped her tears away. "Don't cry."

"They're happy tears. No boyfriend has ever made me cry happy tears." Aurora said.

"I am glad you liked it. I was afraid I'd sound kinda corny." Danny smiled.

"It's so beautiful. I love you so much." Aurora said.

Danny wiped her tears again. "I love you too."

Danny leaned over and kissed her softly.

"I am framing this and keeping it forever." Aurora said.

"Would you like to dance?" Danny asked her.

"Here?"

"Sure, it's just us." Danny smiled.

"That sounds great." Aurora said.

Danny stood and helped her off the couch. He grabbed his remote and changed the CD as the song ended. When the music started again it was Edwin McCain singing 'I'll Be'.

"This is a pretty song too." Aurora said as Danny pulled her close to him.

"It's special too." Danny said.

Aurora snuggled against Danny's shoulder and swayed to the music with him. Danny gently rubbed her back.

"Danny, this is a wonderful date. How do you think of this stuff?" Aurora asked.

Danny shrugged. "I guess all those years of being an asshole just wore off." He joked.

Aurora giggled. "You still got an asshole side to you, just never towards me. And I love every part of you."

Aurora leaned up and kissed Danny.

"Amare per sempre." Danny whispered.

"What does that mean?" Aurora asked.

"Forever love." Danny smiled.

Aurora smiled. "You really need to start teaching me Italian." Aurora said.

"I will I promise." Danny said.

Aurora snuggled back on his shoulder and nuzzled against his neck.

"I wish we never had to leave the apartment." Danny said.

Aurora looked at him. "Why?"

"I love being here with you. Having you all to myself." Danny smiled.

Aurora smiled and turned in his arms and leaned back against him. They still swayed to the music.

Danny started nuzzling on her neck. She smiled and interlocked their fingers on her waist. Danny began gently kissing her neck. She closed her eyes and moved her head so he'd have better access. Aurora sighed and leaned back against Danny.

"You want me to stop?" Danny asked with a smile.

"No." she said.

Danny let go of her hands and slid his hands up her arms as he started kissing her shoulders. Aurora sighed again and turned around. She pulled his mouth to hers.

Danny pulled back and smiled at her. He took her hand and gently pulled her towards his bedroom, shutting off his sound system as he went.

Inside his bedroom he let go of her. He lit a few candles that were on his nightstand. He turned back to looking to see if she was showing signs of doubt. Aurora was smiling and kicking off her pumps.

Danny pulled back the covers, and then stepped back to where Aurora was.

"Viglio fare l'amore." Danny whispered.

Aurora leaned up and kissed him. Danny groaned slightly and pulled her tight against him. She smiled against him and reached for the buttons on his shirt. She undid them one by one, then pulled back and opened his shirt. She pulled it out of his waistband and pushed it off his shoulders. She then began kissing his shoulders as he had done in the living room.

Danny groaned again. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him again, as she untucked his wifebeater from his dress pants. He pulled back long enough to allow her to pull it over his head.

He pulled her against him and kissed her again. Danny traced his hands along her spine and up her back, finding the zipper on her dress. He slid the zipper down and pulled away from her. Aurora let her arms fall so Danny so gently pull the dress down her arms and it puddle it her feet, leaving her in just black bra and panties.

"Mia bella amata." Danny whispered.

She smiled and reached up and touched his face. "Ti amo."

Aurora then moved and lay down in the middle of his bed. She leaned up on her elbows, looking at Danny. Danny smiled at her and undid his belt, quickly getting out of his dress pants.

Left in just his boxers he climbed on the bed and gently settles himself on Aurora. He kissed her softly.

"Ti amo anch'io." He whispered and kissed her again.

(2AM)

Aurora woke up to Danny gently rubbing her back.

"Baby, I thought you'd be asleep?" she smiled up at him.

"I just can't believe this is real. I am here with you. You're in my arms and you love me as much as I love you." Danny said and kissed her. "I never thought I'd find someone like you."

"I know how you feel. Making love was amazing. I didn't know it could be like that." Aurora said.

"See what we've been missing." Danny winked.

Aurora chuckled and kissed Danny. "Letting it happen naturally was great."

"Now I want to hear about this Victoria Secrets order you got a few weeks back." Danny said.

"Aiden tell you about that?" Aurora asked.

"No, I saw the box in your garbage. Let me tell you, my mind has been wandering." Danny smiled.

"It's a secret." Aurora said.

"But it's distracting me at work. Mac probably thinks there is something wrong with me." Danny pretended to whine.

"Well pull me into the supply closet at the lab and you can see some of my new thongs." Aurora whispered.

Danny groaned.

"Seriously, tonight was amazing. Thank you." Aurora said.

Danny pulled her tight against him. "It was amazing. And we're going to have lost more just like it."


	49. Halloween

_CrazygirlHaley5555- In the words of Mark Lowry. 'All great things eventually turn to corn!' LOL_

_Meadow567- You have pregnancy on the brain! LOL And this Feb. 18th thing is going to drive you crazy! LOL_

_Oddie562- You seem more excited about it than Danny! LOL JK_

_LizfromItaly- I knew you'd love the Italian. I love writing Danny. He is like the perfect man, sweet and sarcastic, caring but has faults._

_BridgetLynn- Or he might be distracted more than ever now! LOL and It's funny you said that about Don……_

_Jordayna- Some things take time. Trust me, they'll make up for it!_

_Steely Phil Gordon- The translations are there. Danny always tells her what he's saying unless its something he doesn't want her to know. And there will be Stella just not tons of it._

_Emador- I am do glad you liked it. This is got some humor. Hope you like it! _

"So what do you have planned with Aurora for tonight?" Flack asked Danny.

It was Halloween and the day had been surprisingly slow, so they were all headed home for the evening. The guys were in the locker room to catch a quick shower before heading out for the evening.

"She loves horror movies so I picked up a bunch. I figured we could sit up and watch a marathon of them." Danny said.

"So how much of the movies do you actually plan on watching?" Flack smirked. "I mean now that you've had sex once you know you'll want to every chance you get."

Danny rolled his eyes. "For the record it was twice. I tackled her to the bed when she got out of the shower the next morning."

"One look at her face and I knew you two finally hopped on the good foot and did the bad deed." Flack laughed. "Well that and the fact that Aiden came giggling and squealing into the station hugging Rora and asking for details."

"I know, Aiden then came to the lab wanting to know where I learned a few things." Danny smiled.

Flack raised an eyebrow. "So how was it?"

"How do you think?" Danny narrowed his eyes.

"Okay I gotta know……is she shaved?" Flack asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Danny chuckled. "Wouldn't you love to know? Let's just say I won't need to floss."

Flack laughed. "I knew it. I mean I could just see her having some…."

"Hey…that' my girlfriend you're fantasizing over." Danny joked.

"Hey, I had a lot of time to look at her and picture things before you two got together." Flack said.

"Yeah and you even got to kiss her at the rave." Danny said.

"And it was so obvious that night how in love you were. You looked like you wanted to punch me. And you fishing for information about what happened inside the rave was about as subtle as bullhorn." Flack laughed.

"You saw how she dressed that night; I thought for sure you'd take advantage of it." Danny said. "The whole time we were outside watching I was fidgety. It was then I started to realize I really needed to do something." Danny smiled.

"You should get her to wear that outfit for you sometime." Flack winked.

"If I went to pick her up and she was in that, we wouldn't get out the door. I'd probably just bend her over the kitchen table." Danny said.

"Damn, I need a date. Can't let you get all the action." Flack said.

"Well ask someone out." Danny said.

"I…..well I will. Of course Vicaro says I should play the sling for all the sympathy I can get. Aurora swears now I have a big cop story to tell ladies complete with scar." Flack said.

"But you'll have to sneak away from your two nurses." Danny said.

"It's not so bad having two gorgeous women fawn all over you." Flack smiled.

"Just remember one of those women is taken. And Aiden is bound to find herself another asshole at any minute. I really wish she'd find herself a nice guy." Danny said.

Flack nodded. "Me too, she deserves it."

Danny shut his locker. "I'm out. I have a pretty little thing to spend he evening curled up with watching 14 straight hours of horror films."

Danny walked out of the locker room and down the hall. Aurora was at her desk finishing up her paper work for the day.

"Ciao bella." Danny said and kissed her. "Ready?"

"Been looking forward to it all day. What all did you get?" Aurora asked and stood up.

"That horror movie with the pro-wrestler that just came out. 'Identity' because I know you love John Cusack. Something about a Pumpkinhead? I'd never heard of it. And 'Children of the Corn'." Danny was listing off movies as they walked towards the door.

"Hold up Denton, Messer." Vicaro caught them walking out. "We got a call."

(FPPOV)

Vicaro, Danny, Stella and me walked up on the crime scene. It was in Yonkers. A body had been left off the highway. The victim was nude, male and young.

"I knew we wouldn't make it through Halloween without a murder." Stella said as she sat down her kit.

"What do we have from the uniformed officers?" I asked Vicaro.

"The body was found by some people riding their bikes along the rode." Vicaro said.

"The body is still warm. He hasn't been dead that long." Danny said.

"Any signs of trauma?" I asked.

"Some kind of wounds on his neck……must be a practical joke; it almost looks like a vampire bite." Danny said.

"Great, we can just go arrest Dracula and call it a night." Vicaro said with sarcasm.

"These wounds don't look bad enough for him to have bled out from them." Danny said.

"Hawkes will have to tell us cause of death." Stella said as she started snapping pictures.

"He'll be glad to know he has to work tonight. He was hitting the clubs for Halloween." I laughed.

Danny was running a light over the body. "I got fluid between his thighs."

"Take a sample and send it to DNA. We'll have Sheldon run a sexual assault kit." Stella said.

"No blood on his hands." Danny said.

"The ground is dry and grassy; no visible footprints." Stella commented.

"Looks like we have to wait on autopsy." I said.

(Morgue)

Danny and I were walking down the hall to the morgue. Hawkes had called us and said he'd finished the autopsy on our highway victim. Flack was looking through missing persons and griping about desk duty. Stella was at DNA going over the swabs Danny had taken off the victim.

"Aurora, I know we had plans for the evening….." Danny started.

"Don't apologize. You can't help that we had a call. Besides, this is the first time work has interfered with plans and it won't be the last." I smiled.

"At least we get to work together." Danny smiled as we walked into the morgue.

"The morgue on Halloween, it's just creepy." I sighed.

"You should've been here the year I hid under one of the white sheets and started moving when Aiden came in." Hawkes laughed.

"I don't think she's quite forgiven you for that." Danny laughed.

"It was almost as funny as Aurora 'angering the demons'!" Sheldon laughed.

"Alright enough, tell us about our DOA." I said.

"Something strange is going on with this guy." Sheldon said. "I estimate time of death at around 8 this evening."

"Can you tell what killed him?" I asked.

"Allergic reaction to something. His esophagus had swelled shut. I analyzed his stomach contents but without knowing his medical history, I can't tell if it was something he ate or not." Sheldon said. "Also there was seminal fluid in his rectum."

"Rape?" I asked.

"Not likely. There was no tearing. Seems he knew the proper way to have anal sex and not cause harm." Sheldon said. "I sent a sample to DNA."

"What about those puncture wounds on his neck?" Danny asked.

"Vampire bite." Sheldon said.

"I know its Halloween but that is not funny." I said.

"I'm serious. He was bitten. I found saliva around the wounds. Sent it off for DNA analysis." Sheldon said.

"But, that doesn't look like teeth, it looks like fangs." I said.

"I'd say it was. Specialty dentists can give you fangs, pointed teeth anything you want." Sheldon said. "Look here."

Sheldon opened the victim's mouth and inside was fangs where his canine teeth should be.

"This is someone's sick idea of a Halloween practical joke." Danny said.

"Can we find out where those fangs came from?" I asked.

"I'll do some research see what model they are and what local dentists specialize in such a thing. In the meantime, I printed him." Sheldon said and handed Danny the card.

"I'll get on it. I'll see what Stella has from DNA." Danny said.

"I'll see if Flack has anything in missing persons. Although if he died tonight I doubt it." I sighed.

(Station)

"Don, if you'd hold still this wouldn't hurt so much." I said.

I had Don in the break room of the station trying to change his bandage.

"The tape pulls on my chest hair." Flack complained.

"Me and Aiden offered to give you a wax." I said.

"Just hurry up." Flack shook his head.

I pulled off the tape and removed the bandage. "It's healing great. You get the rest of your stitches out next week."

"Good because they itch like a son of bitch." Flack said.

"Quit whining. You got my girlfriend nursing you." Danny walked in.

"Fine you get shot and see how you like it." Flack said.

"No, gotta keep my Danny healthy." I said and hugged Danny.

"You two are disgustingly happy. This must be what Claire and Mac looked like back in the day." Flack sighed.

I chuckled. "So what did you need?" I asked Danny as I started putting a new bandage on Flack's shoulder.

"The saliva found on the victim's bite wound and the semen found in on and him match. But no hit in CODIS." Danny said. "His prints weren't in AFIS either."

"So we have a gay vampire, killed by an allergy. And bitten by another vampire." I sighed. "Gotta love this city."

"Think he was bitten during sex?" Flack asked. "It's possible since the saliva and semen are from the same person."

"It's possible. Even for non-vampires biting on the neck during sex is common." I said.

Flack raised his eyebrow. "If either one of you two start wearing turtlenecks for a week at a time……who am I kidding that's gonna happen sooner of later."

"Don, we're getting you a date. Better yet, you get healed a little better and we'll round up Aiden and all go to 80's night!" I said.

"I swear one more 80's night and I'll have big hair." Flack said.

"You love us." Aiden walked in.

"Yeah I do." Flack smiled. "You're my hot nurses."

"Isn't that the porn Pee Wee Herman got caught masturbating while watching?" Danny asked.

"Speaking of porn, Aurora have you found Danny's stash yet?" Aiden giggled and sat next to Flack.

"No she hasn't." Flack said. "Because they hadn't been dating 12 hours when Danny shows up at my door with all his porn. He told me to keep it for him. He didn't want Aurora finding it."

I giggled. "I wouldn't have been upset. I know men have porn."

"Actually I recommend you watch some girl on girl." Aiden said.

"What?" Danny was shocked.

"Girls know what girls like. And lesbian porn is a great place to learn better ways of going down on a girl." Aiden said.

I chuckled. "I went to college with a lesbian couple that said a great way to practice going down on a girl was to eat all the ice cream out of a cone without biting it."

We heard a throat clear turned and saw Mac with his eyebrow raised.

"I don't even want to know. I just came to get some coffee. And I'll go back to my office and pretend I didn't hear that." Mac said.

I felt myself blush but spoke up. "Well you say it's your job to know a little about everything. I just taught you something new."

Mac looked skeptical. I giggled.

"I love you Mac!" I winked.

"And here I thought Danny would need to be the one on a leash!" Mac joked, a rarity for him.

Stella walked in. "Sheldon found a match on the fangs our victim had. A dentist in Queens carries that model and specializes in vampire fangs actually."

"Who would want such a thing?" Aiden asked.

"We'll need a list of his patients that got that model of fangs." I said.

"The dentist will scream patient privacy and not give it." Stella said.

"Flack, call your Subpoenas R Us guy and get us one. We'll talk to the dentist in the morning." I said.

"In the meantime, take a look at some of the gothic underground. There is a movement of those who believe they are vampires in New York City. And these role playing parties are getting more popular." Mac said.

"Yeah, I've heard of that. There was a case in Kentucky where this kid murdered his parents and his girlfriend's parents as part of some vampire role playing thing." I said.

"Well I'll start looking that up. Tomorrow will be interesting." Danny said.


	50. Halloween Hell

_LizfromItaly- Well here is what happened. I hope you enjoy!_

_Meadow567- Yes I get the joke, haha. And I just had to mention that couple in there. Amazing what will inspire you! _

_BridgetLynn- Mac is so fun to write sometimes. I just love his character. And it was a good episode._

_Jordayna- I think you read a little of my mind. Hope you enjoy!_

_Emador- If you can get past Sheldon and the sheet, here is more. Hope you like it and you gotta love Flack._

"I hate these all night cases. You never get any rest." Aiden said.

She and I were changing in the women's locker room while we had a chance.

"I've never minded the long hours." I said.

"And it's so easy for you that Danny works with you and usually has the same hours." Aiden said.

I smiled. "That is a bonus."

Aiden smiled. "I wish you could see yourself sometimes. Someone mentions Danny and you get all dreamy eyed."

I chuckled. "I can't help it. I love him so much. You know that love song radio show I listen to on evenings I am home. Suddenly every song on there is reminding me of Danny."

"I still can't believe the Kenny Chesney thing he did for you. It's so sweet. And the last thing I ever expected from Danny Messer. It's easy to tell that he's in love." Aiden said.

"You know, I noticed last night that things to remind me of him are all over my apartment." I said. "I mean on a shelf next to my bed is the Chipper Jones grand slam ball he got for me and the Cal Ripken, Jr. ball he got me. I keep my Coney Island bear on my bed. I have pictures of us around the apartment, even on the fridge. And I framed the words to 'You Had Me From Hello' in Italian and it's sitting on my coffee table."

"Of course you two depress all us single people." Aiden joked.

"I just can't believe how much he's changed my life. I am the happiest I have ever been. And I feel so good when I'm with him." I said.

"I am so glad. So when did you first realize you were falling for Danny?" Aiden said.

"I don't know. I can't pinpoint a moment that trumpets sounded and I realized I was in love. But I felt strongly about him soon after meeting him. There was just something about him." I said.

"I just wish I could find someone. Since the whole mess with Lilley…..my only dates have been Danny and Don." Aiden said.

"Actually those two have been my only dates since coming to New York City." I said. "That worked out great."

"I need to find someone. A nice someone and not these losers I seem to attract." Aiden said.

"I didn't have to look far to find my prince charming." I winked.

"A prince charming with pretty blue eyes?" Aiden winked.

I chuckled. "I was thinking that the next weekend Danny and I have free of planning something nice at my apartment. Which of my new Vicky Secrets items would you recommend?"

"The cream colored sheer babydoll nightie and thong. If I were you I'd save the black teddy for something else." Aiden said.

"That is a good idea. I think Danny will like it." I giggled.

"Oh just FYI- Danny, Flack and Sheldon are planning on getting ice cream later today." Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"I'll watch Danny and see what I have to look forward to." I smiled and closed my locker. "I got to find Vicaro. We are heading to that dentist office to get a list of his patients with those model fangs."

"Flack get you the subpoena?" Aiden asked.

"He always does. It's great being the son of an NYPD legend who knows every judge in the city!" I giggled and walked out of the locker room.

I found Vicaro at his desk downing a cup of coffee.

"Taylor made this coffee. It's strong enough to keep a bear from hibernating." Vicaro said.

"Flack got us our subpoena. I want to be at that dentist's office when it opens." I said.

"What is this dentist's name?" Vicaro asked.

"Dr. Gary Maxwell." I said. "Let's roll. We gotta pick up Danny at the lab."

(Dr. Maxwell's Office)

Vicaro, Danny and I walked into Dr. Maxwell's office. It was early and no patients had arrived yet.

I walked up to reception. "We need to speak with Dr. Maxwell."

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

Vicaro held up his shield. "We don't need one."

"I'll let him know you're here." She said.

A few minutes later Dr. Maxwell walked out into the waiting room where we were.

"Dr. Maxwell, NYPD. Detectives Messer, Vicaro and Denton." Danny said.

"Am I under arrest?" Dr. Maxwell asked.

"We're here about a man we believe was a patient of yours. We found we had fangs and you specialize in the model fangs he had." I said.

Vicaro handed him a picture from autopsy of our victim.

"Yeah, he's one of my patients. That's Roger Rosenburg. He and his roommate both had fangs implanted last year. It was some of my best work." Dr. Maxwell said.

"What is his roommate's name?" Danny asked.

"I can't violate the patient's privacy." Maxwell said.

"We have a subpoena for your patient list." Danny said.

"Dr. Maxwell, Roger Rosenburg was found dead along the road. I am sure you want to help us find out what happened to him." I said.

Maxwell sighed. "Roger and his roommate are into some vampire group. I don't judge my patients. A lot come in here for different reasons. Some are street performers. Some just have an obsession."

"Right, right, now about Roger and his roommate?" Vicaro asked.

"Brad Lau is his roommate. I can't remember the name of their vampire group. But they were both very involved in it. They wanted surgery within a week of each other." Maxwell said.

"Did they ever refer any other patients to you?" I asked.

"Several actually. All from their vampire group." Dr. Maxwell said.

"Okay, get us that patient list." I said. "I'll call Flack and get him to see what he can find on Roger Rosenburg and Brad Lau."

"Roommates?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"My haunch is they were living together alright, but they were more than roommates." I said and dialed my cell phone. "Flack….."

(Queens)

Danny and I walked up to Brad Lau and Roger Rosenburg's apartment. Flack had found out that they shared an apartment in Queens.

We knocked on the door. "NYPD!"

There was no answer. We knocked again. "NYPD!"

Still no answer.

"Lau must not be home. You got the key from the manager?" I asked.

Danny held it up and unlocked the door as I pulled my gun. Danny pulled his and we walked in together. Looking around the apartment we saw no one. We quickly checked the other rooms and put out guns away.

"No one is here." I said.

"Roger and Brad were definitely a couple. Look at these pictures of them." Danny said. He was referring to pictures on the mantle of them hugging, kissing and in general being happy together.

"Except for the fangs, its normal looking." I said.

"We need to find out where Lau is. And finding out about that vampire group they belong to wouldn't hurt either." Danny said.

Danny and I began looking around the apartment. There were lots of vampire trinkets around. There were also game boards for role playing in some mystical games.

Danny's cell phone rang. "Messer………that's great. Yeah we'll check here and see if we find anything linking."

"What's up?" I asked when he hung up.

"That was Stella. She went over the list of patients from Dr. Maxwell. One of them had a prior for assault and listed as his affiliations was 'Vampire Death'. She did a little researching and they are one of those vampire role playing groups." Danny said.

"Think Roger and Brad belong to that group?" I asked.

"Possible." Danny said.

"We should probably search the bedroom." I said.

"Right behind you." Danny said.

We walked into the bedroom. It looked inconspicuous except for the leather restraints attached to the headboard.

"I shudder to think what's in some of these drawers." Danny said.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not that big a deal."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "So can we get a pair of these leather things?" Danny winked.

"Nah, the thought of your handcuffs turns me on though." I smiled.

Danny groaned. "Don't tell me these things at work. Now that'll be on my mind all day."

I giggled. "And I love being on your mind."

Danny smiled in that way that made my heart pound and started opening drawers.

"Baby you got a vibrator?" Danny asked.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" I asked.

"These guys have a variety so I just wondered about you." Danny smirked.

"Keep your mind on the case." I laughed.

"Found it. Here are Roger and Brad's membership cards for 'Vampire Death'." Danny said.

"Membership cards? It's not Sam's Club!" I said.

"I don't get it either but here they are." Danny said. "They both joined March 12, 2000."

"Looks like they've been together awhile." I said.

"We need to talk to this 'Vampire Death'." Danny said.

"I'll call Stella and Vicaro. The more the better." I said.

(Goth Club)

The four of us walked into the back room of some bar. It was he meeting place for members of the 'Vampire Death'. The room was very dark. There were men and women everywhere. All of them dressed for the meeting. Black clothes, whited out faces, fangs, black lipstick. And so on.

"NYPD, stay put we'll be coming around talking to you." I said.

"We're not doing anything wrong." One of them said.

"We're looking for Brad Lau." Vicaro said.

"I'm right here." He sighed from the corner.

"Come here. The rest of you be nice to the other detectives." Vicaro said.

Vicaro and I pulled Lau aside while Stella and Danny talked to the other members.

"When was the last time you saw Roger Rosenburg?" Vicaro asked.

"My roommate? A few days." Lau said.

"We've been in your apartment. We know that Roger was more than just your roommate." I said.

Lau sighed. "Fine. But I haven't seen him since Wednesday night."

"We're sorry to tell you, but he was found dead last night." I said.

Lau looked drained. "What happened?"

"We're not sure. Was Roger allergic to anything?" Vicaro asked.

"I don't think so. He never mentioned being allergic to anything." Lau looked strange. "Is that what killed him?"

"There are some unexplained things surrounding his death." I said.

"If Roger lived with you, why hadn't you seen him in a few days?" Vicaro asked.

"He was supposed to be out of town visiting some friends from college." Lau said.

"He couldn't have been out of town. Was there trouble in your relationship?" I asked.

"NO, I loved him!" Lau yelled.

"I never said you didn't." I said. "I just wondered if there could be a reason he'd say he was leaving town and then he didn't."

Lau looked down and didn't answer.

"Mr. Lau, we know this is a rough time, but we need answers. And we're gonna need a DNA sample to eliminate you as a suspect." I said.

"DNA?" Brad was shocked.

"We found DNA on Roger. If you haven't seen him in a few days, there is no way it can be yours." Vicaro said.

"You got a warrant?" Lau said.

"Don't you want to clear yourself and help us find out what happened to your partner?" I asked.

Lau stared for a moment. "I want a lawyer."

"You're not under arrest." Vicaro said.

"I don't care. I want a lawyer." Lau said.

(Station)

Danny, Stella, Vicaro and I brought Brad Lau to the station and left him in an interrogation room to wait for his lawyer.

"He's lawyered up." Vicaro said.

"And we don't have anything to get us a warrant." Stella said.

"Everyone at that meeting said that Roger and Brad had been together as long as they'd been part of the group. And that this was the first time they saw Brad without Roger."

"Nothing about this case makes sense. Roger died of an allergic reaction to something. Sheldon said there were no injection marks so it had to be fed to him, but the only thing in his stomach was a salad." Stella said.

"What if something was absorbed through his skin?" I asked.

"I'll call Sheldon." Stella said.

"Meanwhile, what is going on with Brad?" I asked.

Danny's cell phone rang. "Messer….I'll be right there."

"That was Mac; he needs to see me about something." Danny said.

I watched Danny walk away. I looked into the interrogation room where Brad sat looking distraught. I felt like we were missing something.

"What do we got on this guy Donnie?" Vicaro asked.

"I ran his name, nothing. No priors, not so much as a speeding ticket." Flack said.

"I am Mr. Lau's attorney." A man appeared.

"Great, we were just getting ready to talk to him." I said and walked into interrogation.

"You realize that you have no basis to hold my client here." The attorney said.

"We just want to ask a few questions about Roger Rosenburg is all." Vicaro said.

The attorney sat beside Lau, while Vicaro and I sat across from them.

"Mr. Lau, we think you know something about Roger's death. Your cooperation is in your best interest." I said.

"I already told you, I thought he was out of town." Lau said.

"Brad listen, we're not going to judge you or Roger. We're not the kind of cops to pin something on you just because you're gay. But we want justice for Roger and need your help for that." I said, hoping to reason with him.

Lau looked away and started to cry.

"Tell us what happened. Roger died of an allergic reaction, that's not murder unless you purposely gave him something you knew he was allergic to. If he died and you panicked all you face is a misdemeanor charge, but you have to tell us what happened." I said.

"I didn't kill him. I swear I didn't kill him." Lau cried.

"Then what happened?" Vicaro asked.

"He…he just died. We were…."

"Having sex…we know." I said.

"And he died. I tried CPR but it didn't help and I freaked out. What do you do when someone dies in your bed?" Lau said.

"So you dumped his body?" Vicaro asked.

"He didn't have a police record; I never thought he'd be identified. I was out of my mind with panic and grief." Lau said.

"What did Roger do yesterday that was out of the ordinary? Did he eat something new? Wear a new cologne? Use a new toothpaste even?" I asked.

Lau thought a moment. "That new lotion I bought him….it was an herbal kind. I found it at one of those herbalist shops."

"We're gonna need that bottle of lotion for comparison." I said.

(Mac's Office)

Danny walked into Mac's office. Mac was at his desk, looking distraught about something.

"Mac, you wanted to see me?" Danny asked.

"Danny, sit down. I got some bad news." Mac said.

Danny sat down. "What is it?"

Mac took a deep breath. "I just got a call from someone who owed me a favor. And…..Sonny Sassone was released from prison last night at 12:01."

"What the fuck? How the hell did that happen?" Danny yelled.

Mac sighed. "He was paroled for Montenassi's murder."

"But that bastard had Aurora kidnapped. They were going to kill her!" Danny yelled.

"I know that, but charges for her kidnapping won't stick on him!" Mac said.

"Fottere! How the hell can they not stick? She heard them talk about him. That recruit said that Sonny arranged it all." Danny said.

"Danny, I don't like this any more than you do. But her kidnapping set his parole hearing back pending investigation. He was able to get out of any charges connected with her kidnapping, despite what the recruit says, Sonny's alibi is perfect. He was in prison and none of his calls or mail mentioned Aurora." Mac said.

"So he has her kidnapped, almost killed and gets away with it?" Danny jumped up. "He put her through hell!"

"Danny I know! This is two cases on Sonny we've lost. And it bothers me more than ever that he won't pay for what he did to Aurora. I just wanted to tell you in person. Let you know." Mac said.

"So what do we do now? Sit back and wait for him to come after us?" Danny yelled.

"My friend who owed me a favor is already working on the restraining orders to keep Sonny from contacting or being near you and Aurora." Mac said.

"Like that will work." Danny snapped.

"If he violates that, he violates parole. Sonny isn't willing to go back to prison. Besides, if there is anyway to get him on charges for Aurora's kidnapping, I'll find it." Mac said.

"The hell he put her through….what we all went through and he gets off." Danny sighed.

"Aurora doesn't know yet. I thought you'd want to be the one tell her." Mac said.

Danny nodded. "I will. I'll take care of her."

Danny walked out of Mac's office and down the hall to the locker room. He walked in and punched his locker. Ignoring the pain in his hand, punched it again.

"Danny stop, you're gonna break your hand. We both can't be in slings." Flack said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Sonny Sassone is out of prison." Danny said and punched the locker again.

"Fuck! How the hell?" Don yelled.

"They can't make charges stick for Rora's kidnapping. All he did to her and he walks away!" Danny yelled and kicked the locker.

Don clenched his jaw. "Motherfucker….does she know?"

"No, and I don't know how to tell her." Danny said and slumped on the bench.

"Be honest and don't fall apart, she needs you to be strong." Flack said.

"Sonny took her from me once; I won't let him do it again!" Danny snapped.

"No one is going to let him take her from you." Don said. He knew he'd have to calm Danny down, so pushed his anger aside.

"I love her so much Don. I look at her and….she's my world." Danny broke down.

"I love her too. She's my little sweetheart. We're all going to get through this together." Don went to hug Danny, but Danny jumped up.

"I won't lose her again. No one is going to hurt her!" Danny gritted his teeth and reached for his gun.

"Danny, Danny. Don't do something stupid! Aurora needs you! She loves you. Do you know what losing you would do to her?" Flack yelled.

"But I just can't sit back and wait for something to happen!" Danny yelled.

"Nothing is going to happen. Sonny is not stupid enough to go after her again. And as many people love her including my dad, she'll be fine." Don said. "Just please don't do something you'll regret. Don't hurt her. And you doing something stupid will hurt her."

Danny sighed. "I won't do something stupid."

"Promise me you're not going after Sonny…that you won't kill him." Don said.

"I promise. I couldn't hurt Rora that way." Danny sighed.

"And I'm gonna stay calm about this too even though I'd love nothing more than to feed Sassone his own balls after I rip them off." Flack said.

Danny grabbed his bag. "I got to get out of here."

(Station)

I was standing at my desk when Danny barged into the station looking upset, pissed and ready to explode.

"Hey, honey what's wrong? We solved the case." I said. "Roger was allergic to some lotion, Sheldon just called."

"We're getting out of here." Danny said and grabbed my hand.

"Baby you're scaring me." I stopped.

He looked at me and his face softened. He came up and hugged me. "I'm so sorry. I just need to get you out of here and talk to you and be with you."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Sonny Sassone is out of prison and right now isn't being charged in your kidnapping. Mac just told me." Danny said.

My heart fell to the floor. "Let's go."

I grabbed my coat and walked with Danny out of the station. He was quiet to the subway. Once on the train, he began to talk.

"I want you to come stay with me for awhile." Danny said.

"No. I know what you're trying to do and I love you for it, but no. Sonny Sassone does not get to make me afraid. I won't change my life for him. I can take care of myself. I'll be extra careful, but that's it. I am not running scared. And I'll be damned if I am leaving my home again because of him." I said.

Danny looked at me and smiled. "You are the bravest, strongest damn woman I know. And I love you so much."

"I love you too. More than anything." I said and kissed him.

"Promise me you'll be careful. I couldn't lose you again." Danny said.

"You won't. No one is taking me from you." I smiled.

We got off the train and walked to my apartment. I walked in with Danny behind me. I barely had the door shut before Danny had pushed me up against the door pinning me there and kissing me hard. He shrugged out of his coat and then started fighting with mine.

"Danny?"

"I need you, right here right now." Danny said, pulling my coat off and reaching for button on my jeans. "Need to touch you, feel you with me, knowing you're mine and safe."

I nodded, understanding how he felt. I wanted the same thing, for him to mark me as his and forget all about Sonny Sassone for awhile. He pinned me to the door again.


	51. Knicks Game

_Miss Metal- Wow I am so happy and impressed that someone took that time to read my story. Thank you so much. I hope you continue reading and enjoying!_

_CrazygirlHaley5555- As always I have a plan for what will happen in time._

_LizfromItaly- Thank you so much, I work very hard on this story. And it's well noted that you like Don. He is a cutie, I see why._

_Meadow567- I didn't even pick up the Maxwell coffee thing. That was coincidence because I picked Maxwell after a local politician! And glad you liked the ending. I figured you would._

_Jordayna- Maybe another case or something. And Sonny just won't go away. Just be patient. And I still can't see Danny dressed Goth._

_Emador- Hope you like this. I know you will. And Roger, LOL._

"Sheldon, only you would pick a Knicks game for us to come to on your birthday." Aiden laughed as we walked into the arena.

"Hey it was this or a strip club. And I didn't think you ladies or Mac would like that." Sheldon smiled.

"But me and Danny are taking you to strip clubs later this weekend for your birthday." Flack told him. "By the way Aiden, as usual you're my 'date' tonight."

"Stella, you're my 'date'." Sheldon smiled and put his arm around her.

"Wait, that leaves Mac without a date." I said. "Mac, I'll be your date, course you have to share me with Danny."

"Mac I would actually trust with you." Danny joked.

Mac just raised his eyebrows at us.

"I finally get a date and if I try to get fresh with her she'd kill me." Hawkes joked. "And then the girls would help her hide my body."

"We would too." Aiden winked.

"Next time pick a Rangers game." I giggled.

"I see Pittsburgh is getting rid of your precious Craig Patrick." Flack laughed.

"Assholes. Two Stanley cups and no appreciation. An Olympic gold medal and no appreciation. The whole Pens organization needs a wake-up call. They need to realize that Mario Lemuiex is retired. Sidney Crosby while a great player is not going to single-handedly save them from all their problems. And if they don't get their heads out of the asses they're going to be moved out of the city because the city can't afford to build them a new arena because they wasted all their money building two new stadiums for the Pirates and the Steelers that weren't needed despite the fact that voters voted no new stadiums to the tune of 73. Jerk-off Tom Murphy went against the vote to Harrisburg and got help from an even bigger crook in then Governor Tom Ridge and got them stadiums built." I went on.

Sheldon starts laughing. "Danny don't make her mad, I think with that temper she could hurt you."

"I've been listening to this speech for two days now." Danny smirked. "Flack knows how serious about hockey she is."

"How close are we to the cheerleaders?" Flack asked.

"I'm not sure." Sheldon said as we started making our way towards the seats.

"I'm getting drunk tonight. I am off the pain meds and want to drink!" Flack said.

"Me too." Sheldon said. "Mac?"

"No, a few beers will be just fine." Mac said.

"Rora, you mind if I get drunk?" Danny asked.

"As long as you're getting drunk to be one of the guys, have fun and enjoy Sheldon's birthday, go for it. But don't get drunk because you've got Sonny on your mind." I said.

"I'm not thinking about him. It's been a week, no word from him and we've got our restraining orders. Not to mention Flack, Mac, Stella, Vicaro and even Don Sr. called in every favor they could to make sure Sonny is carefully watched." Danny smiled.

"Then party hard and get drunk. I'll drag you home later." I smiled and kissed him.

"Danny has the perfect woman. She lets him go to strip clubs. She lets him get drunk and offers to look after him. She's hot. Flack why didn't we ask her out before him?" Sheldon asked.

Flack shrugged. "But I kissed her at the rave."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah you kissed me, but Danny got me….what's that say about you?"

Flack pretended to pout.

"Next undercover case, I volunteer to be with Rora." Sheldon laughed.

Stella gently smacked his head. "You're my date. Quit trying to pick up other women in front of me." She joked.

"I couldn't pick up Rora if I tried my best moves and lines. Danny would kill me if she didn't first. And she'd probably yell at me more about hockey!" Sheldon winked.

We found our seats and sat down. They weren't courtside but were still good seats. The guys immediately ordered their beers. I was glad to see them having fun. Danny had a rough few days but was starting to relax about the Sonny Sassone mess.

"I love a good basketball game." Flack said.

"I love the cheerleaders." Sheldon said.

"You two need real dates. Besides me and Stella." Aiden said.

"Aiden, I decided that if you and I are single when we turn 40, we're getting married." Flack said to her.

"I didn't agree to this." Aiden laughed.

"Oh marry him. We need a little Donald Flack, III." I laughed.

"Cheerleaders are coming out!" Sheldon yelled.

"Hey Mac, whatta you think of their skirts?" Danny winked at Mac.

Mac rolled his eyes and said nothing.

The boys beers arrived and the players were introduced.

(Later)

By the third period, Danny, Don and Sheldon were pretty tipsy. Enough that they were being stupid. Mac and us women were amused. And I was thrilled Danny was having fun.

"Rora, you should dress like those cheerleaders." Danny said and put his arm around me.

"Yes that would look cute to prance around a crime scene in." I rolled my eyes.

"We wouldn't mind." Flack smiled. "Mac wouldn't mind, would you Mac?"

Mac gave Flack a stern look that made Flack laugh.

"I think you've all had enough drinks." Aiden said.

"You taking Flack home?" I asked her.

"Yeah I'll make sure the big lug is home and then check his shoulder before I leave." Aiden said.

"Mac, you live closer to Sheldon than I do." Stella said.

"I'll take him home." Mac sighed.

"Danny, we gotta bring your woman to a hockey game." Sheldon said.

"We do?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, ice in the arena, it'll be cold." Sheldon laughed.

"That's great. Next why don't you just stand in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store?" Aiden rolled her eyes.

"I did that in high school." Flack said.

"Son of an NYPD legend." Mac joked.

"We should've known that about Flack. He loves big…" Sheldon started.

"Enough." I said. "Yes that is well documented about Don."

Danny laid his head on my shoulder. "Baby you're so pretty."

"Thank you. We need to get you sobered up." I smiled. "But I like you when you're happy drunk and not brooding."

"I love you." Danny said.

"I love you too." I said.

"Wanna go to the bathroom for a little freaky-sneaky?" Danny asked.

"Behave yourself." I giggled.

"But you're so pretty." Danny said.

"Mac, get Danny a coffee would you?" I asked.

"I'll get three cups of it." Mac said and stood up.

"Rora, you know you've got the softest skin of any woman I've ever touched." Flack said.

"Why were you touching her skin? Danny will kill you." Sheldon said.

"You dumbass, I was touching her when we were undercover at the rave." Flack said.

"She does have soft skin." Danny smiled at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "I am Mac's date too you know. Maybe I'll go home with him."

"You wouldn't, you love me too much." Danny smiled.

"Don't you hate when they have you wrapped around their finger?" Stella smiled.

"Twerp knows I couldn't live without him." I giggled.

Mac came back with the coffee.

"Here Danny drink this." I said and handed him some coffee.

"You mad because I drank so much?" Danny asked.

"No, I just can't carry you home and want to be sure you can walk." I said.

"Marry her Danny. No other woman will treat you like she does." Flack said.

"Bachelor party and hott bridesmaids!" Sheldon said.

The buzzer sounded ending the game.

"Let's go. The subway is gonna be crowded." Stella said.

"A game wasn't a bad idea Sheldon." I said as we stood up.

"And we're taking him to see strippers!" Danny said.

We started making our way out of the arena. I was holding onto Danny who was a little bit tipsy. We walked across the parking lot heading for the subway.

"Rora, this reminds me of that story you were telling me about when you drunk in college." Danny stated laughing. "Guys, she gets drunk because she drank shots on an empty stomach and then…."

"Step Danny." I said as we were at the curb.

Danny didn't step and tumbled onto the ground. He started laughing.

"Are you okay?" Stella asked him.

"I'm fine. I just drank too much." Danny said.

I helped him up and we continued to the subway.

(Brooklyn)

We walked into Danny's apartment. Danny was still tipsy. I locked the door behind us and helped him to the couch.

"You need anything?" I asked him.

"You are staying with me tonight right?" Danny asked.

I smiled. "Of course I'll stay with you."

I sat down next to him. Danny leaned over and kissed me. "I had fun tonight. You're so pretty."

"It was fun. It was nice taking Sheldon out for his birthday." I said.

Danny leaned over and kissed me again. I felt his hands start under my shirt and I pulled back.

"Sweetie, you're drunk." I said.

"I know." Danny said.

"I love you and I know you love me, but wouldn't we enjoy it more if we were either both drunk or both sober?" I asked.

"You still stay the night with me?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'll sleep curled up in your arms." I smiled.

"Can I still grope you while pretending I'm asleep?" Danny winked.

"Sure. And you'll be sober when you wake up in the morning." I giggled.

"Can we get drunk together some night?" Danny asked.

"As long as we still use protection." I said.

"I'm gonna get ready for bed…..you coming too?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'll steal some of your clothes to sleep in." I said and stood up.

Danny groaned. "You look so hot in my clothes."


	52. College Death

_BridgetLynn- It was nice to write funny drunk Danny for a change. Usually I write brooding drunk Danny!_

_LizfromItaly- Age doesn't matter just have fun! I enjoy writing comedy and love it when others enjoy it!_

_Meadow567- Aurora being a hockey fan from Pittsburgh was my perfect chance!_

_Jordayna- I try mixing fluff and drama. Fluff is fun to write too._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I work at a concert venue, I know how drunks are, LOL._

_Dybdahl- You gotta love them. Love that you call them the drunken trio._

_Miss Metal- Glad you are so exited about the story. I have other CSI:NY stories planned as well._

_Emador- No one is as great as drunk Silky. And you gotta love Flack's antics. It can't be easy being the son of a legend. And Sheldon is safe._

Flack and I stood at the crime scene. It was 3AM in the morning and freezing cold. Winter was in full swing in NYC. Flack was allowed light field work as his shoulder healed. He was no longer using a sling and was taking physical therapy.

We were on the campus of NYU. Campus security had been making rounds when they found a dead male behind one of the classroom buildings. He was dressed in just sweatpants. There was blood around his mouth and some on his hands. There were no other obvious marks on him.

"Campus officers said that no one else has been in the area since the body was discovered. And that the body was not here when they made the midnight rounds of campus." Flack said.

"He looks young. Very possibly a student here." I said.

"But why is he here? Dorms are on the other side of campus." Flack said.

"I don't know. And in this freezing cold, why is he only wearing sweatpants?" I asked.

"Danny and Aiden are on their way to process the scene. Maybe they can tell us more." Flack said.

"Maybe that will tell us something." I said.

"Is Aiden still taking that strip aerobics class with you?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, she really likes it. Why?"

"No reason." Flack said. "Here they are."

Danny and Aiden walked up to us, kits in hands. We could see our breath in the cold night air.

Danny handed me a cup. "I picked up some hot chocolate for you on my way. I knew you'd be cold."

"Thanks." I smiled.

"I need a man." Aiden said.

"It's okay, you've still got me." Flack said. "And Sheldon is always looking to score."

"What do we got?" Danny asked.

"Dead male, young, possibly a student here. Found by campus security during their 2AM rounds of the campus. They say he was not here during their midnight rounds." Flack explained.

"He's got some blood around his mouth and hands but no obvious cause of death." I said.

"It's about 30 degrees out here and this kid has no shoes, shirt or coat?" Aiden asked as she started taking pictures.

"From the position of the body, I'd say he was dumped here." Danny said.

Danny used his flashlight and started looking around for shoeprints.

"Did anyone call and wake up Hawkes yet?" Aiden asked.

"I did. He was still at the morgue actually. He's waiting for the body as soon as we're done at the scene." I said.

"No security camera's in this area. Campus security is checking the cameras from the parking lots but so far nothing." Flack said.

"If he was a student here or was dumped by a student, they would know where cameras were and what paths to take to avoid them." I said.

"I'm gonna get a sample of the blood on his mouth and hands back to the lab for DNA analysis. It might be his or whoever dumped him here." Aiden said.

"No shoeprints in the area." Danny said.

"His feet are clean, he didn't walk here. Definitely a dump job." Aiden said.

(Morgue)

"Hawkes, what do you have for us?" I asked as Danny and I walked into the morgue.

Aiden was waiting for DNA on our victim and Flack trying to contact NYU officials.

"Interesting case. He died of alcohol poisoning." Sheldon said.

"How long has he been dead?" Danny asked.

"I'd say he died early this morning, between midnight and 1AM." Sheldon said.

"So he dies of alcohol poisoning and someone hurries to dump the body." I said. "Why not call for help?"

"Maybe whoever dumped his body is the same person that beat him." Sheldon said and lifted the body. "He has extensive bruising across the backs of his thighs and buttocks."

"Almost like a spanking." Danny said.

"But they were hitting him with something hard and look at the pattern of bruising." Sheldon pointed out. "It looks as if he was being hit with a paddle, 5 inches wide."

"Alcohol and spanking…..chances are he was pledging a fraternity." I said.

Danny sighed. "That wonderful time of year again. Every year the NYPD gets cases because of frat pledging. Either someone gets raped, assaulted, or something is stolen or damaged."

"Well we need to find out who this kid was and find out what fraternity he was involved with and see if that's what really happened." I said.

"These bruises are consistent with a fraternity paddle." Sheldon said.

"How old are the bruises?" I asked.

"I'd say 3 or 4 days." Sheldon said.

"The blood on his hands and mouth?" Danny asked.

"I could find no reason for it. I sent a sample of blood to DNA for comparison, but I don't think it's his." Hawkes said. "Also, I printed him for you to run through AFIS."

Danny nodded and took the card. "I'll get on that now."

(Station)

I was sitting in the station downing a cup of coffee when my cell phone rang.

"Denton."

"Rora, its Aiden. The blood on the vic's hands and mouth are from the same person, and it's female. No hit in CODIS, but get this….there were particles of uterus tissue in the blood. It was menstrual blood." She said.

"That makes perfect sense." I sighed. "Danny found anything on the prints from our vic?"

"He's running them through AFIS now." Aiden said.

"Have him call me if he gets a hit." I said.

I hung up and sighed. No doubt this was some kind of fraternity pledging or stunt gone wrong. We just had to figure out how.

I turned to Flack.

"Flack, some news on our NYU kid. The blood around his mouth and on his hands was female menstrual blood." I said.

Flack frowned. "Earning his redwings."

"It's a pledging tradition. Practically every frat I have ever heard of makes their pledges earn their redwings." I said. "I remember when I was in college one frat marched them all around bloody mouthed afterwards."

"We were so stupid back then." Flack sighed.

"What?"

"Nothing……was there a hit in CODIS on the blood?" Flack asked.

"No, Danny is working on the prints." I said.

"No one has called to report him missing yet." Flack said.

"It's still early. His roommate and professors might not realize he's missing yet." I said.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Rora, I got a hit on the prints from out NYU victim. He's 20 year old Matt Wyckoff. Student at NYU originally from Olympia, Washington." Danny said.

"Why was he in the system?" I asked.

"Drunk driving last year, got probation." Danny said.

"We need to head out to NYU and see where he lived, talk to his roommate, find out about this frat he was pledging." I said.

"Aiden is still gagging over the redwings thing." Danny snickered.

"Did you ever earn yours in college?" I snickered.

"Baby…..I wasn't in a frat; I was on the baseball team." Danny said.

"Don't all guys' organizations have some kind of initiation?" I giggled.

"I gotta go. Mac is here to review the case." Danny said and hung up.

(NYU)

Danny, Flack and I walked to Matt Wyckoff's dorm room. The housing office had told us where he lived. Aiden was calling his parents.

We knocked on the door and after a few moments a young man answered the door.

"NYPD, we need to speak with you." I said and held up my badge.

"Am I in some kind of trouble?" he asked.

"We need to talk about your roommate, Matt Wyckoff." Danny said.

"He's not here." He said.

"We know that. What's your name?" Flack asked.

"Zeke Tamblyn. What's going on?" Zeke asked.

"We're sorry to tell you this, but Matt was found dead early this morning." I said.

"What happened?" Zeke asked.

"That's still under investigation." Danny said. "Matt pledging a fraternity?"

"No, why?" Zeke asked.

"Routine investigation." Flack said. We knew if we said too much the frat would warn each other and we wouldn't get answers.

"Matt have a girlfriend?" I asked.

"Yeah, Meagan Mier." Zeke said.

"You know I can't help but see you're in a fraternity." I said seeing his paddle and other trinkets around the room. "It's not uncommon for roommates to be in the same frat."

"I'm a Theta. Matt wasn't." Zeke said.

"Where were you last night between midnight and 2AM?" Danny asked.

"With my frat brothers. We had things to do." Zeke said.

"Pledging activities? Such as having the pledges drink till they dropped and then making them earn their redwings?" I asked.

"That would be hazing which isn't allowed." Zeke said.

"Doesn't mean it doesn't happen every fall." Flack said.

"Whatever you're thinking, talk to my brothers, they're my alibi." Zeke said.

"And of course you've all got your story straight by now." Danny said.

"Unless I'm under arrest, I have to go to class." Zeke said.

"Take copious notes." Danny said with sarcasm.

"Well we got the name of Matt's girlfriend and the name of a frat to start looking into." I said as we walked away.

"Girlfriend first, then we'll see what the frat guys have to say." Flack said.

Flack called the housing office and found out where Meagan Mier lived. We walked to her dorm and up the stairs. We found her room and knocked on the door. She answered.

"Meagan Mier? NYPD." I said and held up my badge. "We need to speak with you about your boyfriend Matt."

"Whatever he did, I don't know about it. We haven't spoken since yesterday afternoon." She said.

"Meagan I am sorry to tell you, but Matt was found dead last night." I said.

She paled. "What happened?"

"We're not sure yet. We were hoping you could tell us." Flack said.

"Do you know what Matt's plans were for last night?" Danny asked.

Meagan rolled her eyes. "He had something to do with that fucking fraternity he was pledging."

"What frat is that?" Danny asked.

"Beta Theta Gamma. Biggest assholes on campus. I don't know why he wanted to join. The other night they spanked the pledges with paddles. Matt had bruises all over his ass. I wanted to call the cops, but he wouldn't let me. I threatened to go to the NYU president." Meagan said.

"Excuse the personal question, but are you currently menstruating?" I asked.

Meagan blinked. "No. Why would you ask such a thing?"

"We found menstrual blood on Matt." Danny said.

"That fucking bastard did it! I can't believe he would do that to me!" Meagan screamed.

"Miss Mier, calm down. What are you talking about?" Flack asked.

"Those fucking Theta's. Yesterday Matt and me got in this huge fight because last night they were earning their redwings….do you know what that means?" she asked.

"We're familiar with the term." I said.

"Well the Theta's ask around and find girls who are ragging and willing to…..you know. Well I told Matt that would be cheating on me. He said it was just part of initiation and the girl wouldn't mean anything to him." Meagan said. "He even asked if I could be the girl he….you know….but I'm not on my period."

"Do you know where this pledge activity was supposed to take place?" Danny asked.

"The Beta Theta Gamma house down on Fraternity Row." Meagan said.

"Thank you. We're sorry for your loss." I said.

The three of us turned and walked down the stairs and out of the dorm.

"What kind of girl just lets some random guy eat her out while she's ragging?" I shuddered.

"Back when I was at college it was always the really fat ugly girls that were just happy for attention." Flack said. "And it made it more of a challenge on the pledge too."

"We need to get to that frat house and see what we can find out." Danny said.

The three of us walked across campus to the frat houses. It was actually not far from house the rave Flack and I went to was in.

When we arrived there were pledges in the front yard washing the outsides of the windows. On their shirts it read 'I hump wombats'.

"Excuse me, NYPD. We need to talk to you." Flack held up his badge.

The pledges all looked at each other but none spoke.

"Hello? Cops here, we need to talk to you!" I said. "I am Detective Denton and this is Detective Flack from the homicide unit. This is Detective Messer from the Crime lab. Somebody better talk to us."

The pledges all looked down but didn't speak. Suddenly the door to the frat house opened and all the pledges ran and lined up.

"This is making me sick." I whispered.

"What's the problem here?" the man at the door asked.

"NYPD, and somebody better start talking to us." Danny said.

"Sorry officers, they aren't allowed to speak without my permission." He said.

"And who are you, the Sultan of Sudan?" I asked.

"I am their pledge master. My name is Doug Farmer." He said.

"Well give them permission to speak and then all of you are gonna be answering our questions." Flack said.

Doug eyed us for a moment. "Pledges, you may speak with the officers and no one else."

I rolled my eyes as we all started questioning the fraternity boys. I walked up to Doug Farmer himself, who had been joined by another guy.

"Who's this?" I asked.

"I'm Ben Wynsma. I'm president of the Beta Theta Gamma's." he said.

"Matt Wyckoff was one of your pledges." I said.

"No." Ben said.

"Don't give me that. We spoke with his girlfriend. Apparently she didn't like the idea of him performing oral sex on another woman." I said.

"Meagan's a crazy bitch. Matt wanted to pledge and she wouldn't let him." Doug said.

"We have evidence that points to Meagan telling the truth. Maybe you two should start." I said.

"Matt never pledged. He hung out with us a lot but never actually pledged." Doug said.

"You know you're lying. Just tell me the truth." I said.

Ben smiled. "Doug, be nice to her. She's only doing her job. You'll have to excuse him detective."

"So tell me about Matt Wyckoff." I tried with Ben.

"Not much to tell. You don't look like a detective." Ben smiled. "If you got some time maybe we could get something to eat and discuss Matt."

I saw Danny walking over out of the corner of my eye. He'd heard enough.

"We can take this downtown and put you in a box with me and Detective Flack if you don't start answering her questions!" Danny snapped.

"There is nothing to tell. Matt was not pledging with us." Ben said.

"I know better than that." I said. "I know that Matt was here last night doing his pledge activities and drank too much. And when he stopped breathing, you all knew having a pledge die in the middle of a hazing would get your fraternity charter revoked and probably land a few of you in jail. So you dragged Matt out and dumped his body. Then came back here and got your story straight."

"That's a nice story detective. Can you prove any of it?" Doug smirked.

"I will, just wait and see."

(Station)

We went back to the station getting no where with the frat boys. They all had the same story…Matt hung out with them but never pledged.

"We got nothing on them and they know it." Flack sighed.

We all walked into the station, only to have a young girl nearly knock us down.

"Are you the detectives that was just at the Theta house?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's going on?" I asked.

"It's all over campus that you were there. I want to help." She said.

"You know something about Matt Wyckoff?" Flack asked.

"Yes, I was there last night. I was….well he." She stammered off.

"Let's go inside and talk. What's your name?" I asked.

"Kayla Gohman." She said.

Flack, Danny and I sat her in one of the chairs by my desk.

"Okay Kayla, tell us about last night." I said.

"Ummmm, do I have to talk in front of these men? It's a bit embarrassing." She said.

"Hey we can grab some coffee." Danny said and took Flack to the break room.

"Okay, Kayla, tell me about last night." I said.

"The Theta's were looking for girls on their periods for their pledges to…"

"Perform oral sex on. I know that much." I assured her.

"Well, I volunteered." Kayla said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Matt was the guy paired up with me. But before it was time for the pledges to take their girl upstairs and…..do that part of it, they had to drink as many shots as they could in 20 minutes. I lost count of how many Matt had." Kayla said.

"So you and Matt go upstairs?" I asked.

"Yeah Doug sent all the pledges and their girls upstairs. Well we…got down to business right away; he explained he had a girlfriend." Kayla said. "But in the middle of it he collapsed. I wasn't sure what was up, and then I realized he wasn't breathing."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I yelled for help. Doug and Ben came running in. When they saw he wasn't breathing. They ripped his pledge shirt off him and threw it at me, telling me to throw it away. Then they carried him out." She said.

"Did they try to help him at all? Call 911 o do CPR?" I asked.

"No, they told all of us not to tell what happened, that we'd all be in trouble." Kayla said. "Here is his shirt. I didn't throw it away."

Kayla handed me a shirt. It had the same 'I hump wombats' message on it.

"Kayla, I'm going to need you to make a formal statement." I said.

I stood up and walked to the back break room where Danny and Flack were drinking coffee.

"Danny, take this to the lab and see what you can find on it. Kayla gave it to me. It was Matt's shirt." I said to Danny.

"How did she get it?" Flack asked.

"She was his ragging female last night. He died with her and she was there when Ben and Doug decided to cover it up. They took his pledge shirt off him to hide the fact he was with them and gave it to her to throw away. She gave it to me." I said.

"I'll get a sample of her DNA to help confirm her story. If I find Matt's DNA on this shirt, we got enough for arrest warrants." Danny said.

(Later)

"Kayla Gohman told us what really happened last night." I said. I sat across from Ben and Doug.

"Lying bitch. She's mad because one of the pledges broke up with her." Doug said.

"Nice try. But we got her DNA on Matt Wyckoff. We got his DNA on a pledge shirt from the Beta Theta Gammas." Danny said. "And we got Kayla and Meagan's cooperating stories."

"And you know the minute we apply a little pressure to these pledges they're gonna crack." I said.

"Matt died on his own. We did not kill him." Ben said.

"Matt died because of those shots you had him drink." Danny said. "Not to mention that when he stopped breathing, you didn't even try to get him help. He could've lived if you'd have tried to get him help."

"We didn't make him drink those shots." Doug said.

"No, but you didn't try to help him when he died. All you cared about was saving your frat from bad publicity. You didn't want to get in a little trouble. Trust me; you're in more trouble now than you would've been over just hazing." I said.

Danny stood up. "You got more than wombats to worry about where you're going."

I stood up and followed Danny out of the interrogation room.

"When I have kids, they are not allowed to join fraternities." I said.

"You wanna grab some dinner?" Danny asked.

"Yes, dinner and then a shower and some rest." I sighed.

Danny pulled me into his arms. "We got called out in the middle of the night, I know you're tired. Let's head back to my place. We'll order in food. You can shower and relax and stay the night with me."

I smiled. "That sounds wonderful. You always know just what I need."


	53. For Better or For Worse

_Jordayna- The redwings part of that actually happened with a frat at my college. So I took the idea and ran with it._

_Meadow567- Based on true facts from my college. Shows how nasty frats can be. _

_Miss Metal- I am not sure what you mean by fake names? Why would he call her a fake name? Maybe I am just having a blonde moment!_

_Emador- Well it's a few chappies off. Can't wait for your comments on this. And you gotta love the wombats line. _

_**Author's Note**- Spoilers from 'Run Silent, Run Deep'. However, the glory of fanfic allowed me to change things to how I wanted and so it fit my story! _

Danny and I walked into the station together. He had stayed the night at my apartment. Flack was at his desk looking extremely rushed and busy.

"Don, what's up?" I asked.

"Some crackpot calls Mac last night saying that 15 years he helped kill somebody and bury them in the end zone of The Meadowlands, where the New York Giants play. Then he proceeds to shoot himself in his car." Flack said.

"Nice, why didn't you call me?" I asked.

"It was obviously suicide, so there was no need for both of us." Flack said. "Now Mac is over at the Giant's stadium looking for the body."

"Some nut claims a body is there and Mac goes looking?" I laughed. "Gotta love that Marine, he'll follow every lead."

"Yeah, I should get out there in case." Flack said.

"You need me?" I asked.

"No, you can stay here. Hold down the fort and take care of anything that pops up." Flack said.

"Does that include Danny?" I winked.

"As long as it isn't on my desk." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Later Flack, call me if you need me." I laughed as he walked out.

"I should be going to. I have a few pending cases to be going over in the lab." Danny smiled and kissed me.

"Okay, I'll catch you around." I said and kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you more." He winked and walked away.

I sat down at my desk and started through some files when my phone rang. It was Aiden.

"Yes dear?" I giggled and answered.

"Victoria Secrets is having a big before Thanksgiving sale, you wanna go this weekend?" Aiden asked.

"Careful what you say, Danny is on his way to the lab." I giggled. "Last thing we need is his mind wandering all day."

Aiden laughed. "True, but you interested in going?"

"Why are you so interested in my sex life?" I asked.

"You might as well have mad passionate sex, heaven knows I'm not." Aiden said.

I chuckled. "Sounds good. I wouldn't mind seeing what they have at least. And with Christmas coming up I was thinking of getting something in red."

"Has he seen your black thing yet?" Aiden asked.

"No, actually we've been spontaneous so far so he hasn't seen any of my lingerie." I said.

"Well isn't your four month anniversary coming up soon?" Aiden said.

"Next week." I said. "Right before Thanksgiving."

"Maybe you two can do something special then." Aiden said.

"Oh yeah, we were planning on going to the Macy's parade with Flack and his dad. I know you're doing the big family thing but you're invited just the same." I said.

"Maybe I'll hang out with you guys before heading to my folks. I can only take so much of my siblings." Aiden laughed.

"Sounds great. I am making a big thermos full of hot chocolate and we're all bundling up and off we go." I laughed. "I can't wait. My first Thanksgiving in New York."

"I'll catch you later. Danny just walked in. He's got that smirk; I know what you two did last night." Aiden said.

I chuckled and hung up.

(Later)

I was finishing up files when my cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Rora, you're never gonna believe this. There was a body in the end zone." Flack said.

"So the crackpot was telling the truth. Any idea who it is?" I asked.

"No, Mac is taking it to Hawkes now and sending some evidence over to Aiden." Flack said.

"You need me for anything? It's a slow day here." I said.

"No, everything is fine. We got the Jersey cops helping us." Flack said. "Mac is also gonna see what he can find out about our suicide guy."

"Let me know if you need anything." I said.

"I will, so far we're good." Flack said.

I hung up and headed to the break room for a snack.

(Later)

My cell phone rang as I was sitting at my desk. "Denton."

"Aurora, I need you up here now." Mac said.

"I'm on my way." I said.

I hurried to the lab wondering what was going on that had Mac so upset. I walked into his office.

"Sit down Aurora." Mac said.

"Mac, what's up?" I asked.

"I know Flack told you about the guy that killed himself after confessing that there was a body in the Giant's stadium." Mac said.

"Yeah?"

"Hawkes found that the suicide victim had a tattoo removed from his shoulder. He brought the tattoo to the surface…..he was a Tanglewood boy." Mac said.

I sat back in my chair. "Tanglewood is involved?"

"Looks like it. We'll be doing ballistics." Mac said. "I spoke with Danny. He identified the suicide victim as Salvador Zabo. He remembered him as a Tanglewood boy."

I nodded. "Why the rush to see me?"

"I've already told Danny now I am telling you. I don't want you anywhere near this case. You both have a past with Tanglewood. I don't want you talking to any of these people." Mac said.

"I don't want to talk with any of these people. They've put Danny and me through enough." I said.

"And just for your own safety, keep an extra eye out. I don't want you hurt or anything. Tanglewood really has it out for Danny, and they know they can get to him through you." Mac said.

"I will. Thanks for letting me know what's up." I said.

I stood up and walked down the hall. I could see Danny sitting at his desk. I sighed and walked in.

"Hey baby." I said and hugged him tight.

"Mac talk to you?" Danny said.

"Yeah." I said.

"He said he was going to." Danny said. "I never thought he'd get a cold case involving Tanglewood."

"Do you know anything about this guy in the stadium from your days running with them?" I asked.

"No. Believe me if I did, I'd tell Mac everything so he could put Sonny away. No doubt Sassone is all over this." Danny said.

"Maybe this case can finally put him away. He slipped through for killing Paul Montenassi and for kidnapping me. Maybe Mac can get him this time." I said.

"I hope so." Danny said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I came to check on you. I know anything with Tanglewood gets to you." I said.

Danny shrugged. "I'll be alright. Mac and Aiden are on the case. You're safe."

"You know if you need anything, I'm here." I smiled.

Danny gave me a small smile. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

"I should get back to the station. I was actually making headway on my paperwork." I smiled.

"How about after work we go see a movie? Something with comedy." Danny said.

"You just want to sit in the back row and make out." I giggled.

"You could wear a skirt and no underwear and we sit in the back row." Danny winked.

"I'm going back to my desk before we end up in the broom closet and scare the janitor to death." I giggled and kissed him. "I love you."

"Ti amo." Danny said.

(Station)

"Denton." I answered my cell phone.

"Rora, you need to get up here right now. Danny is in big trouble." Aiden said.

I immediately jumped up. "What's going on?"

"I ran the DNA on a cigarette found with the body at the Giant's stadium. It came back Danny's DNA." Aiden said.

I started shaking. "Oh my god. Where is he?"

"I went to Danny first and told him what I found. He went to talk with Mac. He's in there now." Aiden said.

"Fuck!" I hung up my phone and took off running for the lab.

I was shaking and on the verge of tears. I knew I had to get to Danny that he needed me. I wondered what the hell was going on. I took the stairs two at a time, my mind racing.

When I got to the lab, Danny was coming out of Mac's office, obviously holding back tears. Aiden and Flack were standing there. I saw Mac picking up his phone in his office.

I ran to Danny. "Baby, what's going on?"

Danny took a deep breath. "Mac is calling the duty captain to come relieve me of my badge and gun. I'll be on modified duty at a desk. Mac and I will both be interviewed about the case at some point. Mac wants me to trust him and let the evidence prove my innocence."

I hugged him tight and fought back tears. I knew I needed to be strong for him.

"How are you mixed up in all this?" I asked.

"We'll talk at home." Danny said.

I nodded. "I am right here through this. We'll get through this Danny."

Danny blinked back tears. "I'm in a lot of trouble Rory."

"Just do as Mac says. Keep your mouth shut, follow orders and let Mac prove you innocent. Whatever this is, I know you didn't do it. You could never harm anyone." I hugged him again.

Danny hugged me tight. He was shaking he was so upset. I held him, wishing this would all go away.

"Danny, we'll do everything we can for you." Aiden said.

Danny nodded. "I know you will."

"It's gonna be alright. We'll figure out what is going on." Flack told him.

I looked through the glass at Mac. He was watching us, but his face was unreadable. I knew this could be it for Danny's career. His father, his Tanglewood connections, the subway shooting, disobeying Mac's orders….Danny had a lot of strikes against him.

When the duty captain arrived he went into Mac's office and Danny followed. Mac had to be present since he was Danny's supervisor. Aiden, Flack and I watched through the glass as Danny handed over his gun and his badge.

I broke down crying. I hated seeing this happen to Danny, and I was so afraid of losing him.

Aiden pulled me into a hug. I could see she was crying too.

"It's gonna be okay." Aiden said.

I shook my head. "I wish I could believe that. Danny is in real trouble this time. And it's from Tanglewood. How much longer are they going to haunt us?"

Flack hugged me. "I hate this too. But we'll figure it out. Danny needs us."

"I can't lose him." I cried. "He means everything to me."

Danny looked through the glass over at us. I could see the fear in his eyes. The pain, the anguish.

I wiped my eyes and tried to calm myself. I had to be strong for Danny. And it'd only make him worse if he had to worry about me too.

Danny walked out of Mac's office. He looked tired and deflated.

"I am going with him." I told Flack.

"Go, he needs you." Don said.

I walked over and hugged Danny again. "Come on, we're going home."

(Brooklyn)

I had taken one of the NYPD SUV's and drove us to Danny's apartment. He was quiet the whole way. He didn't say anything just stared out the window. I reached over and took his hand, letting him know that I was with him.

When we pulled up to his building he climbed out in silence and I followed him up the stairs to his apartment. We walked inside and he sat down on his couch.

"Danny, how are you involved in this case?" I asked.

He looked at me. "I didn't want to tell you about my family this way……..my older brother Louie is a Tanglewood boy."

"Older brother? You never told me you had a brother." I said.

"I know, and I'm sorry you had to find out like this. Louie and me……we haven't spoken in years." Danny said. "Louie and Sonny have been running together for years. I don't know where he is now. I was honestly surprised when his name didn't come up in the Montenassi murder and your kidnapping."

"So he ran with them too?" I asked.

"No, he was one of them. I just hung out with them. He was a true Tanglewood boy, tattooed shoulder and all." Danny said.

"And this body they found at Giant's Stadium?" I asked.

"Rora baby, I swear to god, I didn't kill that kid. I had nothing to do with it." Danny said.

I took his hand. "I know you didn't. But what happened that your DNA was found with the body?"

"I used to smoke back then. You know dumb kid trying to act cool and tough. Louie bummed cigarettes from me all the time. I just wish I knew how my DNA got on a cigarette inside that grave." Danny said.

I looked at Danny and waited for him to go on.

"I'd pulled pretty far away from Tanglewood by that night." Danny said.

"What night?"

"Summer of 91, Louie calls me up and says that him and a few of the Tanglewood boys are going down to Atlantic City to party and gamble. He invited me along. And I went." Danny shook his head. "We didn't make it to Atlantic City. Sonny pulls over in the parking lot of Giant's stadium…..we all get out of our cars. Sonny is being a loud mouth. He opens his trunk and there is this kid inside."

"Was he dead?" I asked.

"Not then. Sonny dragged him out of the trunk and starts screaming at him for selling drugs in his dad's bar. That kid had moved in on Sonny Sr.'s territory. Anyway, Sonny threatened to bury him in the stadium like Jimmy Hoffa. The kid was bleeding bad. I couldn't just stand there…..I tried to get them to stop. Sonny didn't like that. He told Louie to teach me a lesson." Danny said and started to tear up. "Louie hit me……I was so surprised, I didn't know what to think. Louie kept yelling at me to leave that I was a disgrace and I'd embarrassed him in front of his boys. He knocked me down."

"What'd you do?" I asked, my heart was breaking. I could see the pain in Danny's eyes.

"I took off. I was so hurt. How could my brother do that to me? Things were never right between us again." Danny said.

"Did you ever talk to Louie about that night?" I asked.

"Louie calls me a few days later. He told me they dropped that kid off in a bad neighborhood. But I know now that was a lie." Danny said, a few tears fell.

I hugged him and gently rubbed his back.

"Louie isn't a murderer. I tried to tell Mac that. Louie showed off for Sonny but he couldn't kill anyone." Danny said.

"Where is Louie now?" I asked.

"I haven't spoken to him in years. I don't know." Danny said and sat up.

I could tell that Danny was hurting. He was on the verge of being arrested for murder. He had to surrender his badge that he was so proud of. And his brother's betrayal still haunted him.

"It'll be okay. We'll get through this." I said.

Danny looked up at me. "I'm so sorry. Tanglewood has put you through so much. And now I've fucked up again."

"You've done nothing wrong. You didn't have anything to do with Tanglewood killing that kid, you tried to stop them." I said.

Danny wiped away a few more tears. "I am so afraid of losing you. Rory, I could be going to prison. And you deserve so much better than all this. Tanglewood kidnapped you, nearly killed you, and now this……..why do you put up with me?"

I held his face in my hands. "Because I love you more than anything else. You're the other half of my soul. And nothing is taking me away from you. I am beside you whatever happens."

"Things could get a lot worse than they are now." Danny said.

I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. "I know we're not married and never repeated vows….but we're in this together for better or for worse."

"I love you so much….I don't know what I'd do without you." Danny said.

"I love you too." I told him.

I kissed Danny softly and he hugged me tight, resting his head on my shoulder. I rubbed his back, trying to soothe him.

"Turn on my police scanner." Danny said. "I at least want to hear what's going on while I am on desk duty."

I did as he asked.

"Why don't you go back to work for awhile? I don't want you sitting here babysitting me." Danny said.

"No, I want to be here with you." I said.

"Please, I need some time alone." Danny said.

"Don't start pushing me away." I pleaded.

"I'm not. Baby, I never would, I can't be without you." Danny pulled me into his arms. "I just want some time alone. Come back right after your regular shift ends."

I sighed. "But if you need anything you call me. I'll be here right after work."

"I know you will be. And thank you." Danny said.

"For what?"

"You never once asked me if I killed that kid. You believed in me all along. You've always believed in me." Danny said.

"And I always will." I smiled. I kissed him. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"I love you." Danny said.

I smiled. "I love you more."

(Station)

I walked into the station, feeling drained. This all was some big nightmare I was going to wake up from. I was going to wake up and be curled in Danny's arms under his down comforter. But I didn't wake up.

Flack was sitting at his desk. "What are you doing back here?"

"Danny wanted some time to himself." I said.

"Mac talked to Louie Messer." Flack said. "Louie says he's trying to protect Danny."

"Some fucking protection. Danny is about to lose the job he loves so much and go to prison." I snapped.

"Louie claims he hasn't talked to Sonny Sassone in years. Might explain why his name never came up in the Montenassi murder or your kidnapping." Flack said.

"Did you know Danny had a brother?" I asked.

Flack sighed. "Danny rarely talks about him. And I never mentioned him around you because it wasn't my place to tell you about Louie being in Tanglewood. Danny has dreaded telling you about his family."

"I feel so helpless." I said.

"We all do. How do you feel other than that?" Flack asked.

I finally broke down crying. All the emotions rushing forward.

"Oh god Don, what if I lose him? I love him so much. He means everything to me. I can't imagine not having him with me." I cried.

Don jumped up and wrapped his arm around me. "Come on; let's go to the break room."

Don led me to the back. I was still crying. Don sat me down on the couch and hugged me tight.

"We're gonna do everything we can for Danny. Mac, Stella, Aiden all of us are fighting for him." Don said.

"This is such a mess. I need him Don. You know I almost lost him once. When Tanglewood said they were going to kill me, my only thought was 'Danny doesn't know I love him. I'll never get to hold him.' But now he knows….we love each other, and I've held him. I can't lose him." I sobbed.

Don brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I know it's rough. Aiden was crying earlier too. We'll all stick together and get through this."

I nodded and tried to dry my eyes. "You've missed your physical therapy appointment."

"You can't worry about Danny and me too. I'll make it up later." Don said and his cell phone rang. "Flack"

I went to the fridge to get some water.

"Oh no….yeah I'm on it." Flack hung up.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's Louie Messer. Someone has beaten the hell out of him. He's almost dead. He stopped breathing once at the scene and was revived." Flack said.

I gasped. "Oh my god Flack, when I left Danny was listening to the police scanner. He's bound to have heard this!"

"Call him!" Flack said.

I quickly dialed Danny's number on my cell phone. His phone went straight to voicemail.

"Fuck, his phone is shut off!" I said.

"I gotta fill Mac in." Flack said.

"I know Danny. He'll be with Louie. What hospital were they taking him to?" I asked.

"Memorial." Flack said as we rushed out of the break room.

"I'm going there. Danny needs me. I'll call you when I find him. I hope he hasn't done something stupid." I said and hurried out of the station.

**To Be Continued……..**


	54. In Good Times and In Bad

_Meadow567- Well here is some more. This at least finishes off the episode part and I am running with it from there. I was just adding in stuff from my story so it'd make sense in my fanfic world. _

_BridgetLynn- Well you got your wish and then some. It was an awesome episode and when I seen it I knew I was including it in my story and had a hundred ideas._

_Miss Metal- No, now that they're together they're getting pet names. LOL Hope you enjoy the continuation of the episode._

_Emador- You'll love it when you see it on TV. Here is more, hope you like it. Get the tissues. At least I needed them but you know sappy me! LOL_

I hurried into the hospital looking for Danny. I didn't know what state of mind he'd be in. I was praying that he was there and had not gone looking for Sonny Sassone. The most dangerous man is the one with nothing left to lose; and that was Danny about now.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw him in the waiting room. He was shaking and pacing.

"Danny?" I called to him.

"Rory, its Louie." Danny said and hugged me tight.

"I know baby, I heard." I said. "I came here looking for you. I was afraid you'd go looking for Sonny."

"The thought has crossed my mind. But….I gotta be here for him. He's my brother, ya know?" Danny said.

"Danny no matter what happens, promise me you'll stay away from Sonny. I can't lose you." I told him. "Promise me Danny."

Danny hung his head. "I won't."

"How is Louie?" I asked.

"I dunno. He's in surgery. He….was really bad when they brought him in. Rora, they almost killed him." Danny said.

"I know. I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do." I said.

"This whole situation just got so much worse." Danny said.

"I'm staying right here with you. I am not leaving." I told him and hugged him again.

I looked up and saw Don walking in with Aiden and Mac.

"Danny, any word?" Mac asked.

"I don't know. He's still in surgery." Danny said.

"You okay?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah yeah. I've had better days to tell you the truth." Danny said.

"He's a tough kid." Flack said. "He's gonna make it."

"Aiden, you get Louie Messer's personal effects and get them back to the lab." Mac said to Aiden.

She nodded and went to find the nurse that had collected Louie's clothes for evidence.

Danny turned and looked again towards the operating room. Mac walked over to Flack.

"You stay here with Danny and Aurora. Make sure this doesn't escalate. I don't want the Tanglewood boys seeking them out. Or Danny seeking Tanglewood out." Mac said. "You're responsible."

"Yeah we're not going anywhere. Trust me." Flack said.

"Danny, Don is going to stay with you for a few minutes. I'm going to talk with Mac." I said.

Danny nodded. I hurried to catch up with Mac outside the hospital.

Don put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "It's tough right now. But it'll be okay."

Danny shook his head. "Why is this happening now? My life was finally going right. I had put the Minhas shooting behind me. Mac and me were back on good terms. And I have Aurora……that beautiful, wonderful woman that I don't deserve. I am putting her through hell again and she's…….she's right there accepting it."

"Danny, Aurora loves you more than…..you two should be a love story. She's here because she loves you. And if something was going wrong in her life you know you'd be right there beside her." Flack said.

"But now……I'm about to be arrested for murder. My badge has been taken away. My brother might die." Danny gritted.

"Don't get ahead of anything here. Louie is still in surgery and we're still investigating the case." Flack said.

"What if I lose her? What if I lose Louie?" Danny asked.

"I've called dad. He's on his way down here. Just hand in there." Flack said.

"Mac, can we talk?" I caught him outside.

"Aurora, what can I do for you?" Mac asked.

"What have you found in the case?" I asked.

"Aurora…"

"Straight up Mac. This is Danny's career and future we're talking about." I said.

"We haven't found anything to exonerate him. And you know that if we can't clear him within 72 hours, we'll have to take him into custody." Mac said.

I sighed and nodded.

"Have you contacted a lawyer?" Mac asked.

"Don, Sr. has got one for Danny. He called in a favor. There are perks to being close with the NYPD legend and his son." I said.

"How are you holding up?" Mac asked.

"I am not worried about me. I have to be strong for Danny. He needs me. But to be honest, I'm a mess. The thought of Danny going to prison….losing him. And I don't want to think how he'll react if Louie doesn't pull through." I said.

Mac tilted his head. "You are one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can get Danny through this you can. But take time for yourself too. If you need anything…"

"I know Mac. Thanks." I said.

Mac nodded and continued down the street. I walked back into the hospital. Danny was sitting against the wall with Flack sitting next to him. I walked over and sat down next to him.

"Do you need anything?" I asked and took his hand.

"No, just…." Danny sighed and leaned his head back against the wall.

I squeezed his hand and looked at Don. Don was watching us, but concern was on his face.

"What do I do if Louie doesn't pull through?" Danny asked.

"Danny, he's got good doctors. Let's just wait until we hear from them." I said.

"What do I say to him, Aurora?" Danny asked. "It's been 15 years. And somehow he's involved in this murder at the stadium……what do I say to him? That's my brother."

"You'll know what to say to him. It'll come to you." I said.

"I am…I don't know what to do." Danny said.

"Danny, Aurora?" we looked up and saw Donald Flack, Sr.

"Donald." I sighed and stood up and hugged him. "Thank you so much for coming."

"It's no problem. Where else would I be, you need me." Donald said. "Danny, how you holding up?"

"I'm okay, worried…" Danny said.

"It's okay kid." Donald said.

"Danny, let's take a walk. Rora will call us if there is any word about Louie." Flack said.

I nodded. "You need a few minutes."

Danny nodded and followed Flack down the hall. I knew he wouldn't stay gone very long. Donald sat down beside me.

"How are you sweetie? I know you're trying to be strong for Danny. You must be exhausted." Donald said.

"I have no time to be exhausted. Danny needs me. And no matter what….he's my first priority." I said.

"He's very lucky to have you. You're good for him and just what he needs." Donald said.

"Right now he needs a miracle." I sighed.

"I spoke with the attorney. Should we have to go to court it could be a long road." Donald said.

"Don't I know it. The first thing they're going to do is bring up Danny's dad. Then his connections to Tanglewood. And then the problems he's had on the job. Considering just last spring he was in a subway shooting and all over the news…god what a mess." I sighed.

"Has anyone called Danny and Louie's dad?" Donald asked.

"Papa Messer. That is totally Danny's decision. I am not going to push one way or the other." I said.

"Just try to stay positive." Donald said.

I sighed. "Do you know how I started out this day?"

"I'm sure you weren't expecting all this." Donald said.

"I was planning Thanksgiving. I was talking with Aiden about going shopping. I was thinking about spending the holidays with Danny. I was so happy." I said.

Donald put an arm around me. "Hang in there. We'll get through this."

Sure enough Danny and Don were walking back down the hall. I knew Danny couldn't stay away long. He sat down beside me again and rested his head in his hands. I reached over and rubbed his back.

(Later)

The doctor walked out of the operating room.

"How is he?" Danny jumped up.

"He's been stabilized but things will be touchy for awhile. Your brother suffered a lot of internal damage. However, we've been able to stop the internal bleeding. Now we just have to see what happens." The Doctor said.

Danny slouched a bit. "When can we see him?"

"He's in recovery now and then he'll be moved to the Intensive Care Unit. You can see him after he's moved." the doctor said.

The doctor walked away. I hugged Danny tight.

"Louie's a fighter. He'll pull through this." Flack said.

"I hope so." Danny said.

"Danny, it might not be my place to say anything but….maybe you should let your dad know what's going on." Donald, Sr. said.

Danny nodded. "I've been thinking about calling him. Now that Louie is out of surgery, I will call him."

I nodded, willing to support any decision Danny made. I hugged Danny again.

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"No, I'll be okay. I'll go call my father." Danny said.

I watched Danny walk down the hall to make the call in private. I breathed a sigh of relief that Louie had survived surgery. My cell phone rang.

"Denton."

"Aurora, I've got good news." Aiden said. "When I was going through Louie Messer's clothes, I found a tape recorder."

"Could you get anything from it?" I asked.

"Mac did. When we played the tape it was Louie and Sonny Sassone. Apparently Louie wanted to clear Danny's name so he hid the recorder on himself and confronted Sonny about the murder in Giant's Stadium." Aiden said. "Sonny admitted on tape that Danny was not involved in the murder that he left earlier in the night. Sonny also admits to killing that kid."

"Danny's in the clear?" I asked.

"Mac is out arresting Sonny Sassone as we speak. He said when he gets back he is getting Danny cleared and back on regular duty." Aiden said, I could tell she was smiling.

I started crying. "Thank god….that is…..that is wonderful. I needed to hear that."

"Mac is confident Sonny can't get out of this one." Aiden said.

"Sonny is finally going to prison for good. Danny is cleared……now Louie just has to pull through this." I said.

"I gotta go; Mac wants reports done yesterday so that everything with Danny goes through as soon as possible." Aiden said.

"Thank you so much for calling me." I said and hung up.

"What's going on?" Flack asked.

"Louie had a recorder on him and Sonny confessed and also said that Danny wasn't there. Mac is arresting Sonny and working overtime to get Danny cleared and back on regular duty." I cried.

Flack hugged me. "It's okay. At least now we know Danny won't go to prison."

"I know. I am so happy. I couldn't have lived without him." I cried. "But Louie still isn't out of the woods."

Danny came rushing up. "What's wrong? Why is she crying?"

I turned to him. "Aiden found a tape recorder in Louie's things. He recorded a conversation between himself and Sonny in which Sonny admits you had nothing to do with that kid being murdered at the stadium. Mac is arresting Sonny and then getting you cleared."

"What? Louie did that?" Danny asked.

"Yeah and you're not going to prison." I said and hugged him tight.

"Doctor said it'll be about an hour before I can see Louie…..I need to go to the lab." Danny said.

"I'll give you a ride. I was headed to the station anyway." I said.

"What do you need at the station?" Danny asked.

"There is something I need to do." I said.

(Station)

Danny was at the lab. He wanted to hear the tape found in Louie's belongings and then grab a quick shower in the locker room. I was alone as I walked down the stairs to the holding cells where people under arrest were held prior to going to central booking. I walked down to the end of the row and looked in the cell.

"So you're Sonny Sassone." I said, seeing for the first time the man that had haunted my life for too long.

"What's this, my first conjugal visit?" Sonny smirked.

"No, how rude that you don't know me after the hell you put me through." I said. "I'm Detective Aurora Denton."

Sonny sat back and looked me up and down. "Damn, D always did get the finest bitches. Listen, I know a few months back some of my boys kidnapped you. I had nothing to do with that. I wasn't happy when I heard they'd hurt a lady."

I frowned. "Cut the bullshit. You know you had me kidnapped, we just can't prove it."

"Fucking right you can't." Sonny smirked. "So what can I do for ya sweetheart?"

"Nothing. Not a damn thing. I just had to see you. I had to be face to face with the man that has put me and my loved ones through hell. I wanted to see your face when you realized you couldn't get out of this one." I said.

Sonny looked at me but said nothing.

"You know, for what you did to me…I'm over it. Baba and Spangal are going to jail; we have more than enough to convict them. But for what you've done to Danny….the hell you put him through, the pain you have caused him, and the way he is suffering because of what you did to his brother, that I will never forgive!"

"You think I give a fuck about your forgiveness? You're worse than the marine." Sonny laughed.

I nodded. "Keep laughing, but when you're sitting in that jail cell, you remember that Danny is out free living his life. He's waking up to a beautiful woman, he's going to a job he loves, he has friends and people that care about him…….all of which you tried to take away and you failed. Danny has won!"

Sonny looked at me.

"And you better pray Louie Messer lives. Because if he dies, I will stop at nothing to see you get a needle in the arm. And you can bet that Danny and I would be at your execution…..passing out champagne!"

I turned and walked back down the hall and up the stairs. I stopped at my desk when I saw Danny waiting for me. He was changed and freshly showered.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"I had to see someone real quick." I shrugged. "You okay?"

"I listened to the tape. Louie has been protecting me all these years. That night, he hit me and yelled at me to get me to leave. He knew what was gonna happen and got me out of there." Danny looked ready to cry.

"He was looking out for you." I smiled.

"Back then and now too. He went through all this for me." Danny said.

"They'll be moving him soon so we can see him. You ready to head back?" I asked.

Danny nodded and followed me out of the station to the SUV parked on the curb. We climbed in and I started to put the key in the ignition.

Danny laid his hand over mind, stopping me. I looked up at him.

"Aurora, I couldn't have gotten through this without you. You're the most amazing woman…..you've been right by me through it all. I love you so much, more than anything." Danny said.

I smiled. "I love you too."

Danny leaned over and kissed me. It was an intense kiss, filled with the emotions of the day. It was amazing and I kissed him back, letting all my emotions go.

"I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He said.

I started the SUV and headed back to the hospital.

(Memorial Hospital)

Danny and I walked into Louie's room. Louie was hooked to all kinds of machines and there were tubes everywhere. I squeezed Danny's hand and walked quietly with him to stand next to Louie's bed. I could see the emotions in Danny's eyes.

"Louie. Hey it's me Danny." Danny started. "I talked to dad. He's on his way here."

I squeezed his hand again.

"Doctor says that you're in a coma and you might not make it out of here." Danny went on. "Listen to me, I heard you on the tape. That night, you got me out of there on purpose. I never knew that. You couldn't have just pulled me aside and said you were putting on a front? You got to keep that up all these years? You can call it tough love if you want, but I was young, man, and that hurt me in the heart."

I started to tear up listening to Danny.

"But I'm gonna tell you here and now that I forgive you. Cause now I understand why you did what you did. And I just want to say thanks for that." Danny said and took Louie's hand. "And I love you. You hear me, Louie?"

Danny started to get choked up and took off his glasses.

"You, uh…I'm gonna go get some air right now. You just stay and I'll be right back." Danny said and brushed his hand over Louie's forehead. "I'm leaving Aurora with you. You always liked pretty girls."

I smiled through tears and watched Danny walk out. I wiped my eyes and reached for Louie's hand.

"Louie….I'm Aurora, Danny's girlfriend. I wish we could've met differently. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm gonna talk." I said. "Thank you so much. I owe you so much and I don't even know you. I love your brother. I love him more than anything, he's my everything. And if you hadn't gotten him out of there…who knows what would've happened. And now you've save him again. We'd have never proven him innocent without that tape. Thank you."

I broke down crying again. "Listen to me; I want you to fight hard. Danny loves you and he needs you. And I know he wants you in his life now. And I want you in our lives. I know how much you love him…..he needs all the love he can get. I don't care what you might have in your past with Tanglewood and the mob, I'll accept everything. Please don't go. Danny needs you….and I really want to get to know you."

I found a tissue in my pocket and wiped my eyes. "I'm going to go find Danny. I'll be right back." I said.

I walked out of his room and took the elevator down to the ground floor and walked outside. I stopped short when I saw Mac hugging Danny who was crying. I knew Danny was an emotional wreck still. I was thankful he had Mac to lean on.

Mac looked up and saw me. I gave a small smile and watched as Mac calmed Danny down.

When Danny had calmed down, Mac motioned me over to them.

"Danny, are you okay?" I asked and hugged him.

"Yeah, just so much…..and everything with Louie." Danny said.

"We'll get through this." I said.

"Danny, you're very lucky to have Aurora." Mac said.

Danny nodded. "I know. I thank God over and over for her."

"You should go be with your brother." I said.

Danny nodded. "Mac…..thanks."

Mac nodded. I watched Danny walk back into the hospital.

"Mac, thank you….for everything. For believing in Danny, fighting to find evidence….being there for him and me." I said.

Mac nodded again. "I care about you and Danny both."

"I was so scared of losing him. I love him so much Mac. I love him more than I ever thought I could love someone. And the thought of losing him….I know you know that feeling." I started to choke up. "Thank you again. I don't know what I'd have done without him."

"I know how much you two love each other. And you're very good for him." Mac said.

I smiled through more tears. "I know you're not expressive with your emotions, but I want you to know that I love you. You've been wonderful to me and since I came to New York I've really found a great friend in you. And I make it a point of telling people I care because in our line of work, you just never know. I tell Aiden all the time, of course that makes Flack yell for us to make out."

Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry long day and needed a laugh." I chuckled.

Mac smiled. "It's easy to see why Danny is so crazy about you. And just so you know….I feel the same way."

I leaned up and kissed his cheek and hugged him tight.

"You coming up for a bit? Don and his dad are up there. I've been grateful for all the support. Aiden is coming when she's done at the lab." I said.

"I want to be here for Danny." Mac said as we started into the hospital.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, my dad is here." Danny said.

**To Be Continued…….**


	55. Only Time Will Tell

_Emador- Just wait till you see him giving that speech, it's awesome. And Carmine does cry so I'll get the tissues ready for ya._

_Meadow567- Some Papa Messer here, he'll play in more later._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Danny cried. On this episode, he cried._

_Jordayna- Some Papa Messer here and some slight foreshadowing of other Papa Messer stuff to come._

_LizfromItaly- In my true plot fashion, only a little bit of Papa Messer is shown here but more will come later._

_Dybdahl- No I won't be writing Aiden getting fired. In my happy CSI:NY world that doesn't happen. Another reason I love fanfic, LOL._

Mac and I walked up to the ICU waiting room. Danny was standing with a man I didn't recognize but assumed was his father. Donald and Don, Jr. were seated across the room. I took a deep breath and walked in.

I walked towards Danny; he held his hand out to me. I took his hand and stood close to him.

"Everyone, this is my father Leo Messer." Danny said. "Dad, you already know Donald Flack, Sr. That's his son and my best friend Don. My boss Detective Mac Taylor. And this is my girlfriend, Aurora Denton."

The Flack's nodded, obviously being polite for the sake of the situation. Mac did the same. I wasn't sure what to do. This was Papa Messer. I'd heard bits and pieces, none of it good; and Danny wouldn't talk to me about it.

"How is Louie?" Leo asked.

"He's in a room. Doctors say it could go either way right now." Danny said.

"How are you?" Leo asked.

"I've had a lot of support to help me through." Danny said. His demeanor had changed. I could see a lot of underlying hurt and anger towards Papa Messer.

"Thank you for calling me. I want to be here for him." Leo said.

Danny said nothing. Mac walked over and sat down with the Flack's.

"I'm going to be with Louie." Danny said. He let go of my hand and walked out of the room and down the hall.

"Aurora, you're with Danny. How long you two been together?" Leo said. I could tell the effort to be polite in a heavy situation.

"A few months now." I said.

"Donald, been a long time. I see by the papers your son followed in your footsteps." Leo said.

"Who'd have ever thought our sons would be best friends?" Donald said, voice even.

I stepped forward. "Alright listen up. I don't care what happened in the past. Leo is Louie's father and has a right to be here. Donald and Don are Danny's and mine's close friends and we need them here. So everyone is just going to get along for now. The important thing here is Louie. And I will not tolerate ANYONE doing anything to upset Danny. He has been through enough!"

"I just came to see Louie and see what I could do for Danny." Leo said.

"Louie's room is down the hall." I said. "He's hooked up to a lot of machines so don't be shocked."

Leo nodded and walked out of the waiting room towards Louie's room.

Leo walked into Louie's room. Danny was standing beside the bed watching the monitors.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Leo asked.

"No, I'm fine." Danny said.

"I appreciate you calling me." Leo said.

"You have a right to be here. You are our father." Danny said.

Leo walked closer to Louie's bed. "Louie, its dad. You hang in there."

"So how have you been?" Danny asked, attempting conversation.

"About the same. My monthly tests all come back clear so doctors think the cancer is gone." Leo said.

"That's good." Danny nodded.

"How have you been?" Leo asked.

"Before this happened, things were good." Danny said.

"Cute girlfriend. You two serious?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, we are." Danny said.

"How'd you meet her?" Leo asked.

"She's Donnie Flack's partner." Danny said.

"So you're happy?" Leo asked.

"Very happy…..except for this." Danny said.

I walked into Louie's room. Danny reached out his hand to me again and I took it. I rubbed his arm gently.

"You need anything?" I asked Danny.

"No, maybe after while I'll get something to drink." Danny said.

"Mr. Messer is there anything I can get for you?" I asked.

"No, thank you." Leo said. "Aurora, are you from New York?"

"No, I'm from Pittsburgh." I told him. "I moved to New York earlier this year."

"Rory, you look exhausted. Why don't you go home and get some sleep?" Danny asked.

"I am not leaving you. I'll be fine." I insisted.

"I'll stay with Louie if you two need some sleep." Leo said.

"Rora, it's what 2AM. Get some rest." Danny said.

"I am staying right here with you." I said.

Danny sighed and put an arm around me and kissed my forehead. "My stubborn girl."

"Why don't we let your dad and Louie have some time to themselves?" I asked Danny. "Let's go get something to drink."

I gently tugged at Danny's hand and pulled him from the room. We walked down the hall. Mac and the Flack's were still in the waiting room.

"You two need some rest." Donald said.

"I can't rest. Not with Louie like this." Danny said.

"Baby, you not sleeping and letting yourself get sick won't help him. And Louie wouldn't want that." I said.

"I just don't know what to do. And having dad here." Danny ran a hand through his hair.

"Come on, let's go talk alone." I said.

I pulled Danny to the other side of the room and we sat down.

"Danny, I don't know much about your dad, or what you saw growing up. But I think its time to let go of the past." I said.

"But….it's so hard." Danny said.

"Danny, I know that you and your dad will never be the family that hangs out watching games, has dinner together and stuff like that. But you'll feel so much better if you let the pain and hurt go." I said. "That way WE can move on with our lives. Not be haunted by things your dad did anymore."

Danny took a deep breath. "It'll take some time, but you're right."

"I just want us to be happy. And I want you to let go of that black cloud of your father." I said.

"You make me happy." Danny said.

I smiled. "And I'd be lost without you."

"You're tired, you need rest." Danny said.

"I am not leaving you here alone." I insisted.

"Will you at least lie down here and get a little sleep?" Danny asked me.

I sighed. "You promise you'll wake me if anything new happens with Louie?"

"Of course. Get some rest. It'll make me feel better." Danny said.

"You stay with me?" I asked.

"You can curl up with me and go to sleep." Danny said.

I nodded and leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you more." He smiled.

He took off his jacket and laid it over me as I lay my head down in his lap to rest. I stretched out on the sofa and closed my eyes. Feeling safe with Danny, I quickly fell asleep.

Danny sat on the couch, absently stroking Aurora's hair as she slept in his lap. He was lost in thought when his dad walked in and saw Danny with Aurora asleep in his lap.

"Where are the others?" Leo asked.

"They went home for a bit. They'll be back in the morning." Danny said.

"How'd you get her to go to sleep?" Leo asked.

"I knew she was tired. I just promised her to stay with her and wake her if anything new happened." Danny said.

"You really love her don't you?" Leo asked. "I can tell when you look at her."

"She's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I didn't think I'd ever fall in love, I wasn't even looking for it and then she came along." Danny said.

"Was it love at first site?" Leo asked.

"More or less. The first time I saw her was at a crime scene. Of course I had to be a smartass…..she didn't care." Danny smiled and stroked her cheek.

"She loves you very much. And she seems very strong." Leo said.

"She's an amazing woman." Danny said.

"I don't know if you'll believe me or not, but I am glad you're happy." Leo said.

"Thank you." Danny said.

"You two serious enough that you're thinking of getting married?" Leo asked.

"I know there is no one else I'll ever love like this. I am just waiting to see what happens." Danny said.

"You're mother would've loved her." Leo said.

Danny's eyes darkened. "I know she would've."

(7:30AM)

I woke up and saw Donald standing over us. Danny had fallen asleep and had his head back against the wall.

"You two go home, get some rest." Donald said.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"7:30AM." Donald said. "Go home, shower, rest come back this afternoon."

"Where is dad?" Danny asked, waking up.

"He's back with Louie. There is no change. We'll call you if there is a change. Go home!" Donald said.

"Come on Danny. I need a shower and we could both use some rest in a comfortable bed." I said.

"You'll call?" Danny asked Donald.

"Of course." Donald smiled.

"And you'll be okay with Papa Messer?" I asked.

"Like you said, Louie is the important thing." Donald said.

"Let's go." I said and took Danny's hand. "I'll drive us to your place."

Danny and I walked out of the hospital and found the SUV in the parking garage. He climbed into the passenger and after I started the vehicle, Danny reached for my hand.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I wish Louie would show a sign. But I'm glad I have you with me through this." Danny said.

"Where else would I be, you need me." I said.

"I am so lucky to have you." Danny smiled.

I pulled us out into traffic. It didn't take long for us to get to Danny's apartment.

"You mind if I grab some of your clothes to nap in?" I asked as we started up the stairs of his building.

"Hell no I don't mind. You look hott in my clothes." Danny smirked.

Danny opened the door to his apartment and we walked in.

"I am gonna take a shower. You go ahead and get into bed and sleep." I said and kissed him.

"You be there soon?" Danny asked.

"Quick shower…then I'll come snuggle up with you." I smiled.

"Good, I sleep better with you in my arms." Danny smiled and kissed me again.

I hurried to Danny's room and grabbed a pair of basketball shorts out of his drawers and grabbed a t-shirt too. I went into the bathroom and started the shower. I was still so tense and knew the next few days would be rough.

I took a quick shower, just letting the water soothe me. It felt good to have a few minutes to myself even if it was just in the shower. I shut off the water and dried off. I dressed in Danny's clothes and walked out into his bedroom.

Danny was lying in bed but still awake.

"You didn't have to wait for me. You could've gone to sleep." I smiled and crawled in bed beside him.

"I just wanted to hold you." Danny said and pulled me against him. I could tell he was just in boxers.

"I know it's been rough for you. But it'll get better. And I'll be right here through it all." I said.

Danny leaned over and kissed me. I could tell he was saying so much with that kiss. I held him close, letting him lead.

I felt Danny pushing his t-shirt up away from me.

"Danny?" I questioned.

"Make it all go away for awhile. I just want to be with you and forget." Danny whispered.

I nodded and kissed him again.


	56. From This Day Forward

_Dybdahl- Well here is a bit of fluff since the last few chappies have been so intense._

_Miss Metal- Yes I think I'll make a 100 chapters. If I don't it'll be close. I have LOTS planned for this story. And what was Danny being weird about?_

_LizfromItaly- Not so much forgive as just let go of the bitterness so he'll be happier._

_CrazygirlHaley555- No I am not going to tell you. But a lot will be happening._

_Jordayna- That would be. Of course now in the story all of Tanglewood is either dead or in jail. Big part of Danny putting Tanglewood behind him. And Leo is more or less out of the mob at this point._

_Meadow567-You're still guessing about that February 18th? LOL. I figured you'd like Danny's way of dealing with the pain! And the Steelers idiotic QB did the beard thing. It is stupid._

_Emador- Hang in there about finals. And stay away from Danny. He isn't going to say that to you! (As I look around to steal a certain Harvard man!)_

_BridgetLynn- Papa Messer will be in and out and quite interesting. I have a plan for him. I have so much for this story I'll be writing it for 3 years, LOL JK._

I was sitting at my desk, going over reports. It had been five days since Louie Messer had been beaten within an inch of his life. He was still in a coma. Danny was at the hospital everyday before work and every day after work. Mac kept his caseload light to help him have more time for Louie. There was still red tape to go through but Danny was mostly cleared and Mac was letting him work back in the lab.

Mac had spoken with the DA and worked out a deal for Louie if he lived. He would get a plea bargain if he'd testify against Sonny Sassone. That way he'd avoid jail time for his part in the murder of the kid in Giant's Stadium.

Danny was working hard to let go of the past with his dad. He wouldn't talk to me about it, but was able to be cordial with his dad. He'd told me that by letting go of the past, he could move forward and look forward to our lives together.

My cell phone rang.

"Denton." I said.

"Rora, the hospital just called. Louie is starting to wake up." Danny said. He sounded brighter than he had since this whole messy situation started.

"I'm on my way. I want to go with you." I said.

I hurried to meet Danny coming out of the lab. The past few days had been rough but I would be eternally grateful to Don and his dad for their support. Mac had been there consistently and checked on us all the time. Aiden had been at the hospital once a day every day without fail and had brought me changes of clothes a few times.

Danny was coming out of the lab pulling on his jacket.

"What did the doctors say?" I asked as Danny pulled me towards the parking garage.

"That Louie was starting to come to. It's a good sign as long as he continues to heal internally. He won't be able to talk because of the tubes down his throat." Danny said.

We hurried and climbed into one of the SUV's. Mac was letting us use one of the NYPD vehicles as much as we needed while Louie was critical.

Danny pulled us out into traffic and hurried towards the hospital. I could see how anxious he was. I was hoping this was the good news we'd been waiting for.

At the hospital, Danny pulled me inside the doors and hurried up to the ICU. He looked around until he found Louie's doctor.

"Doc, what's up with my brother?" Danny asked him.

"Louie is coming out of his coma. It's a good sign and we're hoping he continues to improve. He's responded to staff by squeezing our hands." The Doctor said.

"Can I see him?" Danny asked.

"Yes, go ahead in." the doctor said.

Danny ran a hand through his hair.

"Danny, you go on ahead. I'm gonna call Don and Donald. I'll even call your dad." I said.

"Okay….I just don't know what to say now that he is awake." Danny said.

"He'll be thrilled to see you. Look at all he did to protect you. Seeing you will do him a lot of good." I said.

Danny nodded and walked into Louie's room. Louie was alert enough that he looked over at Danny. Danny smiled and walked over and took Louie's hand.

"I'm glad you're awake now." Danny said. "I've been here talking to you for five days now."

Louie squeezed his hand.

Danny smiled. "I don't know how much you've heard but….I know everything now. All about the kid in the stadium and why you got me out of there that night. Thank you. While you're awake I just want to say thank you."

Louie squeezed his hand again.

"I love you; I want you to know that. I know things have not been the best between us but I want to change all that. You have to get better and get out of here. I want us to start spending time together. Get back in each other's lives." Danny said.

Louie squeezed Danny's hand again and looked towards the door.

Danny looked at the door and saw nothing.

"Dad has been here. I'm sure he'll be here later." Danny said.

Louie looked towards the door again and squeezed Danny's hand.

"Hang in there and keep fighting. You get out of here, I promise things will be better between us." Danny said.

I walked into Louie's room. Louie squeezed Danny's hard and tried to motion towards me with his other hand.

Danny looked at me and smiled and then looked back to Louie. "You've been looking for her, haven't you?"

Louie looked at me and nodded slightly.

"He must have heard us the last few days." Danny said to me. "He's been looking for you."

I smiled and walked over to them. Louie let go of Danny's hand and moved his hand towards me. I reached for his hand.

"I'm so glad you're awake now. I'm Aurora. I've been talking to you for five days. I was the one reading you the sports page after Danny told me you were a Rangers fan. You get out of here we'll watch hockey together." I winked.

Louie squeezed my hand.

"Louie man, you gotta get better and help me and Don out. We're outnumbered. Aiden and Aurora have ganged up on us. And now Donald, Sr. likes the girls so well he's on their side." Danny joked.

Louie's eyes brightened a little bit.

"I got good friends Louie, and they all want you to hang out with us. Aiden, Don, Sheldon even Mac. I know Don is a Flack, but he's the best friend I could ever ask for. You'll like him." Danny said. "And Aurora is the most wonderful person ever."

"Louie, get better. Danny needs you. And I really want you to be part of our lives." I said.

Louie tried to nod but couldn't because of the tubes.

"Get better. We're gonna be right here for you. Anything you need." Danny said.

Leo walked in.

"Louie…..you're awake." Leo said.

"I told you dad would be here." Danny said to Louie.

"Louie, I'm gonna leave you here with Dad for awhile." Danny said. "This is a special occasion for Aurora and me. I am taking her out."

"Oh Danny we don't have to. We can stay here with Louie." I said.

"No, go ahead. I'll be here with Louie." Leo said. "And you two have been here so much the past several days, you need a break."

"Danny, we don't need to go out." I said.

"Louie would have a fit if he thought he was the reason you two missed plans you had." Leo said.

"He's right. We'll keep our cell phones on in case something should happen." Danny said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Louie squeezed my hand tight and I realized he wanted us to go too.

"Okay, but if he needs us." I said.

"I'll call one of you. Now get out of here and enjoy the evening." Leo said.

(Restaurant)

Danny led me into a restaurant. It was a simple place and after we were seated, he moved his seat closer to mine as we looked through the menu.

"Danny, I feel bad that we left Louie so soon after he finally wakes up." I said.

"He knows we'll be back to see him. And I really needed some time away." Danny said. "Besides tonight is our 4 month anniversary."

I smiled. "I never pictured you as the kind to mark little anniversaries like this."

"I never did before, but with you…..everything is different." Danny said.

I reached for his hand. "I am so happy to see you smiling again. This past week has been rough."

"But it's gonna be better from here on out." Danny said. "Louie is awake and on his way to recovering. Thanksgiving is Thursday. The holidays are coming, and I still have you beside me."

"I am so glad. Things are looking so much better. And I am thrilled." I said. "I love you so much."

"T'amerò per il resto della vita." Danny said.

"What?"

"I'll love you the rest of my life." Danny said.

"That's beautiful." I smiled.

"I mean it." He leaned over and kissed me. "I got you something."

"You didn't have to do that." I said.

"It's something I got on my lunch break today. I made Flack go with me." Danny smiled.

"I thought he was smirking at me after lunch." I giggled.

Danny handed me another blue box from Tiffany's.

"Baby, you didn't have to get me anything so extravagant." I said.

"Just open it. I wanted you to have it." Danny smiled.

I opened the box. Inside were diamond earrings. They sparkled in the light.

"Danny, they're beautiful but this is too much. You can't buy me Tiffany diamonds all the time." I said.

"Baby, I'd buy anything to see that beautiful face of yours light up. Besides, I wanted to get you something really special. You stood by me through a lot this past week. This is a small way I can say thank you." Danny said.

"You don't have to thank me. I'd do it all again. I was there for you because I love you more than anything." I said.

"And I love you. I was planning on getting you Tiffany diamond earrings for Christmas, but decided to get them now." Danny shrugged.

"Thank you so much. I really love them." I said and hugged him.

Danny chuckled. "Besides, you should've seen Flack's face when I made him go in to pick these out with me. He was all 'You can't be serious? You're making ME help you? Why didn't you bring Aiden?'."

I giggled. "And what did you say to that?"

"I told him he'd fall in love one day and be in there buying stuff to take notes. Of course he denies that's ever gonna happen." Danny rolled his eyes.

"I have something for you too." I said.

I reached into my purse and pulled out the frame I'd put in there earlier.

"Last month you did a beautiful thing when you told me your song for me was 'You Had Me From Hello'. Well that got me to thinking what my song for you would be. And when everything first happened and I was faced with you possibly going to prison and being without you……well I immediately knew this song was it." I said and handed him the frame. "It's not in Italian, but I wrote the lyrics out and framed them for you."

Danny took the frame.

"And to go with it, I got you the ConAir soundtrack. I remember we watched that movie together awhile back." I said and handed him the CD too.

"'How Do I Live Without You.'" Danny read.

"The Trisha Yearwood song." I said. "That's what's in my heart. How would I live without you? I would be so lost without you. That song couldn't be any more from me if I had wrote it."

Danny looked up at me. "This is……I'm speechless. No wonder you cried when I did this for you……I am still amazed that anyone could love me so much."

"I do. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I can't imagine my life without you." I said.

Danny leaned over and kissed me softly. "You never have to worry about living without me. Nothing in the world could take me away from you."

"I love you so much." I told him.

"I love you too." He said.

(Manhattan)

We walked into my apartment after dinner. Danny called his dad one more time to check on Louie. Leo said that Louie had fallen asleep and was resting.

"Danny, these earrings are beautiful. Thank you again." I said and turned to him.

"I am so glad you like them." Danny said and kissed me.

"It's been so good that you've been happy tonight. I was worried about you." I said.

"I know you were. I don't know what I'd have done without you." Danny said.

"Talk to me in Italian." I whispered.

"What do you want me to say?" Danny asked.

"Just something pretty." I said.

"Ti ho sempre amato." Danny said.

"I love when you talk Italian. It still makes me weak in the knees." I said.

"I feel like that when you give me that bright smile with those eyes so full of mischief." Danny smiled. "One of these days, Mac is going to catch us at something at the lab."

"But we don't fool around at the lab?"

"My willpower is bound to give out one of these days." Danny smiled.

I giggled. "You're so cute."

"So are you." Danny kissed me.

"You want to stay the night?" I asked him.

"You want me to?" Danny asked.

I leaned over and kissed him, molding myself against him for just a moment.

I pulled back. "I'll be right back."

Danny frowned slightly. I walked into my bedroom and shut the door slightly. I opened my closet and pulled out one of my new Victoria Secret items and hurried into the bathroom to change. It was a cream colored babydoll nightie. It was lacy and split down the front with matching lace panties. Aiden had picked it out for me and I really liked it once I got it.

I took a deep breath and walked back into my bedroom. I got a few condoms out of my nightstand and laid them beside my lamp and dimmed the lights in my room.

I walked over to my door and pulled it open. Danny was standing at my kitchen sink getting a drink of water. I leaned against the doorframe.

"Danny?" I called out.

He turned around and slowly that smirk of his came to his face.

"So that's what was in that Victoria Secrets box." Danny smiled and walked towards me.

I smiled when he stopped in front of me and leaned down and kissed me, putting his arms around me. I wrapped both arms around him and he started gently pushing me farther back into my room towards my bed.


	57. Thanksgiving

_Meadow567- No, I don't think I'll be including that in this story. Maybe my next CSI:NY one. I know about Nick, that was an interesting plot. _

_Emador- Just think, finals are over. This is fluff-ish as well. More drama to come. _

_Snowbear96- Thank you so much for taking the time to read the entire story. And I am glad you now like Danny and Aurora. Hope you keep reading and enjoying. I love reviews!_

_CrazeygirlHaley5555- Yes and a lot will happen with that in upcoming chapters._

_**Author's Note**- Sorry I didn't update for a few days, the website was having trouble. But I kept writing so look for a lot of quick updates in the next few days! _

"Danny, hurry up. Don and his dad are gonna be here any minute." I called to him.

Danny was in my bedroom getting dressed. It was Thanksgiving morning and we were getting ready to go to the Macy's Parade. I was making a huge thermos full of hot chocolate to take with us.

"Aurora, it's our day off and we have to get up at the ass crack of dawn?" Danny mumbled walking into the room.

"It's Thanksgiving. Today is a big day." I smiled and kissed him as I walked by. "I already called the hospital and things with Louie are about the same. I made the pasta salad, potato salad and garden salad last night. I baked the pies last night. The turkey is all ready to be baked when we get back from the parade."

Danny smiled. "This is the first Thanksgiving in a long time I haven't volunteered to work."

"Who is covering at the lab today?" I asked.

"Mac….he always works the holidays. He says it because everyone else has families, but I think part of it is holidays are still hard for him without Claire." Danny said.

"Where is Stella? She doesn't have family." I asked.

"She is out of town for the holiday." Danny said.

"Well I am looking forward to it. I hated Thanksgivings at home so this will be the first one in a long time I have enjoyed." I said.

"What was wrong with Thanksgiving at home?" Danny asked.

"It was ridiculous. We never did anything. Mom would fix some big dinner for just me, her and dad. We would eat and then the rest of the day was nothing. We didn't do anything special, hell half the time we all watched TV in different rooms." I said.

"Didn't your siblings come for Thanksgiving?" Danny asked.

I scoffed. "My oldest sister hates us so she wouldn't have come around if our turkey was made of gold. My other sister always went to her mother-in-law's which did piss me off because she went there for every single holiday. My oldest brother came when he was able and the younger one…don't get me started."

Danny hugged me from behind. "We have fucked up families."

"Is it true what I heard about your dad?" I asked.

"That he plans to call in a few favors and retaliate for Tanglewood beating Louie? I heard that too. All of Tanglewood is now dead or in jail….but dad probably still has enough connections to make their lives hell in prison. I don't know what dad does with 'business' these days. I know he's not in as deep as he was…..old age and health problems and no one to pass the business on to." Danny said.

"No more about your dad, today is a good day." I said. I turned in his arms and kissed him.

Danny pressed me up against the counter and kissed me harder.

"Danny, the parade……why are you always so horny?" I giggled.

"You just have that affect on me. And that tight sweater and jeans that show off your ass." Danny said nuzzling against my neck.

I giggled and kissed Danny again.

We broke apart when we heard a throat clear behind us. I looked in the doorway and saw Don and Donald smiling at us.

"Flack, why did you use your key instead of knocking?" I asked.

"We did knock….you didn't answer. Now I see why." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Eh, we've all been there." Donald said and walked in.

"Dad!" Flack said.

"What?" Donald was confused.

"You're my dad, you're not supposed to….." Flack trailed off.

Danny laughed. "Don, he used to be an NYPD detective, he's seen it all."

"But still." Flack sighed.

"Oh Donnie get over it. You're old enough to accept the fact that your parents had sex." I laughed.

"Yeah, where do you think you came from?" Donald smirked. "Of course, it wasn't Thanksgiving; it was your mother's birthday."

"I don't want to hear this." Flack said.

"Oh hush, it sounds very sweet. Did you bring her flowers?" I asked Donald.

"No, I bought her this dress she'd had her eye on for weeks. It was back when we were newlyweds and still dirt poor." Donald said.

"That is so sweet." I said.

"I never realized my birthday was nine months after mom's." Flack groaned.

"Donnie get over it. At least your conception has a sweet story behind it. I was conceived on a weekend trip to Virginia Beach when the condom broke. Next thing you know my parents are getting married." I said.

"Are we ready to go?" Flack asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I got everything ready. And I hope you're all hungry later because I have more food than I know what to do with." I said.

(Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade)

We were lined up with the hundreds of others that had filled the streets to watch the parade. It was freezing cold and we could see our breath. We were all bundled up in coats, hats, scarves and gloves.

"Danny, I am so excited. Have you ever been to a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade before?" I asked.

"Once when I was a kid." Danny smiled and wrapped his arms around me.

"We brought Donnie a lot when he was little." Donald said.

"Oh by the way, Aiden and I are going shopping early in the morning." I told Danny.

"Leave me out of that. I have no desire to get killed getting early bird specials." Danny said.

"Danny, are you going to drag me shopping for Rora again?" Flack joked.

Danny rolled his eyes.

The parade started. All four of us watched as floats and bands went by. I snuggled tight with Danny to help stay warm and we all drank the hot chocolate I brought. I was having a great time.

"Some of these marching bands are bigger than my entire high school." I said.

"Danny, you remember picking on band dorks in high school?" Flack laughed.

"Hey, I was in matching band in high school. I was a majorette." I said.

"A majorette? In one of those short skirts?" Don winked.

"Where was I when you were in high school?" Danny joked.

"I would've been a band dork." I laughed.

"That's one band dork I'd have taken under the boardwalk at Coney Island." Danny winked.

I giggled.

"Donnie, this is the first parade you've been to with me in awhile." Donald said.

"Did Donnie like the parade when he was little?" I asked.

"Well when he was 3 years old, he got sick and puked all over the lady in front of him." Donald said.

"Dad, not the parade stories." Flack groaned.

"And then when he was 10, he was starting into 'cool' phase and was winking at all the ladies. Well one lady smiled, waved and winked back…..Donnie blushes and hides behind his mother." Donald laughed.

Danny cracked up. "No wonder you haven't had a date."

"Then when Donnie was 13 he was standing close to the street and one of the Disney Princesses……I think it was Snow White hugged him." Donald said. "It was at that point he quit coming with us. He started coming with his friends."

"I love little Donnie stories." I laughed.

"Well I am glad you enjoyed that." Don rolled his eyes.

"Aurora, I caught part of a Pens game the other night. They were talking about the changes within the franchise and letting go of Craig Patrick." Donald said.

"Oh why did you say that name?" Don said.

"I just got her to shut up about him." Danny sighed.

"I am so fed up with the Pens. They are looking for a scapegoat and blaming Craig Patrick for their problems. I'd like to know how the hell it's his fault when he led the team to TWO Stanley Cups Championships and FIVE division titles and ELEVEN play-off berths….all in just 15 seasons. And in the 1990's he led to Pens to having second-best record in the NHL. Second only to Detroit and we all know what a machine the Red Wings are. And the man is a legend in hockey. Craig was the 4th member of his family to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame…3rd generation. The Pens need to realize it's not Craig's fault. He just doesn't have the talent that he did in the 1990's to work with. He no longer has Mario Lemieux and Jamoir Jagr and Tom Barrasso and Petr Nedved and Ron Francis and Ken Wregget!"

"Which is why she's not allowed to visit Pittsburgh carrying her gun." Danny shook his head and smiled. "She'd shoot somebody."

"Damn right I would. Not renew the contract of my Craig Patrick!" I said.

Donald laughed. "A hockey girl…..Donnie why didn't you ask her out before Danny? She is so much smarter, funnier and cuter than the girls you usually date."

"Well I would've asked her out but I knew Danny liked her….and if she'd gone out with me, he just wouldn't have stood a chance." Flack pretended to brag.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Nah, more like you just knew you couldn't compete with me."

"More like I was afraid you would hit me. I thought you were going to punch me for being her pretend boyfriend at the rave and that was WORK." Don laughed.

"So why don't you have some cute girlfriend now?" Donald joked.

"I just haven't had time to look for one." Don shrugged. "I just….the right girl…..not interested right now."

(Manhattan)

"Aurora, this meal looks great. How did you do so much by yourself?" Donald said.

"I love cooking big meals. And I've waited a long time to have a big Thanksgiving dinner." I smiled.

"Did you like your first Macy's Parade?" Danny kissed my cheek.

"It was great." I smiled.

"Can we sit anywhere?" Don asked.

"Yeah, just grab a seat. Danny is gonna carve the turkey." I said and sat down as Danny started cutting at the bird.

"So what are we all thankful for this year?" Donald asked.

Danny finished carving and sat down.

"I'm thankful that we're all alive and safe another year." Don said. "I'm thankful Aurora is my new partner, WWE, hockey, BoSox and all. And I'm thankful I got great friends and family."

"I'm thankful that my family is healthy." Donald said. "That my son is successful and a good man. That I have good friends. And that I still feel young at heart."

I smiled.

Danny smiled. "I'm thankful that I found Aurora, who is the greatest thing is my life. I'm thankful that Louie is hanging in there. I am thankful that with some help, I am slowly letting go of the past. And I am thankful for my great friends that stand by me no matter what."

"And I'm thankful for my new life in New York City. That since I got here I've been so happy. I'm thankful for all my friends that I love so much. I'm thankful they didn't give up on me when I was kidnapped. And I'm very thankful for Danny, who is more wonderful than anyone I ever dreamed of." I smiled at Danny.

"Now let's eat, I'm starved." Don said.

"Me too." Danny said.

I smiled watching them pass dishes around, getting their meal. I was really happy, and thankful for where I was and who I was with.

"Aurora, this is great. If I were twenty years younger, Danny would have competition for you." Donald smiled.

I giggled. "You can come over anytime and I'll cook for you."

"I vote we make her cook Christmas dinner too." Danny said.


	58. Torture

_Snowbear96- That's okay. Some people write big great ones, others just a few comments. I like them all! _

_Meadow567- Yes, I did get your email….are you trying to live through Aurora? LOL JK. The minute I typed about the Wings in there I thought of you. I am not sure who I am rooting for at this point. Maybe I'll just continue to rant about Craig in here, LOL. PS- I am working on the final chapter of Craig/Kylah._

I heard my cell phone ringing next to my bed. I rolled over and looked at the clock, 4:30AM.

"Denton." I answered.

"Rora, I'm on my way to pick you up. We have a call. Burned body found in an alley in Harlem." Flack said. "I called CSI. Mac and Aiden are gonna handle the case with us."

"Okay, what do you know so far?" I asked as I jumped out of bed.

"Uniformed officers are on the scene. They have the area taped off and are questioning people in the neighboring buildings. This is a bad section of town." Flack said.

"Who called it in?" I asked pulling on clothes.

"Officer making his nightly rounds." Flack said. "See you in five minutes."

I hung up and finished pulling on clothes. I grabbed my badge and gun. I locked up my apartment and headed down the stairs to wait for Flack.

When he pulled up in an SUV, I hurried out through the cold and jumped in the passenger seat.

"Where is Danny?" Flack asked.

"He stayed late at the hospital with Louie. Aiden and me had strip aerobics tonight." I explained.

"Has Danny got to see anything you've learned from that yet?" Flack winked.

"You know if he had, he'd have bragged to you about it by now." I giggled.

"You ever gonna show him?" Flack asked.

"Maybe I'll just handcuff him to a chair and do a show for him." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure he'd love that. Department issue cuffs?" Flack joked. "How's the Christmas shopping going?"

"Great, Aiden and I have found so much stuff. And I got most of my decorations up." I said.

"Between you and Aiden it's like having elves around the station. And don't think I didn't notice the garland you hung on my desk today." Flack said.

"I put some on Danny's desk too. Even Mac was a good sport and let me hang a small wreath on his office wall." I smiled.

"This is all fine and cute, but I won't wear a Santa hat or elf shoes. I draw the line." Flack said.

"But Aiden and I did buy tickets for all of us to go see 'A Christmas Carol'. I love that story." I said.

"I can't wait until the NYPD Christmas Party next week. Mac always makes his special with rum. It's the best." Flack said.

I laughed. "Danny said the same thing."

We pulled up on the crime scene. The body was lying in the back of an alley, charred badly. It was lying on a mattress that appeared burned as well.

"Looks as if the body was burned on the mattress." I said.

"Body burned pretty bad, but I'd say it's a male." Flack said.

"Mac and Aiden will be able to tell us more. Hawkes will be all over this." I said.

"The uniformed officers said that nobody is reporting anything out of the ordinary. But noted that in the projects the neighbors fight all the time so anymore, no one pays attention." Flack said.

"Sad but true." I sighed. "His arms and hands look badly burned. Sheldon most likely will have to try identifying him through DNA."

"What do we have?" Mac asked as he walked up with his kit, Aiden beside him.

"Unidentified body, badly burned, we believe to be male." Flack said.

"Was found by a beat cop. No witnesses or anyone that remembers anything out of the ordinary." I said.

"Aiden, start taking pictures. I am gonna process the mattress and see what I can find." Mac said.

"The mattress is burned too. We think he might have been burned here." Flack said.

Mac bent down and started studying the mattress.

"This mattress is clean. It hasn't been out here long." Mac said. "If this mattress was dumped in the alley and here for awhile it's be wet and dirty."

"It might belong to our victim." Flack said.

"There are no burn marks on the pavement." Aiden said.

"Most likely the mattress was dumped here with the body, but both were burned elsewhere." Mac said.

"Which means we got more than one perp. No one person could carry a mattress and body by themselves." I said.

"From the burn pattern on the body and mattress, you can see the pattern of the accelerant." Aiden said.

"Aiden, you test the mattress and see what was used as the accelerant. I am gonna go to autopsy." Mac said.

(Morgue)

"Sheldon, our burned body, what did you find?" Mac asked.

I walked into the morgue with Mac. Flack was looking through missing persons cases out of Harlem. Aiden was at the lab working on the mattress.

"This guy suffered a lot." Hawkes said.

"What can you tell us about him?" I asked.

"African American male. I'd say 35-40 years old." Hawkes said.

"Could you fingerprint him?" Mac asked.

"No, his fingers were burned to the bone. I sent off some of his DNA for you to run through CODIS." Sheldon said.

"Cause of death?" Mac asked.

"Shock induced cardiac arrest." Sheldon said. "During autopsy I found that he had suffered a severe beating prior to being burned. He had five broken ribs, fractured wrist and a broken leg."

"So someone beat him and then set him on fire?" I asked.

"Looks like it. And the fire didn't kill him. He lived through it." Sheldon said.

"He was burned alive and survived?" Mac asked.

Sheldon nodded. "The amount of smoke in his lungs along with the estimated time of death….I'd say he lived 2-3 hours after being burned."

"Someone beats this guy, sets him on fire….and when he finally succumbs leaves him in an alley." Mac said.

"When we find these sick bastards, I am asking the DA to press charges with special consideration for torture." I said.

"What was the time of death?" Mac asked.

"I'd say 1AM." Sheldon said.

"Thanks Sheldon." I said.

"Let's head back to the lab and see what Aiden has. I'll check CODIS too and see if we can get a match." Mac said.

Mac and I stepped out of the lab. I dialed my cell phone to call Flack.

"Flack."

"Don, have you found anything?" I asked.

"Nothing recent out of Harlem." Flack said.

"Hawkes said that the victim was a male, African American, age 35-40." I said. "But Hawkes said he died this morning so I doubt anyone is looking for him already."

"Could he print him?" Flack asked.

"No, but sent DNA off to run through CODIS." I said. "Mac and me are going to the lab now to see what Aiden has found from the mattress."

"Let me know what you find. By the way, Danny just stopped looked in looking for you. He mentioned all of us going to the movies this week." Don said.

"I'll catch him at the lab. Talk to you later." I told him.

I hung up.

(Lab)

Mac and I walked into the lab. Aiden was going over the mattress.

"What have you found?" Mac asked her.

"I ran the chemicals that I swabbed off the mattress. The accelerant was regular ole charcoal lighter fluid." Aiden said.

"Sold in a hundred stores across the city." I said.

"Also, on the underside of the mattress I found some animal hair. It came back to your everyday housecat." Aiden said.

"Anything else?" Mac asked.

"Not yet. But I can tell that the fire was put out soon after it was lit. Not all the accelerant burnt away." Aiden said.

"So these people light him on fire long enough to burn him bad then put out the fire?" I asked.

"Helps explain why he didn't die from being burned." Mac said.

"Hey, there you are, I was down in the station looking for you." Danny walked in smiling.

"Don told me you were." I smiled at him.

"Danny, help Aiden finish going over this mattress. I am going to check CODIS and see if I can get a hit on the victim's DNA." Mac said and walked off.

Danny watched him walk away with a smirk.

"The boss is gone, now I can kiss my girlfriend." Danny snickered.

I rolled my eyes as Danny gave me a quick kiss.

"Oh I talked to Don about us all catching a movie on a free evening this week." Danny smiled.

"Aiden, how do you feel about another 'date' with Don?" I asked.

"What the hell? Not like I have anything better to do." Aiden said.

I chuckled. "What did you want to see Danny?"

"I thought 'United 93' looked good. I've been reading all the controversy and stuff around it and thought we could check it out." Danny said.

My breath caught in my throat. I didn't know what to say. A thousand things ran through my mind.

"Aurora……Aurora Dawn?" Danny snapped his fingers in front of me.

"What, sorry?" I asked.

"You okay? You spaced there for a moment and looked pale." Aiden asked.

"I'm fine. I got to go. Have Mac call me if he finds anything." I said and hurried to the door.

"Aurora?" Danny called after me.

I kept walking out the door and down the hall.

"Is she sick?" Danny asked Aiden.

"She wasn't earlier. You two have a fight or something?" Aiden asked.

"No." Danny said.

"Well it's not her time of the month, so I don't know." Aiden shrugged.

"Wait, how do you know when her time of the month is?" Danny asked.

"Because we've been together so long and we hang out so much that we're on the same schedule now." Aiden smiled.

"Flack and I are in so much trouble." Danny sighed.

I walked into the station and sat down at my desk. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Images flashed in my mind and I immediately opened them.

"Anything new on the case?" Don asked.

"What? Yeah….Aiden found that the fire was started using charcoal lighter fluid. Also the mattress had hairs from a cat." I told him.

"With that evidence even you're a viable suspect…..okay where were you last night?" Flack joked.

"Came home from strip aerobics. Called Danny. Watched a Pens game with Rammer, cussed them out again over that man whose name Danny has forbid me to say. Then went to bed." I said.

"You okay? You seem jumpy?" Don asked. "You horny or something?"

I sighed. "Sure, that's it."

"Well if you need someone to step forward and help ya out while Danny is busy at the lab." Don joked.

"Sure order me two of them." I said.

Don raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"I got to go." I said and took off running for the locker room.

**To Be Continued……..**


	59. Torture Part 2

_Meadow567- The great thing about my fiction is I put any event I want at any time, LOL. Just like Craig just got released from Pittsburgh but I wrote it in the story as November. Ahhh, fanfiction where I ultimate cosmic power. LOL And I am against the movie too, loved the rant. And as for your last comment…I am sure Danny would like to be…..maybe I do need a man. _

_BridgetLynn- I am glad you enjoy them so much. They're pretty much the highlight of my day too because my life is so boring right now. LOL_

_Snowbear96- I get so many reviews of people saying they have no patience. It's cute. Well your wait is over, here you go._

_Miss Metal- I dunno, if I got to go to work with guys that looked like Danny, Flack or Mac or Sheldon…I would be leaping out of bed…hopefully theirs. Okay bad joke, but I couldn't resist. LOL_

_jordayna- I am glad someone agrees with her about the Pens! This chappie will answer some questions._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Unfortunately this is based on a real case. The trial is ongoing in this area now. I got the idea for the crime part of this chapter watching the evening news last week. _

_Emador- Quit picking on my Craig Patrick! Who are you, high ups in the Pens franchise? LOL Donald talking about sex I just had to do. I just saw him as being cool and Flack uncomfortable. And you waiting on tha party is a riot._

I sat in the locker room, leaning my head against my locker. I had taken a shower to calm down. It had helped some, but not much. I felt sick.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, I got a hit in CODIS. Our victim is 37 year old, Paul Raymond. He was in the system for breaking and entering a few years back." Mac said.

"Where's his last known address?" I asked.

"Harlem, about a block from where we found the body and mattress." Mac said.

"I'll be right there." I said.

I quickly dressed and walked out into the station.

"Flack, we gotta go." I said and grabbed my coat. "Mac found our vic in CODIS and we're headed out to his place. He lived in Harlem."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am fine."

"Aurora……"

"I am fine, Flack. Really." I insisted and walked out.

We met Mac outside the station and hopped into an SUV to drive to Harlem. I was quiet, listening as Mac and Flack discussed a few cases and random items. I stared out the window, wondering what I was going to say to Danny.

We pulled up in front of the apartment building in Harlem.

"The apartment is on the second floor." Mac said.

We walked up the flight of stairs and pounded on the door.

"NYPD!" Flack yelled.

We heard a noise and then the door slowly opened. A very large African American woman opened the door. She was in sweat clothes and a t-shirt and didn't seem to be wearing a bra.

"NYPD." I said and held up my badge. "This was the last given address for a Paul Raymond. Did you know him?"

She looked at us. "Do you have a warrant to be here?"

"Because this is the last known address of a murder victim we have probable cause to search the premises. As of his last appointment with his parole officer, which was last week he was living here." Flack told her.

"Paul's not here. He moved out." She said.

"When?" Mac asked.

"Two days ago." She said.

"And who are you?" Flack asked.

"Rhonda Lemasters. Paul used to live here with me and my boyfriend Carl Resin." Rhonda said.

"Well Rhonda, we're going to search Paul's old room. So open the door and let us in." I said.

"You can't just come in here." She said.

"Either step away or I'm placing you under arrest for hindering an investigation." Flack said.

Rhonda stared at us, then stepped back and opened the door.

We walked into the small apartment and were immediately assaulted by cold. I looked and saw the windows were all open.

"It's 21 degrees out and you have the windows open?" I asked.

"The cat pissed on the carpet, we're trying to get the smell out." Rhonda said.

"You have a cat?" Mac asked.

"Yeah." Rhonda said.

"Where is your boyfriend?" I asked.

"In the back bedroom asleep." Rhonda said.

"He needs to wake up." Flack said and walked towards the back bedroom and pounded on the door. "NYPD, Mr. Resin come out with your hands where I can see them for your protection and mine."

The bedroom door slowly opened and a black man dressed in just jeans walked out. As he walked over near Rhonda, a small gray cat ran out of the bedroom.

"Flack, stay with them. Aurora and me will search Paul's room." Mac said.

Mac and I walked into the spare bedroom. There were box springs missing the mattress.

"Looks like it was his own mattress we found him on." Mac said. "And a cat lives here which explains the cat hair."

"They've got the windows all open trying to air out the smell of smoke. You can still smell it in here." I said.

"Look at the walls….scorch marks." Mac said.

"We got enough to drag them in for an interrogation." I said.

"Have Flack get a warrant so I can process this room and search the house. Somewhere is that lighter fluid." Mac said.

"And if Paul had moved out like they're claiming, he didn't take anything with him." I said, noticing the room was full of personal effects.

"Go with Flack downtown and get the warrant. Start questioning them, I'll process this apartment." Mac said.

I nodded and walked out into the main room.

"Alright, we're going downtown and have a chat." I said.

(Station)

Aiden and I had Rhonda in one of the interrogation rooms. Flack had Carl in another.

"So, Paul, Carl and you all three lived in the same apartment?" I asked.

"That's right." Rhonda said.

"And how did you know Paul?" Aiden asked.

"He was a friend of a friend. Needed a place to stay. We let him move in with us." Rhonda said.

"So tell me….how'd the three of you get along?" I asked.

"Pretty good." Rhonda said.

"You know that there was a fire in Paul's room?" I asked.

"Paul set his mattress on fire. He fell asleep with a cigarette in his hand." Rhonda said.

"Then how did his mattress and him get in an alley down the street?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know." Rhonda said.

"You do know. Now start talking." I said.

"I told you, I wasn't home last night." Rhonda insisted.

"Right, right. So you just came home and found that the walls had been burned in the spare bedroom and thought nothing of it." I rolled my eyes.

"I told you that was from a fire Paul started smoking in bed." Rhonda yelled.

"You better start talking. We have cat hair linking that mattress to your cat. We have your roommate found burned and scorch marks on the walls of your apartment. And we have Detective Taylor going over your apartment now. If there is anything linking you to this case, he'll find it!" I said.

"Carl did it!" Rhonda yelled.

"Yup, I knew it was true love. She's blaming it all on her boyfriend." Aiden sighed.

"Okay, why did Carl do it?" I asked.

"We caught Paul stealing from us. Carl wanted to teach him a lesson." Rhonda said.

"What was he stealing that you had to beat him and then set him on fire?" Aiden asked.

"Different things around the apartment. He was stealing them and pawning them." Rhonda said.

"So instead of calling the police, pressing charges or kicking him out of your apartment…..you thought murder was the better route to go?" I said sarcastically.

"Carl wasn't supposed to kill him, just teach him a lesson." Rhonda said.

"And how were you involved in all this?" Aiden asked.

"Carl was just supposed to beat Paul a little bit. Scare him, teach him a lesson. But when things went too far…..I helped him carry the mattress and body out of the apartment and dump it." Rhonda said.

"I think you're more involved than you're telling us." Aiden said.

"And the story you're telling us now…..if it should be true, we still got you on aiding and abetting, accessory before and after the fact." I said.

"What do you think Aurora?" Aiden asked.

"I think we should let her sit and think awhile. And we'll talk to Detective Taylor and see what he has found." I said.

Aiden and I stood up and walked out of the interrogation room. We found Flack getting coffee in the break room.

"What did you find out from Carl?" I asked him.

"Carl admits that he used a baseball bat to beat on Paul. However, he says it was Rhonda that set him on fire." Flack said.

"Rhonda is blaming everything on Carl." Aiden said.

"Sounds about right." Flack sighed. "Carl says Paul was stealing from them."

"Well that much is consistent." I said. "But what do they expect? The guy went to jail for breaking and entering."

Aiden's cell phone rang. "Burn……..okay I'm on my way."

She hung up.

"That was Mac. He is on his way to the lab with some things to be processed. He wants me to help." Aiden said.

"Hopefully that will tell us what happened in that apartment." I said.

(Later)

I sat down across from Rhonda in the interrogation room. Mac had just come from the lab with the results of what he'd found in the lab. He was joining me in talking with Rhonda. Aiden was with Flack talking to Carl.

"Rhonda Lemasters, I just finished processing the evidence found in your apartment and it does not support the story you told Detective Denton." Mac said.

"I told you, Carl did it. I just helped him carry the body and mattress." Rhonda said.

"No, we found your fingerprints on the bottle of lighter fluid found in the garbage can. Carl is saying that you were the one that set Paul on fire. And fingerprints confirm his story." Mac said. "We also found the bloody baseball bat in the closet. The blood matches Paul. And the fingerprints on the bat match Carl."

"Carl admits to beating Paul." I said.

"Carl had me pour lighter fluid on Paul." Rhonda insisted.

I rolled my eyes. "You were a willing participant in Paul Raymond's murder."

"You watched as Carl beat Paul with that bat. Then you poured lighter fluid on Paul and set him on fire. But you were afraid that the fire department would be called, so you put out the flames yourself with a blanket…..yeah we found the scorched blanket in the laundry." Mac said.

"Except Paul wasn't dead. He was lying there suffering in pain none of us can imagine. It took a few hours for him to finally die." I said.

"And when he did, then you and Carl took the mattress and the body out of your building and down a back alley where you wouldn't be scene and dumped both." Mac said.

"You had so many chances to stop this non-sense. You could have not beaten him. Or you could've not set him on fire. And even after all that, you could've gotten him help. But no, you let him suffer and die an agonizing death." I sniped. "And just so you know, the DA is going to ask for a special consideration for torture."

Rhonda looked at us but had nothing to say.

"We're done here." I said and stood up.

I walked out of the interrogation room. Mac was close behind me.

"This was a sick case. Paul Raymond died a horrible death." Mac said.

"Sheldon told the DA he would testify as to exactly what Paul went through." I said. "Those two don't stand a chance."

"I'm heading back to the lab to finish my reports." Mac said.

Mac walked back towards the lab and I went to my desk to finish my reports. It had been a long day.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Ciao bella. Heard you wrapped up your case." Danny said.

"Yeah, it was a gruesome one. I wish New York State allowed for the 'burning at the stake' option for the death penalty." I said.

"Since everything is wrapped up, why don't you grab Flack and Aiden and we'll head out to the movies." Danny said.

"Danny, I don't really feel like it. Why don't you three go on ahead?" I said.

"Baby, I don't wanna go out with our friends without you. What's the matter?" Danny asked.

"Danny…..it's…..I just don't want to go." I said. "I'll call you later."

I hung up the phone and took a deep breath.

(Later)

I sat in the locker room leaning on my locker. I knew I should talk to Danny, but it didn't seem right.

"Aurora?" Danny walked in.

"Danny, this is the women's locker room." I said.

"I needed to talk to you. Something has you upset." Danny shrugged. "Besides, I already know what you got. And Aiden has generally the same thing. Except she has more chest and less leg than you."

I looked at him and he gave that small cocky smirk of his.

"What? Guys look. Trust me Flack has looked at both you girls like that. So has Sheldon." Danny said.

"Yeah, Aiden and me have checked out you three guys too." I sighed.

"So what's bothering you? You haven't been yourself all day." Danny said and sat down on the floor next to me.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said.

"Baby, whatever it is, tell me. I want to help." Danny said and took my hand.

"I just…..I mean with you being from New York and all." I sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Danny was confused. "Something is up with you. Ever since I suggested all of us going out you've acted strange."

"I just……I can't go see 'United 93'." I said.

Danny looked at me. "This whole moody spell has been because you didn't like the movie I suggested?"

"No, it's not that……I just……you'll think I am selfish." I sighed.

"Baby, why would I think you're selfish? You're one of the most giving and caring people I've ever met." Danny said.

"Danny……Shanksville, PA…Somerset County…where United Flight 93 went down….it's only an hour or so out of Pittsburgh. It's one of the closest big cities." I started crying. "On 9/11, Pittsburgh police were called in to assist……..I saw…."

"Shhhh, its okay." Danny hugged me.

"I'm sorry; I just can't watch that movie. I saw the real thing. The wreckage….." I cried.

"It's okay. I never thought….I never stopped to realize how close you were to where flight 93 crashed." Danny rocked me. "But why didn't you just tell me?"

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "Because I sound ridiculous to a New Yorker that saw the Twin Towers fall. You were here when the towers fell, you lost loved ones, and you worked to identify victims. I saw a plane crash and I fall to all you went through."

Danny held me tight. "Aurora……you have every right to feel upset at what you saw. You saw the devastation of 9/11 first hand….you saw a part that I didn't."

"I still remember standing in that field….metal…..and thinking…..how brave those people were." I cried. "I am sorry."

"Don't be. You have every right to feel how you do. To be honest with you….if this was a movie about the Trade Center falling, I don't think I could watch it. I avoid documentaries about it." Danny rubbed my back.

"I just can't…..it's too personal." I said.

"I understand….baby don't ever be afraid to tell me your feelings." Danny said.

"But I just feel ridiculous crying about it to you considering you saw so much more horror than I did." I sniffled.

Danny forced me to look at him. "We both saw horror. We both saw firsthand the devastation of terrorism."

"But you knew people who died…..I didn't."

"Doesn't make my pain more special than yours….the whole nation grieved and still does." Danny said.

I nodded. "I'm sorry. I don't think that I'll ever be able to watch a movie about any part of 9/11. Not about Flight 93, the Trade Center or the Pentagon."

"And there are thousands like you…..and I understand." Danny said. "All of us will see a different movie."

"You mad at me?" I asked.

"No, I understand how you feel. Too often the focus of 9/11 is all on NYC and people overlook that DC suffered too, and that without the heroes of Flight 93 there would've been more suffering." Danny said. "I completely understand you're apprehension."

I snuggled on his shoulder. "Will you just hold me awhile?"

"Of course." Danny said and rested his head against mine.


	60. NYPD Christmas Party

_Emador- Who is uncle Joe? I have so much to tell you. And you're so welcome._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Our news is pretty graphic, guess big city news is. It's been a pretty controversial case. The DA here really is seeking charges for first degree murder with special considerations for torture. _

_LizfromItaly- I am so glad I was able to cheer you up a bit. The Torture chapters are based on a case from my hometown that is ongoing. I know how much you love Don. I adore him too and he is so much fun to write. _

_Meadow567- Sure you can have him. And there was some wreckage there because they called in the military to collect what they could, even sifting through dirt. Then they reconstructed what they could by filling in pieces that were obliterated. They also called in forensic people to collect any small bits of human remains they could find. So I decided that Aurora could've been there. It works great with a plot that will develop later._

(8:30PM)

The NYPD Christmas Party was to be the big event of the weekend. It was Friday night and all departments of the NYPD had gathered at some fancy ballroom in a hotel downtown for the party.

"Mac mixed up some of his eggnog." Flack said as Danny and I walked in. "Rora, you gotta try this stuff."

"I'll get a cup later." I smiled as coat check took our coats.

"Now I know where the term little black dress came from." Sheldon winked walking up to us.

"I am going to take that as a compliment." I said.

"So Flack, you got a hot date?" Sheldon asked.

"Nah, I came alone and promised Aiden I'd walk her home after the party." Flack said.

"More like you'll be drunk and she'll drag you home." I laughed.

"Mac's eggnog and an open bar…hell yeah." Flack smiled.

"Danny, I am going to get a drink and find Aiden. Catch up with you later?" I winked. I walked off to find Aiden.

"So Daniel….how long until you drag Aurora into the bathroom?" Sheldon asked.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"I give it till 10:30." Flack said.

"I wonder what she is wearing under that dress." Sheldon said.

"I'll let you know tomorrow." Danny smiled.

Sheldon caught sight of Aurora and Aiden laughing together at something Chad had said.

"Damn look at Aiden….that dress shows off everything just right." Sheldon said.

"Aurora helped her pick that out." Danny said.

"Aiden is looking hott." Sheldon said.

"Hawkes, don't you have women you don't know to be chasing after?" Flack said.

"I already know Aiden, all I have to do is turn on a little charm." Sheldon grinned.

"Aiden has been needing a real date." Danny laughed.

"Good thing I brought mistletoe." Sheldon reached in his pockets and pulled out two handfuls of it. "After a few drinks and the holiday mood, the ladies are so nice."

Danny chuckled. "Can I watch when you get slapped? Although last year Stella let you kiss her for a few seconds."

"Aurora is motioning for you Danny." Flack said.

I waved Danny over to where I was standing talking with Aiden and Chad. I had grabbed us a couple of drinks.

"This is good eggnog but it's so strong." I smiled.

"That's why a lot of us end up tipsy." Danny said.

(10:00PM)

I was sitting at a table with Aiden, Flack and Danny. Sheldon walked over and held a bunch of mistletoe of my head.

"Sheldon, how many women have you done that to tonight?" I giggled.

"All I keep getting is kisses on the cheek." Sheldon smiled. He was getting tipsy.

"You can kiss Rora, but no more than 3 seconds and no tongue." Danny said.

I giggled and leaned my head back so Sheldon could give me a quick kiss.

"I still want to see Aiden and Aurora make out." Flack said. He'd been hitting the drinks too.

"Me too." Sheldon said. "Here Aiden, hold this mistletoe over Aurora's head."

Aiden rolled her eyes. "I just love it when the guys start drinking. These parties are always so much fun. Wait until they're really drunk."

"Well I am not getting drunk. I have plans for Aurora when the party is over." Danny winked.

"The married couple." Flack rolled his eyes.

"I need laid." Sheldon said.

"Well, there are women everywhere. Just make sure one doesn't slap you." Aiden said.

"Hey, there is a dessert complete with….ice cream cones." Sheldon noticed.

"Oh no." I sighed, knowing what was coming next.

"I wanna see if Flack is as good as he brags." Danny said. "Come on Sheldon."

The three guys stood up and headed for the dessert table.

"Morbid curiosity is making me want to watch." Aiden smiled.

"Me too, a little…..I want to see what I can expect from Danny." I said.

"Let's go watch them." Aiden giggled.

Aiden and I walked across the room watching as the boys started eating their ice cream.

"The ladies are here now, so the pressure is on." Flack winked.

Aiden and I giggled and watched as the ice cream on top the cones disappeared and the boys started working on the ice cream inside the cones.

"Danny isn't doing too bad over there." Aiden whispered.

"Shhhhh, before I drag him off into a corner." I giggled.

"Watching him work on his cone…I am so jealous of you." Aiden said. "You so have to give me details."

"My tongue is getting tired." Sheldon said.

"I hate it when men use that excuse." Aiden said. "If you're with a girl and not an ice cream cone and you do it so long your tongue hurts, you're doing it wrong."

"Mine is almost empty." Flack said.

"And yet he's single. We need to find him a date." I giggled.

I focused on Danny who was well on his way to cleaning out his own ice cream cone.

"Okay, I don't think I can get anymore out without biting." Flack said.

Aiden and I peered at his cone to see what was left.

"Very little left….I am impressed." I said.

"Yeah, I'm done too." Danny said.

Aiden and I looked at what was left in his cone. He had just slightly less left than Flack and suddenly the room felt a few degrees warmer.

"Okay Hawkes, hurry up." Aiden said.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Almost there." Sheldon said.

"Maybe we just should've taught them the Alphabet Method to going down on a girl." I said.

"Alphabet method?" Flack asked.

Aiden and I grinned at each other.

"I heard about this one in college." Aiden said. "Alphabet Method is when you go down on a girl, use your tongue to trace letters on her clit. Start with A and go down the alphabet. If she's not cumming on your face by Q, you're doing something very wrong."

"I'm finished." Sheldon said.

Aiden and I peered in. "Not bad, even if you did gripe about your tongue getting tired."

"How did you women learn all this stuff?" Flack asked.

"Women talk." I said. "Don't guys ever talk about technique and such?"

"All I ever heard was that if you're going down on a girl and she stops you and asks you to just screw her, you're really bad with your mouth." Flack said. "Of course that has never happened to me."

"Of course not." I rolled my eyes.

I saw Mac walking towards us.

"Throw those cones away, here comes Mac. He'll know what we were doing if he sees those." I said.

The boys found a trash can and threw their cones away. I giggled thinking it was almost like hiding something from your parents.

"Hey Mac, love the eggnog." I smiled.

"Thanks. Danny and Flack would've disowned me if I didn't make it." Mac said. "Enjoying the party?"

"Yeah it's great. It's nice to mingle with officers from the other departments." Aiden said.

"How about you Mac?" I asked.

"I have to be nice to the big brass while I am here." He sighed.

"That must suck." Flack said.

I went to Sheldon and dug in his jacket pocket.

"Aurora?" Sheldon asked.

"Where is that mistletoe?" I asked. "Here it is."

I grabbed a few pieces of it and walked over to Mac. I held a piece over his head and leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.

"What was that for?" Mac raised an eyebrow.

I smiled. "Christmas cheer! Besides, everyone should have a kiss under mistletoe at Christmas."

Mac gave a small smile. "If it were any other woman I'd be concerned. Thanks Aurora."

"You bring a date Mac?" Flack asked.

"I rode the train here with Chad….and he's busy trying to pick up one of the narcotics detectives." Mac said.

"I have to go watch him get shot down." Aiden laughed.

I laughed as Danny put an arm around me. "I thought we'd dance a few."

"We're headed to the bar. I love open bar." Sheldon said.

Danny and I walked to the dance floor.

(11:30PM)

"Flack, how many of those have you had?" I asked.

"I dunno, eight maybe." Flack mumbled.

"He's drunk." Danny sighed.

I sat at the table leaning on Danny and watching Flack drink….whatever it was he was drinking. Sheldon was slowly making his way back from the bar. He was as plastered as Flack. I was glad Danny wasn't getting drunk. I wondered what he had in mind for after the party.

"Danny, you know something?" Flack mumbled as Sheldon sat down.

"What Don?" Danny asked.

"Aurora's first date in New York City was with me, not you." Flack started laughing.

I chuckled.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know Don. Luckily for me you're a lousy date and she's mine now."

"If I had really wanted her, I'd have put her under my spell, which would've led to her being under me." Flack smirked.

"Flack, why don't you put a girl under that spell?" I rolled my eyes.

"I would…but I am afraid it wouldn't work." Flack said.

Sheldon sat down. "What wouldn't work?"

"Nothing." Flack said.

"There are so many pretty girls here." Sheldon said. "It's amazing how many of the NYPD I never see stuck in the morgue."

Danny started laughing. "Sheldon, maybe you should try your old drunk pick up routine."

"What was that?" I asked.

"When Sheldon first started as our ME and we'd go out. He'd get drunk and offer ladies free breast exams saying 'it's okay, I'm a doctor'." Danny laughed.

I cracked up. "Hey Sheldon, you know….."

"Oh no, I can verify yours are fine." Danny smirked.

"But Aiden's look nice tonight, where is she? Maybe I'll ask her to play doctor/patient with me." Sheldon said.

"Aiden doesn't want to play with you." I told Sheldon.

"Do you?" Sheldon asked.

Danny cleared his throat with a smile.

"Oh fine, I am going to meet some ladies." Sheldon said and stumbled out of his seat.

I laughed as I watched him stumbled across the room and lose himself in the crowd.

Danny leaned against me and nuzzled my neck. "How soon till we can go home?"

"In a little while." I said and kissed him.

"Danny, just drag her into the bathroom." Flack mumbled.

Danny chuckled. "Not for what I have in mind."

I raised an eyebrow and kissed him again.

"I'm going to find Aiden….last I saw her she was flirting with some detective from the Special Victims Unit." I said.

"I need another drink." Flack said and stood up, making his way to the bar.

I kissed Danny again and made my way through the crowd. I waved at Stella who was dancing with Vicaro. I wondered how Vicaro talked her into that one. I winked at Mac who was talking with the commissioner. I spotted Aiden coming out of the restrooms.

"Hey, where's the guy you were flirting with?" I asked.

"I wasn't that interested. He was nice but that's it." Aiden said.

I nodded. "Having fun though?"

"Yeah, although I noticed Danny is getting anxious." Aiden said as we started walking across the room.

"I don't know what he has in mind." I giggled.

"Did you wear what you planned?" Aiden giggled.

"Black lace and garters, yeah. They just went so perfect with the dress." I said.

"Did you tell him that's what you were wearing under there?" Aiden asked.

"No. I never even mentioned to him I owned them." I said.

Aiden smiled. "As horny as he already seems to be…and then he's gonna find you wearing that……you might not be able to walk straight tomorrow."

I chuckled. "Don't tell Danny, but there is something about the holidays that puts me in the mood. All the festivities just…."

"What is Sheldon doing?" Aiden said.

I looked across the room to see Sheldon sitting at a table with a woman I didn't recognize. He had the centerpiece on his head.

"He's drunk off his ass." I said. "Let's go get him."

Aiden and I made our way through the crowd to the table where Sheldon was. The woman looked amused.

"We're sorry about him." I said to her.

"It's okay. He's kinda cute and funny." She smiled.

"Sheldon, what are you doing with the centerpiece on your head?" I asked.

"I'm the spirit of Christmas present." Sheldon said.

"We're going to see that play next week. Now come on and say goodnight to the nice lady." I said.

Aiden and I helped Sheldon out of the chair.

"Goodnight nice lady." Sheldon said.

"Emily." She said.

"Goodnight Emily." Sheldon mumbled as we dragged him back towards our table.

"Do we know her?" I asked.

"She works in Narcotics. I caught a case with her last year when a known drug dealer was found dead." Aiden explained.

Danny took one look at Sheldon and started laughing.

"Sheldon, you look ridiculous." Flack said.

Sheldon let go of me and Aiden. He reached in his pockets and pulled out more of that mistletoe. He held a bunch of it over my head and Aiden's.

"Sheldon…what are you doing?" Aiden asked.

"Now you have to kiss Aurora." Sheldon said.

"You guys just never stop." I sighed.

"Come on, we just wanna see you kiss. And you're under mistletoe." Flack said.

"Come on, it's Christmas time." Danny said.

"Oh what the hell?" Aiden winked at me.

She and I leaned forward and kissed for maybe 3 seconds.

"Damn that was hot!" Flack cheered.

"Hey remember that threesome…." Danny started.

"NO!" Aiden and I said together.

"That wasn't making out." Sheldon complained. "Hell I'd kiss Flack for that long."

"Stay away from me Hawkes." Flack laughed.

I chuckled. "Aiden, sad thing is…they're gonna talk about it for two weeks. And we're over it already because it was no big deal."

"One thing I love about women….when they're close, they can be all affectionate and even kiss and it's no big deal. When guys are close we hang out, talk and stuff….but it's a special occasion or giving comfort before we even hug and we never kiss." Flack said.

"Aurora, are you ready to go yet?" Danny asked.

"I suppose, you get our coats from coat check?" I asked.

"Yeah, meet me there." Danny said and got up.

Aiden winked at me and I smiled. "I'll give you details later." I told her.


	61. December 21st

_Snowbear96- Why is that weird? I love Aiden. I was so upset when they took her off the show._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- on what? Your question was cut off._

_BridgetLynn- I actually listened to a few Christmas CD's to help get the mood for the Christmas stuff, LOL._

_LizfromItaly- With Danny, is there any doubt?_

_Jordayna- You know Danny! Although it's mentioned in here. I don't want to relive it either. It was horrible._

_Miss Metal- Better not chase Don, he carries a gun. He might shoot you, LOL._

_Emador- You gotta love drunk Sheldon. More in this chappie you should love._

_Meadow567- Glad you had a good laugh. I promise Kylah is coming soon. I have just been so busy._

Aiden and I were in the locker room getting ready to head out to see 'A Christmas Carol'. Mac, Sheldon, Don, Danny, Aiden and I were all heading out for the evening to see the play. With four days left until Christmas everyone was in a good mood.

"So what happened the other night after the party?" Aiden asked.

"Danny was in a mood I tell ya. It was amazing." I smiled thinking back. "He actually carried me to the bedroom after I opened my door."

"And what did he think of your garters and lace?" Aiden giggled.

"He started moaning in Italian." I said.

"So when does Danny get to see the little red thing you bought last week?" Aiden asked.

"Christmas eve. We're staying at my place. I am putting a couple of blankets on the floor near the Christmas tree, opening a bottle of wine." I said.

"That sounds so romantic. Damn I need laid." Aiden said.

"I know someone who could help you out with that." I giggled.

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Danny have sensitive nipples?"

"What?"

Aiden chuckled. "Just curious. Most guys do."

"We do need to get you a date so you can quit living vicariously through me. And yes he does." I said.

"So what does he do that makes you melt?" Aiden winked.

"Oh my, there are so many." I giggled. "He's just got this way of kissing and nuzzling on my neck. And sometimes I swear he has five hands."

"I want a man." Aiden whined.

"Ask someone out on a real date." I said. "Or you can do like I did and get kidnapped, which was the big kick in the ass to Danny to tell me how he felt."

"If I got the choice of getting kidnapped or my vibrator……I'll just buy new batteries on my way home tonight." Aiden said.

(Men's Locker room)

"So Danny, what was Aurora wearing under that dress from the party?" Flack winked across the locker room at Danny who was putting his contacts in.

"Oh my god Don….I get her dress off her and she's in black lace panties and garters. I almost got off just looking at her." Danny said.

"Damn...did you two actually make it out of bed over the weekend?" Flack laughed.

"As a matter of fact we did. She was baking when I woke up Saturday morning." Danny smiled.

"Yeah, she brought in a big platter of cookies today for Mac and sent one to my dad." Flack said.

"It amazes me how big her heart is." Danny said.

"Yeah, and what a fine package that heart is in." Flack said.

"Don…if you're that horny, go get a real date." Danny rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that horny. But I see you daydreaming sometimes and I wonder what you're thinking about." Flack said.

Danny chuckled. "Different little things. Like that little purring sound she makes sometimes. I swear she purrs better than Rammer."

"Does the cat ever watch?" Flack laughed.

"Yes, Aurora's cat despite being neutered is a big pervert with a voyeur kink." Danny said sarcastically.

"Hey I dated a girl once whose dog I swear watched us." Sheldon walked into the locker room.

"Where is Mac? Is he ready to go yet?" Danny asked.

"He's trying to fight Chad away from those cookies Aurora made him." Sheldon said.

"That woman can cook." Flack said. "Dad said if he were 30 years younger, he'd marry her."

"Your dad said the same thing about Aiden when he first met her." Danny said.

"That's because of her bra size….like father like son!" Flack winked.

"Honestly, more than a handful is too much." Sheldon said.

"And less than a handful should just tape band aids over their nipples and save on buying bras!" Flack smirked.

(Theater)

We all found our seats in the theater. There was snow falling outside and I snuggled close to Danny to get warm.

"This was a nice idea for the holidays." Mac said as he sat down beside me.

"I am so glad you came with us. And speaking of the holidays, you're coming over Christmas day to have dinner with us and spend time with people who love you." I said.

"Aurora, someone has to stay at the….." Mac started.

"No, forward all calls to your cell phone. It's high time you spend Christmas with people who care about you and start making happy memories with the holiday once again." I said.

"But…"

"No buts. I won't take no for an answer. Don and his dad will be there. We're having a big dinner at 3PM. And I've already got your present wrapped under the tree." I smiled.

Mac gave me a sideways look. "I am starting to see why Danny can't deny you anything. Not to mention that stubborn streak."

I chuckled and gave him a quick hug. "Wouldn't be the same without ya."

"It's been a long time since I saw 'A Christmas Carol'." Sheldon said.

"Oh it's one of my favorite plays. I watch it on TV every year. This is the first time I've got to see it live." I said and took Danny's hand.

"Hey Sheldon, maybe next year you can audition for the ghost of Christmas present." Flack laughed.

"I tell you. One drunken act and I'll hear about it from now on." Sheldon said.

"That poor narcotics detective….you're lucky she was good-natured and didn't throw her drink on you." Aiden said.

"Mac, do you like this play?" I asked him.

Mac nodded. "It's always been one of my favorites."

"I am so glad we all came." I smiled.

"So are there any hot chicks in this play?" Sheldon asked.

"Well, there is Mrs. Cratchet, and Fred's wife and young Fran." I said. "And that girlfriend that Young Scrooge had."

"And they'll all be wearing big dresses from the time period, nothing revealing." Aiden said.

The lights in the theater lowered and a spotlight appeared onstage. I snuggled closer to Danny as the play began. I loved this play. We watched as Bob Cratchet asked for Christmas Day off and the Scrooge went home alone on Christmas Eve. Then Marley appeared to warn Scrooge.

"You know an old friend of mine always swore that the key to all Marley's chains were in his back pocket the whole time." I whispered to Danny.

"What made him say that?" Danny asked.

"I'm not sure. He has some interesting philosophies." I said.

Then the Spirit of Christmas Past visited as Scrooge slept. We watched Christmases from Scrooge's past.

"Who names their kid Ebenezer?" Flack asked.

"Better yet, he's got a girlfriend….imagine trying to yell that out during sex." Aiden giggled.

I chuckled as the scene changed and Scrooge was being visited by the Spirit of Christmas Present.

"Look, its Sheldon." I giggled.

The actor had a wreath on his head, much like Sheldon had at the party last week.

"Hey that was a great pick-up line even if I was drunk." Sheldon insisted.

"Pretending to be the Spirit of Christmas Present saying 'because I see me in your Christmas this year'?" Flack laughed.

"Well it didn't get me slapped like a few of yours." Sheldon said. "Mr. I-need-to-stop-and-ask-for-directions-because-I'm-lost-in-your-eyes."

I laughed. "No wonder you don't have dates."

We turned back to the play. Tiny Tim was sick and dying. Then the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come showed up. Scrooge was all nervous and upset.

"If that spirit really showed up at one of houses what do you think we'd see?' Flack asked Aiden.

"We'd probably see Mac, dedicated as ever, was the new police chief. Danny and Aurora are married and expecting their 3rd or 4th child; and they've moved to a nice house in a good neighborhood. You're still single and living in the same apartment. I'll be married to some loser who cheats on me. And I'll leave him and when we turn 40 me and you will get together like you promised. God only knows what Sheldon will be doing." Aiden said.

"Four kids?" Flack laughed. "Danny, you're gonna be busy."

Danny rolled his eyes and ignored Don.

We continued watching the play as Scrooge had a change of heart. He woke up jubilant and sent gifts to the Cratchet family. Tiny Tim did not die. And 'God Bless us everyone.'

"If those spirits visit me, I hope they are female." Sheldon said.

"You need a date as bad as Flack." I said.

"Maybe we can talk a couple of girls into going out with them for New Years Eve." Danny said.

"That was a nice thing to do for the holidays." Aiden said about the play.

"It was. Thanks again Aurora….it's been a long time since I…." Mac started.

"I know. I'm glad you came. Christmas with people I love is important to me…and you know how much you mean to me." I hugged him.

"Are we ready to go? I need to go shopping in the morning." Flack said.

"Nothing like waiting until the last minute." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"I hate Christmas shopping. And every time I go to a store at Christmastime they are playing 'Little Drummer Boy' over the speakers. By the time I leave, I am rum-a-tum-tummed out." Flack said.

I giggled. "Flack, next year at the Christmas party, I think you should dress as Santa. You'd look so cute in a Santa suit."

Flack raised an eyebrow.

"I want to do it…I should've done it this year. All the women can sit on my lap." Sheldon said.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's head out. It's probably still snowing."

We walked out of the theater. It was still snowing. The falling snow looked beautiful coming down through New York City that was all lit up and decorated.

"You guys go on ahead. Aurora and I are going for a walk." Danny said.

"We are?" I asked.

"Yeah." Danny winked at me.

I smiled. "See you guys later."

Danny and I turned and walked down the street as the others headed towards the subway station.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I thought we'd take a walk to Rockefeller Center. See the big tree all lit up." Danny smiled. "Besides, you look so adorable with snowflakes in your hair."

I giggled and leaned against him. "This is turning into a wonderful holiday season. Louie is getting better all the time. Doctors are taking more machines off him all the time and they're hoping soon they'll be able to take the tubes out of his throat so he can talk. I have wonderful friends that I love to spend the holidays with."

"Louie nearly died. Sometimes I still can't believe he pulled through. His recovery will be a long time. But I will be there through it all." Danny said. "And Usually for Christmas I get dragged to one of Flack's aunts' houses or home with Aiden. This year I am with you and Don and Donald and Mac……and I am still surprised he agreed to come."

"Well Mac is very special to me. He holds a special place in my heart." I said.

"It's going to be a good Christmas, and I am actually looking forward to the New Year." Danny smiled.

As we approached Rockefeller Center, the large lit Christmas tree was easy to see. It was so beautiful.

"You know, I've seen this scene so many times on TV….it amazing to be here in person now." I said.

"I am so glad you came to New York. Now that I have you, I realize how complete you make my life." Danny said.

"Thank you." I said.

We walked over and stood in front of the tree. It was huge and beautiful. I smiled and looked up leaning on Danny.

"So what's your favorite Christmas memory?" Danny asked me.

I smiled. "It's hard to choose just one. I have a lot of happy memories from my childhood about Christmas."

"Tell me a few of them." Danny said.

I looked around at the tree and the snow falling. Everything was wonderful and I was standing with Danny. I had to admit he looked kinda cute with his cheeks turning red from the cold.

"When I was little, my dad had this tape of Gene Autry. On one side he was singing Christmas songs and on the other he was telling the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke. We'd listen to that every year. I'd sit with dad, or we'd be decorating the tree, or riding in the car looking at Christmas decorations. I love that tape. To this day when I hear Gene Autry singing 'Here Comes Santa Claus'….it makes me smile." I said.

Danny smiled. "I'll have to find you a copy of that album."

"What's your favorite Christmas memory?" I asked him.

Danny looked thoughtful. "When I was five…maybe six, Louie and I both got bikes for Christmas. It was my first bike with training wheels; and Louie's first ten speed. It was cold that year but we didn't have snow. Louie and me both wanted to try out our new bikes. So we bundled up and dad took us outside to ride them on the sidewalk. It was one of the few times I can remember my dad acting like a dad. I can still see Louie speeding down the street to show off; me nervously trying to maneuver my new bike. Dad was laughing and actually spent the day with us. Mom watched us out the window."

"That's a beautiful story." I said.

"Mom told me before she died that was the best Christmas she ever had. I guess that helps make it special too." Danny said.

I hugged Danny tight. "We'll have good Christmas memories."

"I know." Danny smiled. "I've already enjoyed so much surrounding the holidays with you."

"I love you." I kissed him.

"I love you too." He smiled.

I laid my head on his shoulder and snuggled against him. "Merry Christmas Danny."

"Buon Natale, Aurora." Danny said.


	62. The Past Returns

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Sorry, I am not familiar with that website. _

_Snowbear96- I adored Aiden and love writing her. I am glad that I write her enough that you're rooting for her in the story. I actually listened to Christmas songs to write those chapters._

_BridgetLynn- That would be an awesome proposal. And I love 'A Christmas Carol' too. I could not have Christmas without it, so I just had to include it in here._

_Meadow567- It'll take a few more days or so. I just have no time and now I am starting my summer job too. I must have a death wish._

_Jordayna- Awww, Christmas in NYC (warm fuzzies). So glad you liked it._

_Miss Metal- I am always on the lookout for random people in my story so I might twist a few things and use that. And what is it with everybody wanting Don? Nobody loves Mac and Hawkes! LOL_

_Emador- Geez, I mention her once and suddenly you're on her bandwagon! LOL I thought the ending was romantic too. Now remember what I said before you read this! _

_**Spoilers- **Slight 'The Dove Commission"_

It was the day after Christmas. I was sitting at my desk going over files on upcoming court cases. Flack was trying to recover from a hangover. After he'd left my place the night before he'd gone to some bar and partied.

Christmas had been wonderful. My plans about laying a blanket out near the Christmas tree had gone perfectly. Then Christmas morning when Danny and I woke up, we visited Louie at the hospital for a few hours. Then we went back to my place and exchanged gifts. I cooked a huge meal. Mac and the Flack's came to dinner. After dinner, we exchanged gifts with the guests.

I was thrilled that Mac got to have a happy Christmas. He laughed and talked and enjoyed the day. I hoped he wasn't feeling guilty now about enjoying the holiday without Claire.

"Flack, why did you drink so much last night?" I asked.

"I was having fun. And besides, I managed to get myself a date." Flack said.

"A date? A real date?" I asked.

"Yeah, I met her at the club last night. She was really nice and we talked a bit. We're going out tonight." Flack said.

I was a bit surprised. "What's her name?"

"Amy." Flack said.

"Well tell me about her?" I said, truly wanting a look at this girl and then to interrogate her.

"Well she's cute. She's got blonde hair and a few freckles on her nose. A beautiful smile." Flack said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Where are you two going on your date?"

"Thought we'd catch a movie, dinner afterwards and head back to her place." Flack winked.

"It's a first date. What kind of girl puts out on the first date?" I nearly growled.

Flack raised an eyebrow. "I just want laid a few times. Not everyone wants to be in love like you and Danny."

"I know that, but….oh never mind." I said.

I turned back to my desk as Flack's phone rang. "Flack…..yeah…hell…we're on it."

I knew we'd got a call. I grabbed for my coat. "What's up?"

"Man found dead in his apartment in Brooklyn. Shot. Building repair found him when he came in to fix a leaky sink. " Flack said as we started out of the station.

"I'll call the lab." I said.

(Brooklyn)

Flack and I walked into the apartment. Lying on the floor, face up was a dead man wearing just his robe. The apartment was rented to a Guilio Balduce. Neighbors didn't report anything out of the ordinary.

"No signs of forced entry." I said. "And his close proximity to the door makes me think he opened the door for his killer."

"No gun around, rules out suicide." Flack said.

"I had them run a check on this guy but couldn't find anything." I said.

Mac and Danny walked in.

"It's him." Danny said.

"Who?" I asked.

"The cab driver. The gypsy cab driver that beat up me and my dad when I was a kid." Danny said, staring at the body.

"Danny, are you sure? That was over twenty years ago." I said.

"I'd never forget that face." Danny said.

"Well he's dead now." Flack said.

"What do we know so far?" Mac asked.

"No one heard anything. He's Guilio Balduce, no record." I said.

"From the looks of the wound, I'd say he was shot at point blank range." Mac said.

"No one reports hearing gunshots. Killer used a silencer?" Flack stated.

"Possible. Danny take pictures and then look for the bullet. I'm going to see of there are foreign prints on the door." Mac said.

Danny got out the camera and started taking pictures as Mac went to the door and opened his kit.

"Is it wrong that I have a slight satisfaction that someone killed this bastard?" Danny asked.

"Considering what he did to you as a child, no." I said.

"No forced entry. Either he knew or had a reason to trust whoever he opened the door for." Mac said.

"Everything in the rest of the apartment seems to be in order. Nothing out of place or missing." Flack said.

"Maybe he beat up the wrong person this time in his cab." Danny sniped.

"Funny thing, there is no car registered to him." Flack said.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he got rid of it. I know that's him. I'd never forget that face."

"Well there has to be something to this case." Mac said. "We have no known reason for this guy to be dead."

"Whatever it is, I want to know." Danny said. "Found the bullet, it's stuck in the wall."

"Bullet passed straight through the skull and got stuck in the wall." Mac said. "Careful getting it out so we can run ballistics."

"The cause of death is pretty obvious. Hawkes will have to tell us a time of death." I said.

"I got some prints here on the door; I'll run them through AFIS and compare them to the victim's." Mac said.

(Station)

Flack went to autopsy with Danny. I stayed and went over the notes from interviewing Balduce's neighbors seeing if anything might be a clue as to what happened. Nothing was adding up.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, its Mac. Can you come to the lab? There are a few things I think you should see." Mac said.

"Sure, I'm on my way." I said and hung up, wondering what the problem was.

I hurried to the lab. When I walked in, Mac was sitting at the computer. Danny was no where around.

"Mac, what's the problem?" I asked.

"Aurora, good you're here." Mac said. "I was trying to run the prints I found on the door of the victim's apartment through AFIS. I got a hit."

"Who was it?" I asked.

"Well, the name that came up is Donato Michalucci. He was in the system for several assaults and such. But look at his mug shot." Mac pointed to the screen.

"That's our victim. I thought his name was Guilio Balduce?" I was confused looking at the picture.

"I had Hawkes print the victim during autopsy to be sure and our victim was Michalucci. Balduce must have been an alias." Mac said.

"Fingerprints don't lie." I sighed. "So why was this guy living under an assumed name?"

"Aurora, read the rest of his wrap sheet." Mac said.

I leaned in and read down the screen at the list of assaults and known associates.

"Is this right?" I asked.

Mac nodded. "Danny told me all their dad's were connected."

"So this guy was never a cab driver at all….he was just posing to get to Papa Messer." I sighed. "Does Danny know yet?"

"No, I thought I'd tell you first and let you tell him." Mac said.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"At autopsy with Flack still. They are due back any minute." Mac said.

"Okay, I'll talk to Danny. I want you and Flack to talk other known associates and see what you can find out." I said.

"I don't want Danny near them either. When you two are done talking, I'll have him run the ballistics on the bullet he found at the crime scene."

I nodded as Danny and Flack walked in.

"What did you find at autopsy?" I asked.

"Sheldon said Balduce has been dead since early last evening." Danny said.

"Danny, Aurora is gonna catch you up on the case and then run the ballistics on the bullet you found." Mac said. "Flack and I have some people to interview."

Danny frowned slightly. "What's up?"

"Come on Danny. There has been a break of sorts in the case." I said and pulled him towards the break room.

"Rory, is everything okay?" Danny asked.

"Danny, we need to talk." I said and sat down.

"What is going on?" Danny asked.

"Well Mac was running prints from the crime scene through AFIS, and got a hit on the name Donato Michalucci. Do you recognize that name?" I asked.

"Should I?" Danny was confused.

"It was the real name of our victim. Apparently Balduce was an alias." I said.

"The gypsy cab driver had an alias?" Danny asked.

"He wasn't a gypsy cab driver……he was the bodyguard and right hand man of Teddy Spangal." I said.

"Joe Spangal's dad? Wait…this guy was in the mob?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, Joe Spangal's dad. I know all the Tanglewood boys' dads were connected. Did your dad have a rivalry with Teddy Spangal?" I asked.

Danny sighed. "I don't know…..I mean they all did 'business' together but…...squabbles about territory and……"

I reached over and rubbed his knee. "Danny, Mac and I feel that Michalucci was posing as a cab driver in order to get close enough to your dad to send a message, make a point…whatever the mob does."

"You're telling me that….that was mob related. All these years I thought we were beat up and robbed….and here is was a message for my dad?" Danny asked.

"We think so, which is why Mac wants you to work in the lab for this case and let Flack and him handle interviews." I said.

Danny looked at me. "I was just ten years old. This man hurt me…I was a little kid."

I hugged him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better."

"I was beat up because of dad and his 'business'." Danny snapped. "He always tried to keep business away from us. But we knew….not to mention what he did to mom."

"Danny, I wish I understood the world you grew up in. I've never even seen 'The Godfather'." I said.

"I hate him for what he put us through." Danny said. "He was always carrying a gun. Strange people in and out of the house at all hours….we were never allowed in his private office. And the women….the endless….."

"I know you've been trying to forgive your dad…."

"How can I? Just when I am to the point I think I can let go of the hurt and move on……this comes up." Danny said.

"But Danny…….I know you and your dad will never be close. You'll never go to Shea Stadium on Sunday afternoons. You'll never take weekend fishing trips. You'll never call up just to chat. But you'll feel better if you let go of some of the pain. Your mom is gone, he can't hurt her anymore. You and Louie are grown. And Leo is….just let go." I said.

"Do you know, sometimes I see Don and Donald, and I am so jealous?" Danny asked.

I smiled in understanding.

"Is Mac gonna interview my dad?" Danny asked.

"Possibly. Right now he is focused on known associates of Spangal's. While you run ballistics, I am gonna pull some old cases involving Spangal and his men and see if that leads to anything." I said.

"We're dealing with the mob now….you be careful." Danny said.

"I will." I smiled.

Aiden walked into the break room.

"You two look hard at work." She smiled. "At least you're not making out."

I chuckled. "How was Christmas with the family?"

"Like most family get togethers. Mom keeps harping on me about when I am going to get engaged." Aiden laughed. "What did Romeo get you for Christmas?"

"Oh my god, Aiden he bought me….I am still so excited." I said.

She grabbed my hand. "You're not wearing a ring…..what the hell is so exciting?"

"Danny bought me an authentic team picture of the 1980 USA Hockey team, signed by all 20 players and the coaches!" I gushed.

Aiden smiled at Danny. "So that's what you were doing on e-bay every time I walked into the lab a month or so back."

Danny smirked. "It was worth it too. After she got done crying and hugging the damn thing, she promised……"

"Ahem!" I giggled.

Danny winked. "Actually I knew she'd love it. Of course now she wants more stuff to go with it and create a whole room of 1980 USA hockey. I might single-handedly keep eBay in business."

"That was a really sweet gift." Aiden said. "How did you think of it?"

"The idea came to me to look for her some Miracle team stuff when she was doing all her ranting and raving about Craig Patrick." Danny said.

(Later)

Flack walked out of the locker room and back to his desk. He had gotten ready for his date.

"Need a woman's opinion, how do I look?" Flack asked.

I smiled. "You look good."

"Would you screw me?" Flack asked.

"Not on the first date." I said.

Flack rolled his eyes. "You're a big help. I'll ask Aid……I'll ask Stella."

Flack looked nice. He was freshly showered and shaved. He was wearing jeans with a gray mock turtleneck and his leather jacket.

"Are you sure you don't mind working tonight?" Flack asked. "I appreciate you covering for me."

I sighed. "It's fine. The ballistics didn't get a hit in the system. Marks on the gun show that a silencer was used. Interviews with known associates of Spangal's that are still living didn't reveal anything. So I am gonna just look over some more old cases this evening. Not much more can be done right now. Go enjoy your date."

"I appreciate you covering for me. I owe you one." Flack smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll hold you to it too." I said.

Danny walked up. "Flack, you cutting out early?"

"He has a date." I said.

"Really? I didn't see that on CNN when Mac was watching it earlier." Danny laughed.

"Me having a date is not THAT newsworthy." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Well you look nice." I said. Although he didn't look any different than when he had 'dates' with Aiden or me.

"I hope Amy thinks so. I'm letting her pick the movie. She better put out if she makes me sit through some sappy chick flick." Flack said.

"Are you stopping to get her flowers or something?" I asked.

Flack hesitated. "Maybe I will. I should get going."

"Have a good time." I said.

"I want details later." Danny said.

Flack started to walk from the building. I saw Aiden walking through the front door of the station.

"What did you need Danny?" I asked, seeing Aiden stop Flack to talk to him.

"Just needed a break from the lab. Mac and I are getting ready to test fire some guns for comparison." Danny said.

"Well I am off to use the restroom and then diving into some more old cases." I said.

Danny gave me a quick kiss. "Call if you find anything. I love you."

"I love you more." I smiled.

I walked into the locker room and to the back where the restroom stalls were. After using the facilities, I walked out and washed my hands and splashed some cool water on my face.

I started back out of the locker room. I rounded a wall of lockers and saw Aiden sitting on the bench crying.

"Aiden?" I asked.

She looked up at me. I saw the tears streaking down her face. I walked over and sat down beside her. I hugged her tight and started rocking her gently.

"I know, sweetie. I know." I said.

**To Be Continued…… **


	63. The Past Returns 2

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I think Emador is a fabulous writer. So is meadow567._

_Meadow567- Whatever gave you that idea? I am for Carolina. But Buffalo was Rammer's team. _

_Dybdahl- the hype is right. I heart hockey. You should see a game._

_Snowbear96- Aww, now you're hugging Aiden. I am so glad I made you a fan of hers._

_Miss Metal- Yes I got your email. Thanks. Don't know quite what to do with it yet._

_Emador- Shame, shame. Screwing on the first date. LOL And you'll just have to see what my twisted mind has in store._

_BridgetLynn- I could actually see Rora smacking him, LOL. _

_oddie33325- Wow, all caps. You must be excited! LOL_

I was sitting at my desk looking over old files against Teddy Spangal. Mac had decided that in the morning he would take Flack and go to Riker's and speak with Joe Spangal and see if he knew anything. Mac had also told me he felt this was a mob hit. Michalucci was being silenced for some reason or a message was being sent.

I looked up to see Flack walking into the station. I frowned. He should be out on his date.

"Flack, what are you doing here? I thought you had a date." I said.

"I did." Flack answered.

I looked at the clock. "It's only 10:00. I've heard of a wham-bam-thank-you-mam, but this is ridiculous."

"I took Amy home after the movie. It just…..it just didn't work out." Flack said.

"What happened? You finally got a date and you take her home after less than two hours? Just before you left you were all excited to get laid." I said.

Flack sat in his chair and sighed. "It didn't feel right. She wasn't…..it just wasn't what I wanted."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you ask her out?"

"I thought that I could go out, get laid and…….but…..where is Danny?" Flack asked.

"In the lab." I said.

Flack turned and walked towards the lab. I watched him go wondering what was going on with him. I turned back to the files.

The case was going no where until we could interview more people. I leaned back in my chair, wondering what to do. Mac wanted Danny and me to keep our distance since we had past experiences with Spangal.

I picked up my phone and dialed Aiden's number.

"Burn."

"Aiden, you won't believe this. Flack is back from his date already. He took her home following the movie and is back at the station." I told her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. He's acting kinda strange about the whole thing and went to talk to Danny." I said. "Feel better?"

"Some." Aiden said. "I just wish that….."

"I know, and I know what you're afraid of. I've been there." I said. "I gotta go, I am getting beeped."

"Denton." I answered my other line.

"Aurora, are you staying the night at the station or heading home?" Danny asked.

"These case files are leading no where, so I was about to head home." I said.

"I am going out with Don for a bit." Danny said.

"What is going on with him?" I asked.

"We're just going to grab a meal, sit and talk. Guy stuff." Danny said.

"Alright, after I put these files away I am heading out." I said.

"You want me to take you home?" Danny asked.

"No, I'll be fine. You and Don have fun." I said.

"I'll call you later. I love you." Danny said.

"I love you too." I said and hung up.

(Next Morning)

The next morning, I left my apartment early. I needed to visit someone. This latest case had caused me to have so many questions in my mind that I just had to do some asking.

I took the subway to the Upper Eastside and walked down the street, looking for the address I had looked up the night before. I found the house and looked up at it. Somehow, it wasn't what I expected.

I walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. I could hear footsteps and the door opened.

"Aurora?"

"Good morning, Leo. May I come in?" I asked.

"Is something wrong with Danny or Louie?" Leo asked.

"No, they're fine." I said.

"Is this official police business? Detective Taylor was here yesterday about Teddy Spangal's bodyguard being murdered." Papa Messer said.

"A little police business but more of a personal visit." I said.

"Come on in. I would offer you coffee, but I usually buy a cup on my way to the hospital to see Louie." Leo said.

I stepped into the house. "That's okay. I'm fine."

"Please have a seat." Leo said.

I sat on the edge of the couch and looked around the house that Danny had grown up in. On the walls, I was surprised to find pictures of Louie and Danny growing up. I stifled a giggle at one of Danny maybe 7 years old, his front teeth missing and thick glasses.

"So Aurora, what do you need?" Leo asked and sat down on the opposite end of the couch from me.

"Did you know that cab driver that beat up you and Danny was a member of a rival mob organization?" I asked.

Leo sighed. "Not at the time. I would've never got in the cab if I recognized him. I found out later that him roughing us up was a message from Teddy Spangal about my cut of gambling at the track."

"Why didn't you tell Danny the truth about that day? Did you know that for twenty years he has hated gypsy cab drivers because he always thought of the man he thought was a gypsy cab driver that beat him up?" I asked.

"I…it was business. I couldn't involve Danny." Papa Messer said.

"Business….look, I don't understand your world. I don't want to. Danny won't talk to me about it." I said.

Leo looked over at the row of pictures. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I love my sons."

"I know you do…..I heard about Sonny being placed in the general population in prison and getting the shit beat out of him. Something tells me that you had a part in arranging that." I said.

Leo made no effort to confirm or deny, but I'd heard the rumors.

"The truth is, I am very proud of Louie and Danny. With everything I've done wrong in my life…..they are the two things I did right." Leo said.

"Then how could you….no I don't want to discuss this with you." I said.

"I was the son of immigrants…."

"Don't give me that. New York City is full of immigrants and their children." I said. "How did you get into the mob anyway? Your father wasn't in the mob. He was a blue collar worker till the day he died."

"Danny tell you that?" Papa Messer asked.

"No, I'm a detective. I did some snooping around." I said.

"It's a long story how I was recruited and moved through the ranks." Leo said. "You really love Danny very much."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"The way you talk about him. The way you interact with him." Leo waved his hand.

I nodded. "I love him more than anything. Danny is the center of my world."

"Did you know Danny has his mother's eyes?" Leo asked.

I shook my head.

Leo gave a small smile. "He does. And when he looks at you, his eyes have that same sparkle his mother's had when she'd look at me."

"Danny always said she loved you." I said.

"More than I ever deserved……and I didn't appreciate a bit of it until it was too late." Leo said. "Did you grow up in one of those Norman Rockwell families?"

"No, my mother never wanted me. I was just the child she had during her second marriage….the child that caused that marriage to happen." I said.

"It might not mean much, but I am glad you're with Danny. You're good for him, he's happy. And I think you're a good person." Leo said.

"I need to be getting to the station. Danny will be looking for me. He didn't know I was coming here. And quite frankly I see no need to tell him I was ever here." I stood up.

"Why did you visit?" Leo asked.

"I'm not sure. I just needed to answer a few questions for myself." I said.

"I'll see you later at the hospital?" Leo asked.

"Probably this evening when Danny and I go visit Louie. The doctors said he should be removed off the rest of the machines soon." I said. "Goodbye."

I walked out the front door and down the steps, headed for the subway station.

(Station)

"What did you find out from Joe Spangal at Riker's?" I asked Don when he walked back into the station.

"That he is as big a prick now as he was when he kidnapped you. Prison is doing nothing to change him." Flack sighed. "But he claims not to know anything about Michalucci. And now that Teddy is dead and Joe is in prison, that group is in turmoil."

"So what do we do from here?" I asked.

"Nothing we can do. Other cases will come and this will be pushed to the back burner and left to get cold." Flack sighed. "Happens all the time with mob cases."

"I hate not closing a case." I said.

"Rora, this was a mob hit. You get used to not being able to close those cases. Used to drive my dad insane." Flack said.

I sighed. "Did you and Danny have fun last night?"

"We talked. I never thought I'd see the day that I go to Danny for serious relationship advice. He was always who I went to asking for new ways of getting in a girls pants." Flack said.

I chuckled. "I bet he could give some good advice too. He has little tricks that just make me melt."

"I taught him everything he knows." Flack winked.

"You so did not teach him to in the middle of sex, whisper in my ear for me to cum…IN ITALIAN." I said.

Flack raised an eyebrow. "There is an image I didn't need."

I giggled. "Fine, when Aiden walks in, I'll kiss her again and give you a different image."

"I'll call her." Flack joked.

"Who are we calling?" Danny walked in.

"Aiden, Aurora said she'd kiss her again." Flack laughed.

Danny chuckled. "Hey baby, slow day so far. Wanna have lunch later?"

I smiled. "Sure."

Danny leaned over and kissed me. "I need to get back to the lab. Mac is making noises about reorganizing things to start the New Year."

I giggled. "See you at lunch. I love you."

"I love you more." Danny winked.


	64. A New Year

_Megs24- I am so glad you read the story and like it. Thank you so much for your compliments on Aurora. I worked very hard developing her. Hope you keep reading. Thanks for reviewing, I love reviews._

_LizfromItaly- Lots of Don stuff will be coming up in future chapters. So glad you like it._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Things are crazy right now so I am kinda scatter brained._

_Jordayna- With my twisted mind, you just never know. Glad you liked it. _

_Meadow567- Wow, I didn't think you'd like it that much. Can't wait to see what you say about this._

_Snowbear96- I work hard to update often. Glad you're still enjoying the story._

_Dybdahl- We'll just have to see. Here is some fluff._

_Emador- You write the funniest reviews, LOL. And forget Omar. And I don't want to think about those FL people, LOL. _

Aurora helped Danny into his apartment and helped him to the couch.

"Only you could sprain your ankle trying to do a kick line with Flack on New Years!" she laughed.

"Hey, it was fun until I tripped. I still don't know how Flack tangled his feet with mine." Danny laughed as he sat down on the couch.

"That was a great way to ring in the New Year. I have always wanted to see the ball drop live." Aurora said.

"And kissing you at midnight in the middle of Times Square was great." Danny said and leaned over and kissed her again.

"It was." Aurora smiled.

"Of course then you turned and kissed Mac." Danny smiled.

"Every guy needs a kiss at midnight. And I kissed him for like 2 seconds." She laughed. "Aiden kissed Don. Stella kissed Sheldon."

"Oh I know. Mac just smiled; he knows you and holidays. Of course I don't think you kissed him until 12:03, considering how long I kissed you." Danny smirked.

"And Sheldon got a smack on the back of the head from Stella for trying to grab her ass while kissing her for five seconds." Aurora laughed.

"And did you see the looks Don and Aiden kept giving each other after they kissed?" Danny asked. "Sometimes I could just smack them."

"Oh let it go." She giggled.

"You staying the night?" Danny asked.

"I am too wound up to go home. Besides, my first New Year's with you. Of course I am staying here." She said.

"Sorry I twisted my ankle." Danny said.

"Don't be sorry. You were having fun." Aurora said. "You hungry?"

"You make us a snack?" Danny asked.

"Sure, I'll be right back." Aurora said and got off the couch.

"Bring me a beer too." Danny said.

"I am still surprised I was able to talk Mac into coming tonight. I figured he'd protest." Aurora said as she raided the fridge.

"He's learned that arguing with you doesn't work." Danny laughed. "Also, he's wrapped around your finger more than he'd ever admit."

"Look who's talking." she giggled.

"I am not." Danny protested, knowing it wasn't true.

"When did you buy so much junk food?" She asked.

"Figured I'd stock up. We can have a movie night, and the football play-offs are coming…."

"And if you mention any team that wears black and gold you'll never get laid again." Aurora said.

"You still hate them that much?" Danny chuckled.

"It's a deep seated LOATHING. I would laugh if the whole team caught leprosy. The torture I went through before moving here." Aurora said.

"What was so bad?" Danny asked.

"Have you ever tried watching the news in a city that only has a football team on its mind? I had to watch CNN to find out any news. And there was so much going on at the time. It was right after the Sago Mine disaster, so I wanted updates on the surviving miner and information about the accident. But I had to watch CNN; despite that Buckhannon is only two hours from Pittsburgh. And Ariel Sharon had just had a stroke….one of the biggest world leaders could die but Pittsburgh is showing bathrooms with Steelers towels! It was Steelers 24/7. To someone who hated them, I was in hell. And the radio stations playing parody songs about the Steelers and the merchandise everywhere. I'm surprised I didn't shoot somebody."

"So which was worse, the Steelers in the Superbowl or the Pens letting Craig Patrick go?" Danny snickered.

"I am not sure. Pittsburgh is a city that will turn on you fast. When you're doing good, they love you. But when things are down that love turns to hate faster than ice melts." Aurora said. "Like right now in Pittsburgh everyone loves Bill Cowher. The year before, they were screaming for him to be fired."

"I think you hate the Steelers more than most BoSox fans hate Johnny Damon." Danny laughed.

"That traitor. I hate Johnny Damon for leaving Boston and going to the Yankees. I think that is a crime worthy of the death penalty." Aurora said as Danny laughed more.

"Aren't you going to spout off your Johnny Damon saying?" Danny asked.

"Johnny Damon- Looks like Jesus, acts like Judas." Aurora smirked. "That isn't mine. I saw that on a sign at a game."

Aurora grabbed a bag of pretzels and a few beers and walked back over to the couch to sit with Danny. She handed Danny a beer and put the bag of pretzels between them.

"I am so glad we're together for New Year's. There is no one I would rather be with." Danny said.

"I feel the same way. We're certainly starting the year off right by being together." She smiled at Danny.

"I love you so much. Usually on New Year's Flack and I are at some bar, hitting on girls, trying to find someone to go home with." Danny said. "Last New Years Sheldon got drunk and tried break dancing. He nearly broke his neck."

Aurora laughed. "You boys are funny when drunk. Have you ever seen Mac drunk?"

"Nope, he says he got drunk too much in the marines and has matured." Danny said.

"I bet he'd be funny as a drunk. Knowing him he'd start listing the periodic chart or something." Aurora laughed.

"You know, this is just how I want to spend the next year. With you." Danny said and kissed her hand.

"Me too. How is it in less than a year my life has changed so much?" Aurora smiled.

"I don't know. I ask myself that sometimes." Danny said.

"You know, despite everything last year was a good year. I found a great job. Made incredible new friends that have become like family to me. And I found you." Aurora said.

"But we had a few close calls. You were kidnapped. Don was shot. I was almost arrested for murder." Danny said.

"The good more than outweighs the bad." She said.

"Doctors are taking the tubes out of Louie's throat this week. He'll be able to talk soon." Danny said.

Aurora smiled. "He's getting better all the time. Don was right; Louie is a fighter."

"It's a Messer trait." Danny shrugged. "I'm just glad I'll have a second chance with him."

"Me too. I am excited to get to know him." Aurora said.

Danny smiled at her and leaned over and kissed her. Aurora snuggled closer to him.

"I love you so much." Danny said and nuzzled her neck.

"I love you too." Aurora said.

Aurora kissed Danny again and pushed him back against his couch. She gently kissed along his jaw and down his neck. Danny groaned a little.

Aurora slid her hand under the hem of Danny's shirt and caressed his abdomen. His muscles jumped under her gentle touch. Aurora slid back on the couch so she could slide down Danny's body. Aurora unzipped Danny's jeans then winked up at him.

Danny gently rubbed her shoulders and petted her hair. His head fell back on the couch and his eyes clenched shut.

"Sentirsi bene." Danny moaned.

Danny held himself as still as he could so he would not choke Aurora.

"Tesoro, tesoro. e allucinante." Danny groaned.

(later)

"Rory?" Danny asked.

Aurora was lying with her head in his lap as he came down from his high.

"Hmmm?"

"That was…..wow." Danny said.

Aurora sat up and nuzzled his neck.

"Do you want me to reciprocate?" Danny asked.

"No, that was for you." She said.

Danny ran a hand through her hair. "Thank you…..that was an unexpected but pleasant surprise."

"You don't have to thank me….I wanted to." Aurora said.

"We can do that again sometime?" Danny winked.

"Yeah." Aurora smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." Danny said.

Aurora yawned.

"Sleepy baby?" Danny asked.

Aurora nodded. "Been a big day."

"Why don't you go ahead and lay down. I am gonna grab a quick shower." Danny said.

"Okay, can I wear some of your clothes?" Aurora asked.

"You better, you look fucking sexy in them." Danny smiled and helped her off the couch.

Aurora chuckled and laid her head on his shoulder as they walked into his bedroom. Aurora went to Danny's dresser and started looking for clothes to sleep in. Danny went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Aurora changed and climbed into his bed. She quickly fell asleep, listening to the sounds of water running in the shower.

When Danny walked out of the bathroom he smiled when he saw that Aurora had fallen asleep. He crawled into bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. She sighed softly and instinctively curled around him. He kissed the top of her head.

"Do you know how much you've changed my life? How happy you make me?" Danny whispered. "I'd be so lost without you. I love you so much."

Danny tucked her hair behind her ears as she slept.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. I can't imagine a single day of my life without you." Danny said and rubbed her back. "I am so glad you came into my life. I promise, I am never letting you go."

Danny kissed her forehead. "Ti amo, bella."


	65. Louie

_Snowbear96- Yay, I have convinced you! I love converting people._

_Meadow567- Glad to see you haven't forgotten that date. And Aurora goes to Mac?_

_Jordayna- Maybe in a future chappie he will! _

_Dybdahl- Hockey is great, so glad you watched some. And that sports stuff was mostly about Pittsburgh sports._

_BridgetLynn- Hey I understand about busy weeks. We've all been there. _

_Emador- Will you relax about big hair? You know she won't get him…..she gets Flack! (Hugs my boys tight!) _

I was sitting at my desk drinking my second cup of coffee when my cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora?" a raspy voice I didn't recognize said.

"This is Detective Aurora Denton. Who is this?" I asked.

"Louie….doctor took my tube out……you left your number here." Louie said.

I bowed my head and started crying. "That's the most beautiful sound I've heard in a long time."

"Where is Danny?" Louie asked slowly.

"He's at the lab. I'll go get him. We'll be at the hospital soon." I told him. "Now Louie listen carefully to me. Now that you're able to talk officers will be coming to talk to you. Don't say a word to them without your attorney there. Donald Flack Sr. and Detective Taylor got you a great attorney. Not to mention Mac talked with the DA and got you a deal. Don't say anything to jeopardize that. We already know everything about the case, but as you can imagine the Sassone attorney is looking to blame it on someone else."

"I won't talk to them." Louie rasped.

"We'll be there as soon as we can." I said.

I hung up and ran as fast as I could to the lab. I hurried inside to see Mac and Danny going over something.

"Aurora?" Danny asked.

"Danny, the doctors took the tubes out of Louie's throat….he just called me." I gushed.

"You talked to my brother?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I left my number for him at the hospital over a month ago. He called me." I said.

Danny turned to look at Mac. "Mac…."

"Go, we'll get by today without you. Go talk to your brother." Mac said.

"I owe you one Mac." Danny said.

Mac just shrugged as Danny nearly pulled me from the lab.

"What did he say?" Danny asked as we ran towards the parking garage.

"He asked for you." I told him. "And I made sure to tell him not to talk to any officers without his attorney."

"He can finally talk back…..I just wonder what he'll say." Danny said.

We jumped into an SUV. "I'm sure he'll have a lot to say to you. Everyone at the hospital said he'd watch for you to come in to visit in the mornings and evenings. Doctors, nurses, all of them said he'd watch the door when it got time for you to visit."

"He'd watch for you too. And if it was a day you couldn't make it, I'd have to explain that to him. He'd nod." Danny said. "I thank god he's able to understand and comprehend that much."

"Doctor's say that over time he can make a full recovery. But he'll need therapy and some counseling too." I said.

"I know….I am just so thankful. I didn't think he'd make it." Danny said.

(Hospital)

Danny and I walked through the front doors of the hospital and hurried to the elevator. Danny pushed the button for ICU and up we went. When we stepped off the elevator, Danny paused and took a deep breath. He then grabbed my hand and we hurried down the hall to Louie's room.

We walked into Louie's room. Louie was awake in bed and watching for us.

"Danny." Louie said, his voice still raspy from the tubes. He held out his hand.

Danny let go of my hand and ran to his brother and hugged him. I smiled and could tell Danny was emotional.

"You can talk again. All this time I've wanted to hear your voice and you can talk." Danny said.

"Thank you for being here the past few months." Louie said.

"No, I should be thanking you again for everything you did for me." Danny said.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about now that the conversation can go two ways." Louie said.

"We do. You're gonna be alright. First you wake up and now you can talk again." Danny said.

Louie looked over Danny's shoulder at me. "Aurora."

I walked over to the bed. Louie took my hand. "Angelo dal cielo." He said.

I smiled. "What? I'm sorry, Danny hasn't taught me Italian yet."

"Angel from heaven." Danny said. "That's what he called you."

I smiled. "Must be a Messer family trait to sweet talk in Italian."

"I meant that, you're an angel." Louie said. "Danny is very lucky to have you."

"Thank you. He's very lucky to have you too." I said.

"Danny…..you always get the pretty girls." Louie winked at me.

"Well she's it for me, so all the other girls you want are all yours." Danny said.

"You better keep this one. She's pretty, smart and funny. And she's a good person. Although her rants about Craig Patrick scare me. Who is he?" Louie asked.

Danny chuckled. "I'm keeping her, don't worry about that. And don't worry she'll teach you all about Craig Patrick….and Mike Eruzione, and Mike Ramsey that she named the cat after."

I laughed. "He loves every minute of it, don't let him fool you."

Louie smiled. "Danny, I could really go for Starbucks."

"Are you allowed to have it?" Danny asked.

"I don't know." Louie shrugged.

"Tell you what. I'll ask your nurses and if you're allowed to have it, I'll walk around the block to Starbucks and get you some coffee." Danny said.

Louie nodded.

"And I'll leave Aurora here with you. Just don't mention the Pittsburgh Steelers or she'll put that tube right back down your throat." Danny joked. "Aurora you want anything?"

"Cappuccino something, just surprise me." I said.

"Okay. I'll be back later." Danny said and kissed me. "Louie, be nice to her. And no baby stories."

Louie chuckled a bit as Danny walked out of the room. I pulled up a chair so I could sit near Louie's bed.

"I am so glad Danny has been here. I don't think I could've gotten through this without him." Louie said.

"Danny loves you a lot. And now that everything is out in the open, he really wants to have a relationship with you." I said.

"I'd like that….I've always loved Danny." Louie said.

"I know. And I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Without you, I wouldn't have Danny now." I said. "If you hadn't kept him away from Tanglewood all those years ago….who knows where he might be today. And if you hadn't risked yourself to get that tape of Sonny confessing….Danny would right now be in jail awaiting trial for murder."

Louie reached for my hand. "I'd do it all again……I made the mistake of getting involved with Tanglewood and Sonny Sassone. I wasn't letting my little brother make the same mistakes."

"I was scared to death of losing Danny. You see, I love him more than anything. He's the center of my life. I couldn't see my life without him…..and it's because of you that I still have him……and I barely know you." I said.

"But I know you. You've been here practically every day for two months. I heard your voice before I was awake. And after I woke up, you've been here looking after me, talking to me. And I see how you and Danny interact…..he adores you." Louie said.

"You stay strong and get better. When you get out of here, you're going to be a part of our lives." I said.

"I guess you and Danny are a package deal." Louie smiled.

"Yeah, guess we are." I said.

"I'll take you both." Louie said and squeezed my hand.

That simple act choked me up. I leaned up and hugged him. "Thank you. Danny needs you so much."

"He needs you too. That much is obvious." Louie said.

I smiled. "So tell me a baby story about Danny. Something embarrassing. I haven't heard any."

Louie chuckled. "Well when Danny was about six, he was already big into baseball. We were playing in the front yard. I gently pitched the ball to him; he swung the bat with all his might…letting go of the bat not meaning to. The bat flies across the yard and hits the neighbor's car. Dents the door."

I laughed. "I can so see him doing that. What else?"

"Danny is gonna kill me for telling you this one. When he was two years old, walking good and everything…mom took us both to church. Well as we were leaving, somebody stopped mom to talk to her. As they talk and talk, suddenly mom notices Danny has wandered off. So she goes looking for him." Louie started laughing. "Danny had wandered to the front of the church, stripped off all his clothes and was playing in the font. Our church had a really big one. He'd even pulled off his diaper; he was completely naked splashing around having a good time."

I doubled over laughing.

"He was a cute kid." Louie said.

"I can imagine." I said.

Danny walked in carrying a cardboard tray from Starbucks. He handed me my drink and gave Louie his.

"So Danny….been swimming in the church font recently?" I asked trying not to laugh.

"Come on Louie, did you really need to tell her that one?" Danny sighed with a smile. "You're able to talk a few hours and all my secrets are out."

(Later)

Later Aurora left to go get some lunch for herself and Danny. She wanted the brothers some time alone.

"I just don't know what to say to you." Danny said.

"You don't have to say anymore. You've said it all the past two months." Louie said.

"I'm just sorry we lost so much time." Danny said.

"Me too. But that's in the past. We can't change it." Louie said.

"Aurora has been urging me to leave the past behind." Danny said.

"Can you get past everything with dad?" Louie asked.

"Can you?" Danny retorted.

Louie sighed. "I never could before, but with you….I think I can."

"Once you start letting go…you feel like a weight has been lifted." Danny said.

"And I want us to put the past behind us and be brothers again." Louie said.

Danny took his hand. "You know that's what I want."

"I've always loved you Danny." Louie said.

Danny nodded. "I love you too."

"And that woman of yours is something else." Louie said. "She just opened her arms and welcomed me in."

"Aurora is amazing. I don't know where I'd be without her." Danny said.

"You hang on to her. You're not going to find another one like her." Louie said. "I think she's great."

"I'm glad you like her because she's the one. She's it. I knew the first time I kissed her there'd never be anyone else for me." Danny smiled.

"She's wonderful. You're very lucky." Louie said. "Say, that Aiden chick that pops in here from time to time with Aurora, is she single?"

Danny sighed. "She's…well. Yeah."


	66. Back to School

_Snowbear96- He's been awake. Now he can talk._

_BridgetLynn- I've heard of playing seven minutes in heaven, but several hours in heaven, LOL. And I just saw Louie as talking in that way. Hehe._

_Meadow567- Geez, after all Louie did for Danny and you don't think he'd be good to Aiden? And this 18th really has you going._

_Jordayna- Well we know you're cheering for Flack and Aiden. Everyone will just have to wait and see what my twisted mind writes._

_Miss Metal- That baby story is just something I could see a little Danny doing. I laughed while writing it. LOL_

_Dybdahl- Thanks, you're one of the few people who didn't gush something about Louie and/or Aiden! _

_Emador- You are the only person rooting for Louie and Aiden. And Flack is not leaving NYC! _

Flack approached my desk slowly and I knew that something was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We just got a call and if you don't want to take the case, I understand. I'll take Vicaro." Flack said.

"Whatever it is, I'm there." I said and jumped for my coat.

"Aurora, there has been a school shooting outside of Chinatown. Two children are dead, and three more are being rushed to the hospital." Flack said.

I gritted my teeth. "Let's go."

"Aurora I know how you are about the murder of children….."

"Flack, I take more offense at the death of a child than anything. And because of that I am going to do everything in my power to get them justice. You know that by now." I said.

"Alright, just be prepared to deal with a mess. Media, frightened parents and dealing with school policies." Flack said. "Mac and Danny are taking the case for the lab."

"In a case like this, doesn't police procedure take precedence over school policy?" I asked as we rushed out the door.

"Yes, but some principals get all uptight about their school's reputation and try to get in the way." Flack said.

"Do we know who the gunman was? Was it a student?" I asked as we jumped in an SUV.

"Right now everything is in chaos down there. Parents are already lining up to check on their kids. From what little I was told, the students were arriving at school, some hanging out in the parking lot and such when gunshots rang out. Everyone kinda huddled or ran." Flack said, pulling us into traffic.

"What school is it?" I asked.

"South Manhattan Consolidated Jr-Sr High School." Flack said.

"Ages of the victims?" I asked.

"Unknown. SWAT is there now securing the school campus since it is unknown who the gunman was and where they went following the shooting." Flack said.

"What the fuck? Is this Columbine all over again?" I asked.

"Let's hope not." Flack said.

Flack turned on the flashing light to get us through traffic faster. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I knew this was going to be a hard case.

We pulled up in front of the school. Word of the shooting had spread fast and there were parents in the streets. Some on cell phones, others fighting with uniformed officers; all wanting answers. A news chopper was flying overhead. It was going to be a long day.

We climbed out of the SUV and hurried through the mess to the SWAT van.

"What do you know?" Flack asked.

"The school is secured. No sign of a weapon. Students and staff have all been searched and none of them have a weapon on them. Locker searches are going on now. The injured students have been taken to a hospital. Uniformed officers are taking a few of the staff to the parking lot to identify the deceased. Then you'll have to notify the families." The SWAT leader said.

"Keep that crime scene clear. After ID is made no one else enters that parking lot until CSI gets here." I said.

"You got it." SWAT said.

"We're gonna be dealing with so many witnesses. Call Vicaro, get him down here to help with interviews." I said to Flack.

"You read my mind." Flack said.

We walked inside the school building. SWAT was still searching lockers. Students were huddled in classrooms as staff tried getting lists of their names to account for who was safe.

"Any weapons?" Flack asked.

"None, and we've searched the restrooms, library, labs, everywhere." A SWAT member said.

Flack and I walked towards the parking lot where uniformed officers were walking with school staff.

"I'm Detective Flack; this is my partner Detective Denton." Flack said. "Were you able to ID the deceased?"

"Yes, the female victim is a ninth grader- Arianna Drulias. The male victim was a seventh grader- Rodney Helland." The uniform said. "This is vice principal Frank Walters. He made the ID."

"Principal Walters, did either of the students have a problem with another student?" I asked.

"No, not that I was aware of." Walters said.

"Have there been any rumors that someone would bring a gun to school?" Flack asked.

"No. And our staff is very dedicated to preventing that. We take all threats and rumors seriously." Walters said.

"Okay, well Detective Vicaro will be here shortly to interview you further." I said.

Flack and I walked out to the parking lot. The two students were lying about 20 feet apart. The parking lot was scattered with books, backpacks and other items that had been discarded as students ran to safety.

"You ever hang out in the parking lot in high school?" Flack asked.

"No, I hung out in the halls." I said. "Then went to homeroom and did last minute homework."

"Thank god for homeroom. Can't tell you how many times I did homework in homeroom because I was busy getting laid the night before." Flack said.

"If the backseat of your dad's old car could talk…….I'd get to hear all about your nervous high school fumbling." I laughed.

"God forbid you ever meet the girl I lost my virginity to." Flack smirked a bit. "Oh well practice makes perfect."

"And you practice so much…solo." I smiled.

Flack rolled his eyes. "If we can find shell casings, we'll know where the shooter was located."

"This is so senseless. These kids had their lives ahead of them." I sighed.

"Interviewing all these students…..they're gonna be grieving and frightened." Flack sighed. "Days like this I hate this job."

"I want this solved fast. These kids will be scared until we find out who did this and arrest them. These kids have suffered enough." I said.

"I never wanted to work a school shooting." Mac said as he walked up to us, kit in hand beside Danny.

"Me either." I said.

"Both victims have been identified by the vice principal. We'll contact the families." Flack said.

"Right now we know of no motive, nothing." I said.

"Danny lets process this scene. Check everything twice. This is going to be a high profile case." Mac said.

Danny nodded. "Rory you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said. "Flack and I are going to interview the students."

(Station)

I sat at my desk feeling a headache coming on. Flack, Vicaro and I could find out nothing at the school. No one had a problem with the victims. No one had heard any rumors of a possible school shooting.

Shell casings had been found outside a fence surrounding the parking lot. So the shooter might not have even been a student. And Flack and I had just finished speaking with the deceased's families. I hated breaking the news of the death of a child.

The injured children were at the hospital and were reported to be stable. Media was everywhere. I felt tense.

"Just came from autopsy with Danny." Flack said walking to his desk.

"Was Sheldon able to tell us anything?" I asked.

"Well Arianna died instantly, the bullet shattered her skull." Flack said. "Rodney drowned in his own blood; he was shot in the throat."

"Mac told me he was going to run the ballistics. The commissioner is having a press conference at 5 to assure the city that the best officers are on the case and all is being done to find out the truth, blah blah blah." I sighed. "How did Sheldon handle the autopsies?"

"You know him, he's seen it all, but hates seeing children in the morgue." Flack said.

Danny walked into the station. "Rora, you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just got a stress headache coming on. What do you need?" I asked.

"I just came to check on you actually. I'm on a break." Danny said. "Come on."

Danny pulled me out of my chair and led me to the break room. He had me sit on the couch and got me a bottle of water from the fridge. He handed me the water and sat down beside me.

"Take a few minutes to relax." Danny said.

"I hate children's murders. Those kids shouldn't be down in the morgue…they should be in the cafeteria gossiping about the upcoming dance, or worried about a quiz on Friday." I said.

"I know how you feel." Danny sighed. "Turn, I'll rub your shoulders, it'll calm you."

"Or excite me." I winked.

"Later." Danny said. "Now turn."

I turned sideways so Danny could massage my shoulders. It felt good to relax and let Danny pamper me.

"Sad thing is, that school had metal detectors and it didn't do a damn bit of good." Danny said.

I chuckled. "My high school was like the most unprepared place for a shooting or something."

"Small high schools in rural areas usually are." Danny said.

"I remember, right after Columbine happened…….and there were all those copycat threats across the US…..our school had several threats of shootings and bombs. But the school wouldn't do anything about it. Finally after much protest from parents that these threats were there and nothing was done….we had a fire drill. Well me being the smartass I am…was walking down the hall during this fire drill yelling 'That's it, if a shooting breaks out put us in the hall, we'll be easier targets to hit!'." I chuckled.

"A fire drill?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, my school was stupid. After that there were bomb threats at my school and a few nearby ones. Well the other school dismissed school and had everything investigated…not mine. My principal actually came over the PA and said that school would not dismiss because of threats and to stop worrying. So I then did an impression of her saying 'Attention students. Due to the fact that half the building has been blown away, we will have an early dismissal. If you need to contact someone for a ride home, please come to what's left of the office and make the necessary arrangements. Thank you.'." I laughed.

"Sad part is, I know you're sarcastic enough to do that." Danny laughed.

"And I firmly believe that all school shootings could be prevented if schools would take better measures against bullies. Because that is what it's always about. Kids get bullied until they can't take it anymore and they snap." I said.

"No more talk about the case for a few minutes. Just relax." Danny said and continued rubbing my shoulders.

"You know one of these days we'll have to do this in private with no clothes." I smiled.

"I said to relax not make me horny." Danny said.

"Danny, breathing makes you horny." I giggled.

"Only when I'm around you." Danny said and nuzzled my neck.

"If you don't stop that, I'll never be able to concentrate on the case." I said.

"But you'll be so excited to get home to me." Danny said.

"Danny…" I weakly protested.

Mac and Flack walked in and we quickly separated. Don gave us that look that said 'You two were up to something and I know it'.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I ran the ballistics on the casings from the scene and those Sheldon retrieved in autopsy. There was only one gun involved. They all came back to the same gun." Mac said.

"So we have a lone gunman." Danny said.

"I ran it through the database and got a hit. Casings from this gun showed up in two cold cases. Both times the gun was used to murder members of the Kyoko Dragons. However, nothing was ever found to bring about arrests in either case." Mac said.

"What are the Kyoko Dragons?" I asked.

"A female gang out of Chinatown." Mac said.

"Wait, you mean this shooting at the school was gang related?" Danny asked.

"Possibly. Or maybe someone threw the gun away and it was found and used. But we have a place to start." Mac said.

"Who was suspected in the murders of the Kyoko Dragons?" Flack asked.

"Rival female gang in Chinatown…..the Sen." Mac said.

"Man I hate dealing with female gangs. I'd rather face a pack of wolves than those women. Some of them are hardcore." Flack said.

"Well we're going to be dealing with them. We're going back to that school and see if any of the students have an affiliation to either gang." I said.

"We also need to interview members of both gangs. Let's go." Mac said.

**To Be Continued…..**


	67. Back to School 2

_Snowbear96- Oh yes, I know how sexy Danny is. Here is the conclusion to the case._

_Miss Metal- I have lots of plans. Child cases do get me, every time._

_Meadow567- You and the 18th, you're so cute. I am officially for Buffalo since it was Mike's old team!_

_Emador- Can't wait to hear your reaction to this chappie. No fainting._

_Dybdahl- Yes, I have helped create a hockey fan. I love hockey. Glad you're starting to._

Flack and I rode out to Chinatown to the known hangout of the Kyoko Dragons. Mac, Danny, and Vicaro were headed to interview the Sen.

"I called Gavin about female gangs." Flack said.

"Did he deal with many in Brooklyn?" I asked.

"A few. He said that some of these women's gangs are rougher than the men. For some initiations they more or less beat the hell out of you." Flack said.

"Sounds like fun. Aiden and I are wasting our time going to strip aerobics. Instead we could have a bunch of people kick our ribs in!" I rolled my eyes.

"Gavin did say that these oriental gangs, both male and female are some of the most violent there are." Flack said.

"We'll just stick close and watch each other's back." I said.

Flack nodded then cocked his head. "Is Aiden good at strip aerobics?"

"Yeah….of course there are a few things that require us bend a little more than we can….but she's good at it. Sometimes she really puts attitude into it with facial looks and all." I said.

Flack took a deep breath. "That's…..interesting."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"With Valentine's day next month, I was thinking of trying out a few things from class for Danny." I said.

"Danny gets all the luck. He gets a beautiful woman that he knows loves him and he doesn't have to wonder……..never mind." Flack said.

"Flack, how about a Friday soon, we all go out to 80's night? Danny, me, you, Aiden, Sheldon. Maybe we can scrounge up a 'date' for Sheldon." I giggled.

"Just when I thought you girls had given up on walking like an Egyptian." Flack rolled his eyes.

"If you don't want to go Sheldon can be Aiden's 'date'." I shrugged.

"No, I'll go. It's not so bad." Flack said.

I chuckled as Flack pulled up in front of the pool hall that the Kyoko Dragons were known to frequent day and night.

We walked inside. The place was empty except for a group of girls in the back. Most of them dressed as you would expect gang bangers to be dressed. Their colors seemed to be yellow and red.

"Excuse me, NYPD. We have some questions for you." Flack said.

"They don't serve doughnuts here, try across the street." One of the girls said.

"You're real funny, what's your name?" I asked, not breaking eye contact with her.

"Sumiko." She said.

"Well Sumiko….this is Detective Don Flack. I'm Detective Aurora Denton. And you get smart with us again, we'll take this interview downtown." I said.

"What do you want to know?" another girl said.

"What are your names?" Flack asked.

"I'm Nari. These are my girls Lian, Asa and Aki." Nari said. "You already met Sumiko."

"Any of you know anything about South Manhattan Consolidated Jr.-Sr. High School?" I asked.

"That school where there was a shooting yesterday. It was all over the news." Asa said.

"You think we had something to do with that?" Aki asked.

"We're just following all possible leads. Over the past year, two members of the Kyoko Dragons have been murdered." Flack said.

"Yeah…what's that have to do with those kids getting shot?" Sumiko asked.

"Do you know who murdered your fellow members?" I asked.

"We got a pretty good idea. Of course pigs don't listen to us very often so." Lian said.

"We'll listen. Who killed your friends?" I asked.

The girls laughed. "What is this? You walk in here and think because you're a lady cop we'll open up? Have some big heart to heart and eat a gallon of ice cream?" Nari asked.

"No, I expect you to talk to me and cooperate because I am genuinely interested. Because I want justice for your friends and those kids who were murdered yesterday." I said.

"What do those kids have to do with our sisters being murdered?" Asa asked.

"We have reason to believe the same person committed both murders." Flack said.

"Did the Sen ever take credit for the murder of your friends?" I asked.

"The Sen are trash. They recruited Orino's sister." Lian said.

"Orino was the first victim last year." I said.

"Yeah……anywho. Orino tries to talk her sister out of it and they kill her for it." Lian said.

"Orino's sister have a name?" Flack asked.

"Meiko Chang. She's still with them." Aki said.

"What about the second murder? Hanako Xing." I asked.

"Hanako had her own side drug business. She was into blow. That's not our thing but we let her go." Sumiko said.

"The Sen sell their own blow. Mostly in the seedier joints…they prey on those desperate for a fix." Asa said.

"We can't say for sure but we think Hanako and the Sen started competing for the same new customers." Aki said.

"And the Sen decided to eliminate their competition?" Flack asked.

"Yeah…..we got a message the next week saying we better not take over her business for her." Nari answered.

"Okay ladies….this is my card. If you think of anything else or if you hear from the Sen, call me." I said.

Sumiko took the card.

"You're really going after the Sen?" Nari asked.

"If we get enough evidence to prove a case." Flack said.

"Thank you for your time." I said.

Flack and I turned and walked out of the bar and climbed in the SUV.

"I wonder what Mac, Danny and Vicaro found out from the Sen?" I asked.

"I don't know…..but what keeps bothering me is no student at that school was a member of either gang." Flack said.

"But when SWAT searched lockers they found drugs in a few of them." I said.

"That's typical of any high school." Flack said.

"I know that. But two of those lockers had cocaine in them. Think it's possible they bought it from a Sen member?" I asked.

"Possible enough you should check it out." Flack said.

"I'll do that while you consult with the others and see what they found out from the Sen." I said.

(NYPD Narcotic's Unit)

I walked into the Narcotics Squad headquarters of the NYPD. I needed to find out what they knew about the Sen's drug trafficking or what they knew about the student's found with drugs in their locker at South Manhattan Consolidated Jr.-Sr. High school. I looked around and recognized the girl Sheldon had been drunk in front of at the Christmas party.

"Excuse me, Emily right?" I asked.

"Yeah." She looked up at me. "Oh…aren't you that friend of the guy from the party?"

"Yeah, I'm Detective Aurora Denton from Homicide." I smiled.

"Detective Emily Rastovich, have a seat." She said.

"You know about the school shooting yesterday. I pulled that case with my partner Don Flack. Right now we're chasing a lead that it was possibly drug related." I explained.

"How can I help?" Emily asked.

"What do you know about a female gang called the Sen selling cocaine?" I asked.

Rastovich shook her head. "Violent gang. We believe they even killed their seller and took over his business, but we can't get enough to hold them on anything."

"Did you know they were suspected in the murder of two rival gang members from the Kyoko Dragons?" I asked.

"Hanako Xing…..We were consulted on that case as well. Problem is, when we showed up to interview the Sen….there was no gun, no GSR on anyone's hands, and they all alibied each other. And in Chinatown, witnesses know better than to speak against gangs." Emily explained.

I sighed remembering the case involving the Crazy Aces. Gang violence was all the same no matter location, nationality or gender.

"The student's whose lockers the SWAT found cocaine in, what do you know about them?" I asked.

"We let them go last night. Released into the custody of their parents." Emily said.

"Who were they?" I asked.

Emily searched through a few folders on her desk and found the one she was looking for.

"Both were minors. Kumi Li and Alexander Manek." Emily read.

"Kumi Li? Is she from Chinatown?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's 16 years old. Only child, junior in high school." Rastovich said.

"Hold on one moment." I said and pulled out my cell phone.

"Flack."

"Don, look back through the student interviews. Look for a Kumi Li. See where she was during the shooting." I said.

"Hold on. By the way, the others could find out nothing from the Sen." Flack said.

I waited a few minutes while Flack dug through the files.

"Here is it. Kumi Li. She had just arrived for school. She had driven herself and was walking across the parking lot into the building. She says she dropped to the ground when shots rang out and when everything got quiet she joined the mob running into the building." Flack said.

"Get her down to the station for an interview. I believe she was the target. She had cocaine in her locker. She's from Chinatown. She had just arrived when the shooting started. That's enough to raise a few questions." I said.

"I'm on it." Flack said and hung up.

"We're going to interview Kumi Li again. We'll probably have a hard time getting her to talk if the Sen are involved." I said.

"If you find out anything new, you will call me?" Rastovich asked.

"Of course. I don't want to step on your case against her for drug possession, but if she was the target we'll need her to testify against the Sen. Would you fight us if we talked to the DA about offering Kumi a deal?" I asked.

"No, I want to see the Sen brought down as much as you do." Emily said.

"Thank you for everything. I'll be in touch." I said and stood up.

I got up and walked out of the building heading to interview Kumi Li.

(Station)

Kumi Li and her father were in an interrogation room. Mac and I stood outside the room waiting to go in. We had no evidence against the Sen.

"Do you think the Sen are even involved?" Flack asked.

"Right now it's the only lead we have. I don't want this case going cold like the other two involving that gun." I said.

"You know South Manhattan Consolidated cancelled classes for the rest of the week and will be bringing in counselors when classes resume." Flack said.

"I know. Those poor kids have suffered so much." I sighed. "Let's see if we can't get them some justice."

Flack and I walked into the interview room.

"Kumi, we understand you had cocaine in your locker. Where did you get it?" I asked.

"Like I told that other detective, some friends gave it to me." Kumi said.

"These friends have names?" Flack asked.

"I am not giving up my friends." Kumi said.

"You'd rather go down on drug charges?" I asked.

"Then give up who I got the blow from, you better believe it." Kumi said.

"We think you were the target of that shooting. We think Rodney and Arianna were killed by mistake. If you were the target, whoever was after you might strike again." I said.

"You mean Kumi could be in danger?" her father asked.

"If the shooter was who we think it is and that's who she got the cocaine from, she's in a lot of danger. So are you, her mother and siblings." I said.

"Kumi, tell them who gave you those drugs." Her father told her.

"But…" she stuttered.

"Kumi, if you tell us, we'll protect you and your family. We'll lock up those who are after you." I said.

"Can you do that?" she asked.

"We can and will. You tell us who it was shooting at you; we'll get warrants to search their homes. We got the best CSI team in the country. If there is evidence, they'll find it." Flack said.

Kumi looked at her dad who nodded. She sighed.

"Midori Hoa. She sold me the blow last week." Kumi said.

"She's the leader of the Sen." Flack said.

Kumi nodded. "I've just been experimenting with cocaine at parties. I liked it so I went to get some. I found Midori at a hotel in Chinatown. Last week I went back for more but didn't have the money. She let me have some with a promise to pay her the next day. I didn't."

"And she came to collect." I said.

"She called and threatened me on my cell phone. I knew it was supposed to be me killed yesterday." Kumi said.

"Sit tight. We'll be back." I said and walked out of the interrogation room. Don behind me.

"We'll get her phone records to confirm the call. That'll be enough for the warrants we need." Flack said.

"I'll call Mac and Danny and let them know." I said.

(Later)

"Where was the gun?" I asked Danny.

"Hidden behind a false wall in Midori's closet. It was recently fired. Mac ran the ballistics and it came back a match. And it had Midori's prints all over it." Danny said.

"So we got her. All this was a drug deal gone bad and two innocent people were in the wrong place, wrong time and got killed." I said.

"Ready to tell her what we found?" Danny said.

I nodded and followed Danny into the interrogation room.

"Looks like you've been a busy girl the past year. Four murders?" Danny said.

"You've got nothing on me." Midori said.

"We found the gun in your closet. It had your prints on it. And it matches the gun used in four murders. Orino Chang, Hanako Xing, and the two students murdered at school yesterday." I said.

"We also have Kumi Li telling us about the debt she owed you." Danny said.

Midori sat there staring, arms crossed, furious looking.

"Aren't you going to say anything? Two innocent people were killed!" Danny yelled.

"I was just getting what was mine." Midori snapped.

"You murdered two children. Two kids who were just going to school like any other day!" I yelled.

"You went there to get even and hit the wrong people. Two kids are dead because you had a point to prove!" Danny slammed his fists on the table. "But you know what; you won't do this to anyone else!"

"We're done here. We don't need you to say anything. The evidence and witnesses are saying enough." I said.

Danny and I walked out of the interrogation room. I was glad the case was solved and over. I leaned on Danny as we walked to the break room. Aiden and Sheldon were in there.

"Case done?" Sheldon asked.

"Yeah, she'll be taken to Central booking soon." I said.

"Then let's go grab a few drinks. It's been a long day." Aiden said.

"Fine, go round up Don." Danny said.

"I have to call Detective Rastovich and tell her about the case." I said reaching for my cell phone.

"Remember her Sheldon, you were had a wreath on your head trying to flirt with her." Aiden laughed.

"Invite her to have drinks with us." Sheldon said.

I rolled my eyes. "Sheldon, you're so desperate you'd date Amy Fisher."

"I just thought since she helped on this case it'd be nice for her to hang out with us." Sheldon said.

"Sure that's all you were thinking." Aiden laughed.

"Oh alright, bit no putting wreaths on your head and no cheesy lines. Aiden and me will call you on them." I said as I dialed my phone.


	68. Old Flames, Current Problems

_Snowbear96- My day too. I am glad you like them so much!_

_Meadow567- You just have a thing for trying to predict what happens next! LOL Almost done with Kylah…I just had a new idea that insisted I include it._

_Oddie333325- Oh drama is coming, A LOT of it. Just think of this as being lulled into false security!_

_Emador- I swear the Lt. Dan dance is so much better than anything those stupid football players do in the endzone! _

Flack and I were finishing up paper work at the end of the day getting ready to head out for an 80's night to start off the weekend.

"So Louie is coming along well?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, he's being transferred to the rehabilitation floor to start rehab. The doctor's can't explain everything that's happened. They all thought he'd have brain damage." I said.

"I know Danny is so happy to have Louie back in his life." Flack said.

"Louie is a great guy. It's a shame that he ever got involved with Tanglewood." I said. "And according to Danny, Louie has a little crush on Aiden."

"That's understandable; she's absolutely beautif….." Flack stopped himself as I raised an eyebrow. "You know Aiden is gorgeous. I just meant I can understand why any guy would be attracted to her."

"Speaking of attracted to her, look who just walked in." I said. Omar Lilley just walked in the door and was looking around.

"What the hell does he want? Aiden and him aren't back together are they?" Flack asked.

"No, he hasn't even talked to her since he gave her the brush off last summer. And if he thinks I am letting him anywhere near her, he's sadly mistaken." I said.

"Maybe he's here on police business." Flack said.

"He better be." I gritted out.

Lilley walked over to our desks. He took off his hat.

"Aurora…."

"Detective Denton to you." I said and narrowed my eyes.

Lilley sighed. "I know you probably have hostility towards me because of how I broke up with Aiden."

"That's putting it mildly. You hurt my best friend. By the women's secret code of conduct I should've slashed your car tires and told your new girlfriend that you have the clapp." I said.

"Look, I know I messed up with Aiden. I've been trying to call her but she won't answer her phone." Lilley said.

"Good, she doesn't need another hassle." I said.

"But….well I want to get back together. I realized what I let go." Lilley said.

"Well Aiden is making it very obvious that she doesn't want anything to do with you. So why are you here? Shouldn't you be walking your beat?" I asked.

"You're her best you talk to her?" Lilley asked.

"You must be fucking out of your mind! You honestly think I would talk to her about taking you back?" I snapped. "I love her; she means more to me than either of my sisters. And the way you left her hurt her more than she ever let on! And if you think for one second that I'm letting you sweet talk her back, you're fucking nuts."

"Look I just want to talk to her…."

"Look Omar, Aiden Burn is off-limits to you!" Flack snapped.

"What you fucking her now?" Lilley snapped.

"Get the hell out before I do something I'll regret!" I yelled.

"You stay away from Aiden." Flack said.

Lilley looked between the two of us then turned and walked out.

"The nerve of that asshole. I should've shot him…right in the dick." I said.

"Did Aiden mention him calling her to you?" Flack asked.

"No. I'll ask her about it." I said. "Thanks for helping get rid of him. I was about two seconds from kicking, biting and doing the stereotypical girl fighting."

"No problem. He doesn't deserve Aiden." Flack said.

"Well I am off to shower and get ready for tonight. I'll talk to her. By the way, Sheldon is coming and making noise that Aiden is his 'date' tonight." I laughed.

"How did you talk Sheldon into this?" Flack asked.

"Aiden and I promised to grind together on the dance floor." I winked and took off for the locker room.

(Later)

"Omar Lilley showed up looking for you." I said to Aiden as we got dressed in the locker room.

"He's been calling me for over a week now. I don't answer the phone." Aiden said.

"You're not thinking of taking him back are you?" I asked. "Flack and I pretty well threatened him."

"I…..I don't know." Aiden said.

"What? Aiden, he hurt you. He was an asshole and if I had the power I'd have him transferred to the bomb squad." I said.

Aiden sighed. "It wasn't all bad before he…."

"Aiden, he just wanted sex with no commitment. The minute you wanted something more he ran like a preacher's wife to a pancake breakfast." I said.

"But….I haven't had a real date in so long and well…."

"Oh sweetie, I know how it feels to look at someone and want to be with them. But he's not coming around; maybe you should try moving on. But don't go back to Lilley." I said.

Aiden gave a small smile. "I never thought I'd be jealous of the girl dating Danny Messer."

I laughed. "Aiden, why don't you just straight up ask Don out?"

"I've thought of that, but we're all so close…I don't want to interfere with that." Aiden said.

I hugged her. "I just want you to be happy."

"I'll be okay." She smiled then laughed. "Us hugging while getting dressed. That's gotta be those boys' wet dreams."

I laughed. "Oh dear, I could just hear them."

"They're lucky we love them." Aiden laughed.

(Guys)

"Does Aurora like you better with or without your glasses?" Flack asked watching Danny put in his contacts.

"She's never said one way or the other." Danny said.

"Officer Lilley stopped by looking for Aiden today." Don said.

Danny looked at Don. "Did Rora rip his throat out? She hates him for what he did to Aiden."

"No she didn't kill him, although I could tell she wanted to. I wouldn't cross those girls. They are so protective of one another." Flack said.

"Don't I know it. I'd been dating Rora for less than a week when Aiden threatened me. She told me that if I ever hurt Aurora she would 'rip my balls off, and then shove them so far down my throat they came out my ass'." Danny smiled. "Of course, she knew I would never hurt Aurora."

"Honestly Danny, I wanted to punch Omar today." Flack said.

"Because he hurt a friend or because it was Aiden that he hurt?" Danny asked.

"A little of both. And part of it was…he had such an amazing……I just wanted to punch him." Flack finished.

"Don, other guys are gonna notice Aiden. Let's face it, she's pretty. And of course she's built just how you like them. And we all know how you feel about her lips." Danny joked.

"I know they are. How did you ever stand it when guys looked at Rora before you two hooked up?" Don asked.

"Well Mac, Sheldon and you I didn't mind…..much. Other guys it drove me nuts. Still does. I mean I know she doesn't give them a second glance, but she's mine." Danny said.

"You know, she has kissed Mac a few times." Don winked.

"Yeah, she's got a soft spot for Mac." Danny smiled. "And sadly that's probably the most action he's got since Claire died."

"You're very lucky Danny. I never thought I'd…never mind." Flack said.

"You know, Louie has a small crush on Aiden?" Danny said.

"You think he'll ask her out?" Flack asked.

Danny shrugged. "Hard to say. He's not really in a position to date right now unless the girl wants to eat hospital cafeteria food and watch reruns of 'The Price is Right' in the waiting room."

"Has Aiden showed any interest in him?" Don asked.

"None that is serious. Although the other night she and Rora offered to give him a sponge bath. They were kidding." Danny said.

(80's Night)

The five of us walked into the club where the 80's music was blaring. The place was packed.

"Where is a table?" Sheldon asked.

"I think there are a few along the back wall that are empty." Aiden said.

"Let's head that way." Danny said.

We made our way to the back wall and managed to find a booth. We all squeezed in.

"So when are you and Aiden gonna grind together?" Sheldon asked.

"Later." I rolled my eyes.

"I finally got a date." Sheldon put an arm around Aiden.

"Well my trilogy is complete. I've had 'dates' with Danny, Don and now Sheldon." Aiden said.

"You're one up on me. I just 'dated' Don and Danny." I laughed.

"You know, any time Danny is working late we can solve that problem." Sheldon winked.

"How would you like to do your next autopsy on yourself?" Danny joked.

"I want to see these strip aerobics you girls are learning?" Flack smiled.

"I'm surprised you jokers haven't asked us to film class for you to watch later." Aiden said.

"We need to have a guy's night out. Go see some strippers." Flack said.

"Okay, what is the point of you two going to a club and getting all excited from some girls stripping for you when you have no one to go home to but lefty and righty?" Aiden asked Don and Sheldon. "At least Danny can go home and screw Rora into the middle of next month."

"He doesn't need a strip club to do that." I winked.

"I am officially afraid to go into the storage closet at the lab." Aiden laughed.

"We've never done more than make out in there….so far." I said.

"Can I be there when Mac catches you two in there?" Sheldon asked.

"Man being here always makes me think of the 80's. Remember how it was back then." Aiden said.

"Who shot JR….my mom still talks about that. It was everywhere the summer of 1980." I said.

"Who did shoot him?" Danny asked.

"His sister-in-law that he got pregnant." I sighed.

"I remember when wrestling was big in the 80's. I broke on of my mom's lamps trying to jump off the couch onto my little brother. I was pretending to be Randy Savage jumping off the top rope." Flack laughed.

"Didn't you listen to the warnings of 'do not try this at home'?" I laughed.

"Like you didn't prance around pretending to be Miss Elizabeth?" Flack asked.

"Pretending to be Miss Elizabeth didn't require I jump off anything." I said.

"In the 80's I was a huge Michael Jackson fan." Sheldon said. "That was before all the scandal."

"Tell me you didn't go around wearing one glove." Danny said.

"Oh I did. And I could moonwalk. And I had all the dance moves down from the Thriller video." Sheldon said.

I cracked up. "So Billie Jean is not your lover?"

"That was another good song to dance to. And so was Smooth Criminal." Sheldon said.

"We so have to request some MJ later and see this." Flack said.

"How about you Aiden, what did you do in the 80's?" Danny asked.

"Oh I did my best to look like the girl in 'Flash Dance'. I had the torn sweatshirt and all." Aiden said. "And then I did the whole big hair thing. I went all out and got a perm."

We all laughed.

"Hey, isn't that Emily over there?" Sheldon asked.

"Who?" Danny asked.

"You know the narcotics detective from last week." Sheldon said.

"Oh yeah, the one you tried to pick up at the Christmas party." Danny said.

"I think that is her. She's at the bar with a few other girls." Flack said.

"Flack, she's got friends with her. Shall we?" Sheldon asked.

"I….well…" Flack stuttered.

"Come on, I need a flirting partner and Danny is married." Sheldon said. "Besides, one of her friends might like you and you could get laid. Remember what that is? It's when you insert Peg A into Socket B."

Flack sighed. "Oh alright."

Sheldon and Don stood up and walked to the bar to flirt with Detective Rastovich and her friends. I watched Aiden watching them and sighed.


	69. Family Problems

_Meadow567- Well you got to read it. Now I have to switch gears and make Craig Chev's dad. LOL_

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Ah, the plot thickens! _

_Emador- You're such a Hawkes fan. And Aiden is not a prize! LOL_

Danny was awakened by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He glanced at the clock; it was 3:30AM. He groaned and looked at the caller ID. It was Aurora's number.

"Hello?"

"Danny….can you come over….I need you." Aurora said. She sounded scared and upset.

"Baby what's wrong?" Danny said; already out of bed and looking for his pants.

"It's my brother. He's….in a lot of trouble." She said.

"Is he sick? I thought he received medical care at the group home?" Danny said.

"No, not that brother. The other one…..in Cincinnati. He's been arrested…he shot his wife." Aurora was crying now.

Danny stopped stunned. "What? Is she dead?"

"No the bitch is in surgery now. I don't know exactly what happened but he called me wanting help." Aurora said. "First time I've heard from him in over a year."

"Baby, I am on my way. Just stay calm." Danny said.

Danny hung up and pulled on his shoes. Aurora hadn't told him much about this brother except that his wife was a real case to deal with. He could tell by her voice that she was upset. He hurried more so that he could comfort her.

Danny went straight to the subway and caught the train to Manhattan. He knew Aurora didn't easily get upset. She was a homicide detective. She'd seen it all.

When the train stopped he ran off the subway and up the stairs to the street. He ran the two blocks to her apartment and hit the buzzer.

"Rory, let me in." Danny said.

A few seconds later the buzzer sounded. Danny pulled open the door and ran up the stairs. Aurora was waiting at her door when Danny reached her apartment. She was crying and shaking.

Danny hugged her and pulled her into her apartment and shut the door. He soothed her by rubbing her back and holding her tight.

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"I don't know for sure. He was only able to talk to me for a few moments. He said that he shot her to protect the kids and then called 911. Right now he is under arrest for attempted murder." Aurora cried.

"It'll be okay. Deep breath." Danny said and got her to sit on the couch.

"I kinda suspected this would happen one day." Aurora said.

"This is your brother Chuck right?" Danny asked. "The adopted one?"

"Yeah, it's Chuck. He's Angie's full brother. My mom adopted them during her first marriage." Aurora said.

"I know you said he'd been having problems in his marriage." Danny said.

"Problems? That's putting it mildly. I can't say I am surprised this has happened considering all that has been going on the past few years." Aurora said.

"What all has been happening?" Danny asked.

"First of his wife, Gena, is a bitch. She's a slut and she's psychotic. I wish he'd never brought her to this country." Aurora said.

"She's a foreigner?"

"Yeah, he met her when he was in the Army stationed in Germany. She was married to his army buddy, but my dumbass brother starting having an affair with her. The buddy found letters between them and ended his marriage. Nothing do Chuck but marry her….she should've known better than marry someone who cheated on their husband with you." Aurora said. "I love Chuck but….well your brother has made mistakes too."

Danny nodded. "Was the marriage always bad?"

"Pretty much. While they were still in Germany she took spells where she'd go to her mother's while he'd be on maneuvers. Turns out she had a boyfriend that lived near her mother. Then he got transferred States side. Well Gena is incredibly jealous of anyone that gets near Chuck and not even his family was allowed near him. Not me, my mom and dad, our siblings. Any time one of us would call him, she wouldn't let us talk to him or she'd make him put it on speakerphone. She accused me of flirting with him…my own brother. And she was outrageously jealous of his old girlfriends." Aurora said.

"Why didn't he leave her?" Danny asked.

"I have no idea. I wish he had. He thought about it but never carried through. Then they had Colin and things changed. She was a good wife and great mother. We were allowed more contact with Chuck and everything. Then Chuck got deployed to Iraq in 2003. Caitlyn was born while he was over there. When he came out he was discharged but stayed in the reserves. They moved to Cincinnati where he got a good job, but she had ruined their credit so bad they had to buy their house in the ghetto. I can't tell you how many vehicles she caused to get repossessed. Once they'd been in Cincy awhile, things went downhill worse than ever." Aurora said.

"So her being good was only a phase?" Danny asked.

"Yes, a very short lived one." Aurora said. "Gena was diagnosed as bi-polar and she refuses to take her medication. She has horrendous mood swings. Every time she can't have her way she calls the cops and claims Chuck is beating her. She doesn't pay the bills and overdraws on their checking account to the point they owe hundreds of dollars in fees. Worst of all she drinks and parties and runs with drug dealers. She comes home falling down drunk at all hours and upsets the kids. Chuck found condom wrappers on the floor of their van."

"Why doesn't he leave now?" Danny asked.

"He's tried, but lawyers told him that even with all that, she'd get the kids. Chuck is a wonderful, devoted father." Aurora said. "Gena threatens to take the kids and go back to Germany so often that Chuck hid their birth certificates and social security cards."

"No wonder Chuck shot her. Too bad he didn't kill her; I know ways to hide bodies." Danny said. "Sounds like he's in a real mess."

"He is. I don't know the details but I need to go to Cincinnati. I need to find out what's going on, work on his defense. Right now he's being charged with attempted murder. If she dies, it'll probably be second degree murder." Aurora said.

"I'm going with you. You're not going through this by yourself." Danny said.

"Danny…."

"Not a word. I am going. I have some time off coming to me anyway." Danny said.

"I'll call Flack and let him know what's going on." Aurora said.

"I'll call Mac and fill him in, see if he has any advice." Danny said.

(FPPOV)

By 6AM, Danny had informed Mac of what was going on. Mac was concerned and demanded that we keep him informed. Flack had pretty much the same reaction. I had hurriedly packed a bag and Danny had returned to his apartment to do the same. We had scheduled a flight out of JFK to Cincinnati. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was so glad to have Danny for support.

My phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, Donnie just called me." Donald said.

"Yeah, I figured he would." I said.

"How are you holding up? Do you know anything new?" Donald asked.

"I'm hanging in there. I called the hospital my sister-in-law was taken to. But they won't tell me anything since I am not immediate family." I said.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Donald asked.

"No, Aiden is going to stop in and take care of my cat. Danny is going to Ohio with me. I just need to get there and find out exactly what is going on and how to handle it." I said.

"Well if you get there and need anything call me. I'll help in any way." Donald said.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that." I said. "I'll call you when I know more."

I hung up and double checked to make sure I had everything. I had called mom. She was concerned for Chuck, but said she couldn't drive from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati. I sighed and hung up on her. She had this asinine fear of driving anywhere but the Wal-mart.

I heard my buzzer and knew it was Danny so I buzzed him up. We needed to be at the airport soon so we'd have time to get through security. I heard Danny knocking on my door. I opened the door for him.

"Are you about ready?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I have everything. Flack is going to give Aiden my spare key so she can take care of Rammer." I sighed.

"You ready?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, let's go." I said.

"Wait." Danny said and walked though my apartment and picked up Orsetto, the teddy bear he'd bought me at Coney Island. "Take him. It'll give you something happy to remember and he's a comfort object."

I smiled and hugged Danny when he handed me the teddy bear. "Thank you so much. It means so much that you're going with me."

"Baby, my place is with you, you need me." Danny said.

(Flight)

Danny and I sat on the plane. It wouldn't be a long flight. I was trying to relax, but I wondered exactly what had happened to make Chuck finally shoot Gena.

"I am surprised she is the only one he shot." I said.

"Why?"

"Before I moved to New York, Chuck had been working late one night. When he came home….the kids were locked in the basement crying. He got them out then went upstairs and found Gena riding another guy." I said. "He threatened to cut her throat that night. But instead he packed up the kids and went away for a few days."

"And there's no way he could divorce her and get custody?" Danny asked.

"Nope, a lawyer even told him the best he would get would be shared custody. He was advised to have a PI follow her and get evidence but he couldn't afford it the way Gena let bills go." I said. "Stupid bitch would be so broke from boozing that she'd pawn the kids' movies to buy tampons."

"How have they not ended up in jail from their creditors pressing charges?" Danny asked.

"They've avoided it by the skin of their teeth. Like I said, they've had several automobiles repossessed. They've had to go to court several times and get extensions to make house payments. Their furniture was repossessed at one point. Their electricity was shut off for awhile in the fall before I loved to NYC." I said.

"Sounds like your brother really got involved with the wrong person." Danny said.

"In a lot of ways I blame him. You don't fool around with your best friend's wife. And you don't bring children into a bad marriage." I said.

"Were the children an accident?" Danny asked.

"No, Gena had an ectopic pregnancy. After that they started trying for Colin. Caitlyn was a surprise but they wanted three kids so it was no big deal." I explained.

"Some people live under the illusion children will make a bad marriage better." Danny said.

"Well it doesn't. Colin and Caitlyn have probably been taken in by child services now." I sighed. "Angie is probably raising hell to get them."

"Is she gonna be there?" Danny asked.

"Of course. She thinks she's the only relative Chuck has. She doesn't really like me even calling him my brother. She has a weird obsession with him." I said.

"Your whole family seems insane. How did you turn out so normal?" Danny asked.

"I was my own person. Lived my own life and just never was like them. And I moved away." I said.

"Guess I can understand that. Look at what I come from." Danny said.

"A few things to prepare you for meeting Angie." I sighed. "First of all she is one of these Southern Baptists holy rollers. I mean over the top religious fanatic. Her family is only allowed to listen to Christian music, she made such a stink at her kids' school they couldn't have a Halloween party…you get the point." I said. "Also, she thinks she's very sophisticated even though we came from blue collar roots. She tries to tell me what to do all the time and treats me like I am a child. And anytime I complain about mom, she goes on and on about how horrible her biological mother was."

Danny nodded and took my hand. "I just want you to know that no matter what Angie says, no matter what Chuck gets charged with…..I am here for you."

"Thank you. And just warning you being around Angie makes me crazy." I said.

"I'm here for you. And now that I am with you, she better leave you the hell alone." Danny said.

"Passengers, please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. The plane will be making its final decent soon." Came over the speakers.

I took a deep breath. "Guess this is it." I said.

**To Be Continued……**


	70. More Family Problems

_Meadow567- LOL, it's a bit of venting! I use writing to get emotions out sometimes._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Yes she is. Here is more._

_Snowbear96- Well you get to meet them here and it's…well you judge._

_Emador- There just wasn't room for Sheldon to fly to Cincy with them. He really isn't needed here. _

Danny and I walked into the police station in Cincinnati. I looked around for someone to talk to about seeing Chuck. I walked up to the main desk.

"Excuse me. I'm Aurora Denton. I'm here about my brother, Charles Conley." I said.

"From New York? We've been expecting you." The receptionist said.

"Who can I talk to about seeing him?" I asked.

"Detective James Elliott is handling the case. His desk is in the back." She said.

I nodded and walked with Danny to the back of the station. I saw the desk with Elliott's name plate on it.

"Detective Elliott, I'm Aurora Denton, Charles Conley's sister." I said.

"He's been expecting you." Elliott said.

"This is my boyfriend Danny Messer. He flew in from New York with me." I said. "We're both members of the NYPD. I know we have no jurisdiction here, but I would appreciate cooperation and honesty."

"Please have a seat." Elliott said.

"Thank you. So what is my brother being charged with right now?" I asked.

"Attempted murder unless we can find evidence that it was in self defense of himself and the children." Elliott said. "The hospital called earlier Gena came through surgery okay."

"Where are the children now?" I asked.

"They've been taken by child services. His other sister….Angela was here earlier demanding to see them." Elliott said.

I looked at Danny and nodded. I knew Angie was going to stick herself right in the middle of this.

"I figured as much. What can we do to help Chuck?" I asked.

"He needs an attorney. Right now he has one from the public defender's office." Elliott said.

"What's he saying happened?" Danny asked.

"Charles claims that he came home from weekend maneuvers with the Army Reserves to find Gena hosting a house full of people. The two children were in an upstairs bedroom crying. Charles says he threw everyone in the house out and Gena became belligerent. They got into a fight; she grabbed a large knife from the kitchen and went after the children. She was going to stab the daughter when Charles pulled a gun form his dresser and shot her." Elliott explained.

"What have you found forensics wise?" Danny asked.

Elliott eyed us.

"Look, we know how a case should be handled. So you either cooperate with us to find the truth, or we'll find the best defense attorney in the state of Ohio and work with him to ruin your case. We just want the truth." I said.

"A knife with Gena's finger prints was found in the bedroom. Gena's blood alcohol level was well over the legal limit and she had traces of heroine in her system." Elliott said.

"Has she been taking her medication for bi-polar disorder?" I asked.

"None was found in her system. We have no idea how long she hasn't been taking them." Elliott said.

"Gena never takes her meds like she's supposed to. She has violent mood swings." I said.

"You have any witnesses to these mood swings?" Elliott asked.

"How about the list of calls to the police she's made every time she can't get her way?" I asked.

"We've sent to review those reports now." Elliott said.

"Gena was bi-polar and didn't take her meds. She drank and used drugs which would further alter her moods……why is this a question of self defense or not?" I asked.

"We have no way of proving how long it's been since she's taken her meds." Elliott said.

"But you can prove that drugs and alcohol were in her system at the time of the attack." Danny said.

"Alleged attack. Yes we know that." Elliott said.

"Look through her medical records and see if she's been taking her meds." Danny said.

"Medical records are private without a warrant which we don't have enough evidence to get." Elliot said.

"You have testimony that she was violent and wouldn't take her meds and you have proof that she was using narcotics." I said.

"The testimony we have is from the suspect. No one else lived with her that could tell us if she took medicine or not." Elliott said.

"Then subpoena her insurance records. Her medical insurance is not private information. Get it and you'll see if any prescriptions have been filled." I said.

"We'll try that. We'll look through that and the police reports from her calls." Elliott said.

"Also, they were taking marriage counseling for awhile; the counselor would be able to tell you more." I said.

Elliott nodded. "Would you like to see him now? We're willing to let you speak with him for a few moments."

"Yes, thank you." I said.

"Family only. Mr. Messer, you'll have to wait." Elliott said.

Danny nodded. "You be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I said and hugged him.

"I'll be right here." Danny said.

I nodded and followed Elliott down the hall and down the stairs where there were holding cells. Chuck was in he first one on the right.

"Aurora!" Chuck said and jumped up. "I'm glad you're here."

"You're in a lot of trouble. I'm here to help." I said.

"Aurora, I swear if I hadn't shot her she'd have killed Caitlyn. She was going to cut her throat." Chuck said.

"Can we have a moment alone?" I asked Detective Elliott.

"I'll be back soon." Elliott said and nodded to the floor guard as he walked out.

"Okay Chuck, we only have a few minutes. Tell me everything that happened. Leave nothing out. I'm a detective, picking apart stories is what I do." I said.

Chuck nodded. "I came home from maneuvers. I had to drive in from Illinois. When I got home, the house was full of people……people that looked….trashy. You know drug dealer types that Gena likes. I was furious and asked where Colin and Caitlyn were. Gena told me they were upstairs. I ran up to our bedroom and the kids were in the middle of the bed crying. I don't know how long she'd had them locked in that room. I went back downstairs and threw everyone out. I wanted that garbage away from my children and out of my house." Chuck said.

"Did you recognize any of them?" I asked.

"No, Gena parties with anyone. Well, after I threw them out Gena went into a rage. She was screaming at me that I couldn't run her life and had no right to do that. I decided to ignore her and go care for the kids, get them ready for bed. Gena's antics were nothing new. I went up to our bedroom when suddenly she comes running in with the butcher knife from the kitchen and grabs up Caitlyn. Gena screamed at me that if the kids were gone she'd be rid of me. That without the children he could live as she wanted to. I tried talking her down. But she was in a rage. I always kept a gun in the dresser." Chuck said.

"Just like my dad." I nodded.

"I grabbed it hoping to just scare her. But she raised the knife and I fired." Chuck said. "When I realized what happened. I got the kids out of the room and then called 911." Chuck said.

"Would Colin or Caitlyn be able to tell officers what they saw?" I asked.

"You know how they are about strangers? I don't know. They're probably screaming their heads off as it is." Chuck said.

"Okay listen to me. My boyfriend is here with me, he works in the NYC crime lab. We're going to talk over this case together and see what we can figure out. Also, we're going to get you the best attorney we can find. We'll pay for it; I know you're in debt up to your ass. And you don't talk to anyone else except that attorney. You invoke your right to silence." I said.

Chuck nodded. "Is he a good guy?"

"Who?"

"The crime lab boyfriend?" Chuck asked.

"He's the best thing that ever happened to me. We'll get this figured out." I said.

"Miss Denton…times up." Elliott said.

"Remember what I said." I said to Chuck as I walked out.

I walked back upstairs and found Danny. I turned to Elliott.

"Have you tried talking to the children?" I asked.

"Child counselors will try but they're having a very difficult time with them." Elliott said.

"Could you talk to them?" Danny asked.

"They don't me. Gena didn't let anyone around the children so anytime someone strange was nearby they screamed their heads off." I sighed.

"Why wouldn't Gena allow people around the kids?" Danny asked.

"Jealousy. And if was a big boost to her ego that the kids would cling to her when other people were around. In her head, that made her a good mother." I said.

"Let's go grab a bite to eat and find a hotel. That way we can talk and see what to do next." Danny said.

I nodded. "Detective, we'll be in contact." I said.

Danny took my hand and we started to walk out of the station. Angie rounded the corner walking full speed and red in the face. She walked right past us to Elliott's desk.

"What do you mean I'm not allowed to have the children?" Angie yelled.

"This is a problem for child services, not me." Elliott said.

"I just came from there. They will not let me have temporary custody of Colin and Caitlyn." Angie yelled. "Gena doesn't want me to have them."

"Gena hates Angie." I whispered to Danny.

"She talked to child services and insisted you not be given the children. Child services felt it was in the children's best interest to be placed in foster care." Elliott said.

"But Chuck wants me to have the kids. Why does she get any say in this?" Angie yelled.

"Angie, whether we like it or not Gena is still their mother and will have a say in what happens to them. And she is considered the victim here." I said.

"She is no victim. Gena deserves everything she got." Angie yelled.

"You're not helping here. And Detective Elliott has nothing to child services." I said.

"You're a cop, do something." Angie said.

"There is nothing to do even if I could." I said.

"Mrs. Hill, we're doing all we can for your brother. But when Gena came out of surgery she insisted on calling child services so that you not be given the children." Elliott said. "Now I'll call you if anything new comes up."

Angie turned and walked away from Detective Elliott. I leaned on Danny and started to walk out of the station.

"I could've handled things here." Angie said to me.

"Chuck called for me." I said.

"Well it's all a mess. I just don't know what to do." Angie said. "Who'd you bring with you?"

"Sorry. This is my boyfriend Danny Messer. He works in the NYPD crime lab. Danny, this is my adopted sister Angela Hill." I said.

"Nice to meet you." Angie said. "How long you gonna be here?"

"Until Chuck doesn't need us anymore." I said.

"There's really not much you can do here." Angie said.

"Well Chuck called for me. And I have an inside into law enforcement." I said. "We were going to lunch. Excuse us."

"Can we meet for dinner later this evening while you're in town?" Angie asked.

"Fine, I'll call you later." I said and pulled Danny out of the station.

(Down the Street)

"You were right; Angie is weird when it comes to Chuck." Danny said as we sat for fast food near the station.

I nodded. "We need to call and get him a good attorney. Police will be taking a statement from Gena now that she is awake." I said.

"I wonder what she'll tell them. She sounds like a nutjob." Danny said.

"She is. I just hope this can be worked out. Maybe Chuck's perfect military record will help." I said.

"So what do I have to look forward to at dinner with Angie tonight?" Danny asked.

"She'll grill you about your religion and politics. She'll try to impose her views on you." I said. "She's not going to like you."

"She's not the girl I worry about liking me." Danny took my hand.

I smiled. "I was hoping you'd never have to deal with her. I never wanted her imposing her insane ideas on you."

"Nothing she could ever say or do could change how I feel about you." Danny said. "Besides, in the five minutes I saw her at the station…..I can already tell that you two are nothing alike. And I got the better sister." Danny kissed my hand.

"Baby, you got the best member of the whole damn family." I said. "I just want to get this taken care of, go home to New York and let you pin me to the bed for five straight days."

"That's sounds like a great plan." Danny winked.

(Evening)

Danny and I walked into the restaurant that we were meeting Angie in. We'd changed clothes and rested a bit at the hotel during the afternoon. I just wanted to get dinner with Angie over and go back to the hotel and relax snuggled up with Danny.

Angie was sitting at the table waiting for us.

"Hey, we made it." I said.

"I haven't been here long." Angie said as we sat down.

"The kids stay with Glenn in Columbus?" I asked.

"Yeah, he wasn't thrilled about it, but this is an emergency." Angie said.

"How are they?" I asked.

"Great. Straight A's all 3 of them." Angie said.

I nodded. "That's good."

"So Danny, what religion are you?" Angie asked.

"Catholic." Danny said.

"Are you aware Aurora was raised protestant?" Angie asked.

"Yes I was. But Aurora and I believe in the same God and that's enough." Danny said.

"God won't strike me dead for going to a Catholic church. As a matter of fact or lead CSI investigator is Catholic and I've gone to church with him several times, including last Easter." I said.

"But it's so different than what we believe." Angie said.

"No what you believe. I believe in one God that everyone worships in their own way and no certain denomination is wrong." I said.

"Let's not discuss religion. Everyone feels differently about it." Danny said.

"Well if you two have children, what will they be raised as?' Angie asked.

"We're not even married and we're not thinking of having children right now. And if we ever do they'll be raised as we see fit." I said.

"I just thought I'd ask. Those situations can be tricky." Angie said.

"Just so you know, I love Aurora very much. We've been through a lot together." Danny said.

"I hope you do." Angie said.

"He does. He loves me very much. He's the best thing in my life." I said and squeezed his hand.

"Well what kind of family do you come from?" Angie asked Danny.

"I had a good mother. That woman was a saint. Dad was around but we weren't close. I have an older brother." Danny said simply.

"Well CSI sounds like a good job. Do you get a lot of cases?" Angie asked.

"Yeah, NYC is a busy place." Danny said.

"We couldn't believe Aurora would want to move there." Angie said.

"I love it there." I said.

"Her mother did not want her to move there." Angie said.

"It's my life. I really love it there. I have great friends and a great job." I said.

"She's really very happy. And she's a great detective. Her partner and my boss adore her." Danny said.

"Aurora always did her own thing." Angie said.

"Yes, I have because I was so different than the rest of the family. Sometimes I think I'm the one that was adopted." I snapped.

"Oh hush; you never liked sharing mom with me." Angie said.

"There was no sharing to be done. You were her favorite perfect child that could do no wrong and got all the attention!" I said.

"You were the biological child." Angie said.

"I was the accident that wasn't supposed to be. Mom was getting tests for a hysterectomy when the doctors found she was pregnant." I said. "She already had you and Chuck…she didn't need me. She didn't want me either. I wonder if she ever did."

I stood up. "I'll see you later. I have no appetite."

I walked out of the restaurant and soon Danny was right beside me.

"I see what you mean about how they try making you into the one in he wrong." Danny said and wrapped an arm around me.

"It's always like this. I am surprised she didn't go into her song and dance about her real mom being a lesbian who didn't want her." I sighed.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I just want to head back to the hotel and take a hot shower and curl up in your arms." I said.

(TPPOV)

When they arrived back at the hotel, Aurora went straight to take a shower. Danny was worried about her. She had been quiet. But he himself felt rattled by Angie at dinner. It was obvious to Danny that Angie had control issues, pushed her lifestyle on everyone and didn't like her sister much.

Danny sat on one of the beds and sighed. He was worried about how all this would affect Aurora. And he didn't know what was going to happen with Chuck.

Danny noticed that Aurora had been in the shower a long time. The water was running and she usually didn't take THIS long. Danny walked over to the bathroom door. He could hear a noise…sounded like muffled sobbing.

"Rory?" Danny slowly opened the bathroom door.

He looked and saw Aurora crouched in the bottom of the bathtub. The shower was spraying over her. She was crying and didn't seem to notice he was there.

Danny took off his outer shirt leaving him in a wifebeater. He walked over and knelt down at the edge of the tub and reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Rory?" Danny said.

She looked up at him. Her eyes were nearly bloodshot and tears tracks were on her face.

"Baby?" Danny asked.

"Why….Why didn't she want me?" Aurora cried and started crying more.

Danny sighed and pulled her into his arms, ignoring the water.

**To Be Continued……**


	71. Family and 'Family'

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Glad I captured so much emotion. Here is the conclusion of this case. Then it'll be time for some fluff._

_Meadow567- No the mom doesn't come in. But more family stuff here._

_Snowbear96-I am about to name you the official hugger, LOL._

_Jordayna- Yes they do. More fun here! Glad you liked the last few chapters._

_LizfromItaly- No, its not Elliott Stabler. I don't really like SVU anymore. But I still love CSI:NY._

_Dybdahl- Glad you liked it. I wasn't sure how people would respond. _

_Emador- But he isn't getting married in a fever. And I don't know if he's thinking about Jackson. And we all want to choke Angie._

Danny hugged Aurora. "I know tonight upset you. I'm sorry." He tried rubbing her back.

"It's not your fault." Aurora cried. "I've been going through this for years. I was really never wanted."

Danny reached over and shut off the water. He looked around and found a towel on the edge of the sink. He opened it and wrapped it around Aurora.

"Come on; let's get you out of here." Danny said and gently tugged Aurora up.

She was shaking and still crying. Danny helped her step out of the tub and wrapped the towel tighter around her. Danny stripped off his own wifebeater that was wet and threw it on the floor. He wrapped his arm around Aurora and walked her out of the bathroom.

He walked over to the bed and helped her to lie down. He lay beside her and held her, letting her cry a bit more. Danny wasn't sure how to comfort her.

"Rory don't cry. I know it hurts, but it'll be okay." Danny said. "We'll get Chuck the help he needs and then we'll go back to New York and you don't have to deal with these people anymore."

"I was a good kid Danny. I never gave anyone problems. I made good grades, never got in trouble, went to college……why wasn't I good enough?" Aurora asked.

"I don't know why they didn't appreciate you. Most people would be thrilled to have a kid that stayed out of trouble and made good grades. And then you go to college and make a career for yourself. You're an amazing woman….anyone can see that." Danny said.

"Dad was the only one that was ever proud of me. Nothing I ever did was good enough for the rest of the family." Aurora cried.

"Aurora, you're 'family' in NYC loves you and are very proud of you. They all want you. Don, Aiden, Mac, Stella, Sheldon, Donald…even Louie; they all love you very much. And you know how much I love you." Danny said.

"I know……that's why I'm so happy in New York. I have friends there that mean more to me than my real family…..well I shouldn't say that my brother who is slightly retarded loves me and has always been the best I could hope for. But with the exception of him…..you guys in New York mean everything to me. Donald has more or less adopted me as one of his kids. And Mac….I adore him. And words can't say how much I love Don and Aiden. And Louie just welcomed me right into his life."

"Louie didn't have a choice….you and me are a package deal." Danny winked.

"But you know what I mean……..New York City is my home now. With you and my friends." Aurora said.

"It's where you belong; don't ever let anyone tell you different." Danny said. "And anyone should be proud of you. Look at the people you help. Remember all those babies we rescued from Damek and his cult? They have a better life now. And think about all the women you saved by locking up Harold Genott; and the families you gave peace to by finding their missing loved ones."

Aurora gave Danny a small smile. "Thanks…I needed to hear that."

"It's true. Not to mention dead hooker cases are being taken more seriously than ever because it's well known in the NYPD that you don't hesitate to put uniformed officers on desk duty and that you take every death seriously." Danny laughed.

"Hey whatever it takes. Ignoring dead prostitutes has been what allowed many serial killers to get away with murder for a long time. Look at the case of Robert Pickton in Canada. He murdered 26 hookers before the police even started to investigate him." Aurora said.

"You gonna be okay now?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for getting so upset….."

"Don't apologize. I can see why you don't have much to do with your family." Danny said. "How is it you grew up around this and came out so open minded?"

"I never fit in. I dunno. I just saw the world differently than the rest of my family." Aurora said. "You got off easy. Angie just started in on us being raised in different churches. She could've launched into her many sermons on gays, abortion, Halloween, teaching evolution in schools, pretty much every issue the Southern Baptists get involved in."

"Glad I missed that." Danny said.

"Me too. Thanks for everything." Aurora said.

"Hey, I'll always be there for you." Danny said.

"We should probably get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day." Aurora said.

"You wanna sleep?" Danny winked.

"Danny!" Aurora started giggling.

"What? You're feeling better; and I'm half naked lying here holding you who's just in a towel." Danny smiled.

Aurora smiled. "Can't argue with logic like that."

(Next Morning, FPPOV)

The next morning, Danny and I walked into the police station bright and early. I wanted to know exactly what was going on with Chuck's case. We walked back to Detective Elliott's desk.

"Detective Elliott, is there anything new in the case?" I asked.

"Yes, that high profile attorney you called for your brother managed to get those insurance records. Turns out Gena has not taken her meds to treat Bi-polar disorder is almost two years. He's already called in a doctor who is willing to testify about the effects of not taking those meds and the effects of a bi-polar person abusing drugs and alcohol." Elliott said.

"What about the marriage counselor?" Danny asked.

"We interviewed him. He says that Gena was not willing to compromise to make her marriage work. He also stated that Chuck was the better parent and Gena couldn't make the children behave." Elliott said. "He further stated that Chuck confided to him about spousal abuse…..that Gena was hitting him."

"Looks like your case against Chuck is falling apart." I said.

"But we still don't know what happened that night. The DA will prosecute without more evidence of exactly what happened that night." Elliott said. "But….I now fully believe Chuck is innocent and was trying to keep the kids safe."

"You have the knife with her prints found at the scene." I said.

"Gena is arguing she was using that to protect herself from Chuck. She alleges that he was the aggressor." Elliott said.

"What about the police reports from when Gena would call?" I asked.

"They help Chuck's case a bit as well. On several of the reports the officers wrote that Gena was ordered to leave the house because she was causing the problem." Elliott said. "We have plenty of evidence that Gena was violent and a bit unbalanced. We just need more evidence to prove she was the attacker that night."

"Have you tried talking to the children?" I asked.

"Social workers are having a difficult time with them. But they are bringing them in later and our psychiatrist is going to sit down with them. See if he can't get them to talk." Elliott said.

"Can I watch the interview?" I asked.

"Yes, but you can't be apart of it, you realize that." Elliott said.

"I know. I just want to watch." I said.

"The kids will be here around 9AM." Elliott said.

(9AM)

Angie had thrown the mother of all fits that she was not allowed to see Colin and Caitlyn. She was also not allowed to watch the interview. When I walked to the back to watch the interview through one way glass, Angie was still arguing with Detective Elliott.

Colin and Caitlyn were sitting at a table, coloring with some crayons the psychiatrist had provided for them. Dr. Rankin was going to interview them. Colin was five, Caitlyn was 4. We wondered how much they would be able to tell us.

"So Colin…..does your mommy and daddy fight a lot?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"Yeah, mostly when mommy is sick." Colin said.

"Sick? How is she sick?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"She falls down and can't walk. And sometimes she pukes." Colin said.

That meant Chuck and Gena fought a lot when Gena came home drunk.

"Were they fighting the other night?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"Yeah….mommy locked us upstairs, but I could still hear them." Colin said.

"Caitlyn did you hear them?" Dr. Rankin asked.

Caitlyn didn't speak but nodded.

"What were they saying?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"Mommy said….." Colin wouldn't answer.

"What did mommy say? Was it mean?" Dr. Rankin asked.

Colin nodded.

"You can tell me. It's okay." Dr. Rankin said.

Colin looked down. "Mommy said that she didn't want me and Caitie anymore."

"Then what did she do?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"She walked in with this big knife and grabbed Caitie." Colin said. "She pulled her hair."

"Caitlyn, did your mommy grab you?" Dr. Rankin asked. Caitlyn nodded.

"What did daddy do?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"He tried to get mommy to calm down. Then he grabbed a gun." Colin said.

"What happened then?"

"There was a loud noise and mommy fell down." Colin said.

"Were you scared?" Dr. Rankin asked.

"Yeah, but daddy took us right out of there and took us downstairs." Colin said.

I took a deep breath and walked up the stairs. I had seen enough. I knew that Colin and Caitlyn had corroborated Chuck's version of events. The DA would now be forced to dismiss charges. The case against chuck wouldn't stand up in court. Although I knew there would be a long custody battle in the future.

At the top of the stairs I saw Danny sitting across from Angie in the waiting area. He looked agitated. When he saw me coming, he jumped up.

"Aurora, we need to go now." Danny said.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"We just need to go!" Danny insisted.

I knew what had happened. Angie had sat their preaching her views and who knows what else at him. Probably trying to tell him what to do in the process.

"That does it! I've waited all my life to tell you what I think!" I turned on Angie. "You've tried all your life to tell me what to do and it hasn't worked and it never will. I am not like you and I thank God for that. Yes God, the one I pray to the same in my church as Mac or Danny's church. And you want to go on and on about your lesbian mother that tried to set you on fire, go ahead. You can use that as your excuse to take my mother too. Well you can have her because she never wanted me! Yeah, she can go on and on that I was hers that she carried for nine months, but everyday on the job I see parents that didn't want their kids. And you may think that all this holy living of yours is going to get you to heaven, but it takes more than that. Boycotting Proctor and Gamble because of a homosexual Downy ad doesn't get you into heaven. And when we get to heaven there will be all kinds of people! You don't want to support gay marriage, or abortion, or Halloween fine. But I will and you won't change that. And it makes me no less of a good person! So take all your holiness and shove it up your prissy ass. I am going home to New York City with my boyfriend that I love more than anything in the world. And back to people who love me the way I am!"

Danny wrapped his arm around me. "And Aurora is to be left alone. I won't tolerate anyone upsetting her. She's not alone to fight you anymore!"

Danny turned with me and we walked out, leaving Angie with her jaw dropped.

Outside I took a deep breath. "Damn that felt good."

"It did. I think you needed to say a lot of that for yourself so you'd feel better." Danny said.

"What'd she say to you while I was gone?" I asked.

"All those sermons you said she likes preaching. And she started going on and on about the Christian way of raising a family and then she started grilling me about my sexual past."

"Yeah, miss holier than thou has only ever slept with her husband." I rolled my eyes. "That's great for people who are that lucky. It didn't work for me that way is all. Doesn't make me a whore."

"No, and we were both smart about it and made sure we were clean and healthy." Danny said. "And we'll never sleep with anyone else again."

I smiled. "The kids' story matched Chuck's. That'll be enough to get charges dismissed. The court will decide what to do with the children." I said.

"So what now?" Danny asked.

"Just like I said…let's go home." I smiled.


	72. Surprise

_Miss Metal- Glad you're back. _

_Snowbear96- If only life were so easy, LOL._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Yes she is. I personally loved Rora's rant._

_Meadow567- Plans for this whole story just changed._

_Emador- It's okay. I daydream on company time all the time._

_Jordayna- Loved the clapping. Angie did have that coming._

_Dybdahl- Well at least Danny and Rora are away from that now._

I was headed out the door on my way out when my cell phone rang. The caller ID showed Stella's number.

"Denton." I answered.

"Aurora, there are some reports here Mac wants Danny to look over. Can you stop up and get them on your way out?" Stella asked.

"Where's Danny?" I asked.

"He cut out early to go see Louie at the hospital." Stella said.

"Oh, okay. I'll be up. I just have to drop off a file on Flack's desk.

I hung up and grabbed a case file off my desk. I walked over and put it on Flack's desk. Don had left early tonight to meet his dad for dinner. I headed up to the lab to grab those files from Stella. I wondered why Mac hadn't called me.

I looked around the lab. It was empty. Mac wasn't in his office. The lab was quiet. I walked back to the break room.

"Happy Birthday!" was yelled at me as I walked in. I looked around and there was everyone.

"I thought we were going to a hockey game on Friday for my birthday?" I asked.

"We are, but decided to surprise you on your real birthday." Danny said and walked over to kiss me.

"I thought you went to visit Louie?" I asked Danny.

"I needed a cover story. Couldn't let Stella tell you I was up here setting up for your party." Danny said.

I laughed. "Hey Chad, glad you could make it."

"I heard there was free food." Chad winked.

"And Vicaro…drinking coffee already." I smiled.

"But Mac made it. I need a knife." Vicaro said.

"And we even came up with a theme for your party." Sheldon said. "It was all Flack's idea."

"Well Flack, what is this theme?" I asked.

"Country drinking songs." Flack smiled. "It's a party, we'll all be drinking and if you're drunk enough country music starts to sound good."

"Not to mention he knows how much you like country music and was joking about how many drinking songs there were." Donald said.

"That is cute." I said and hugged Flack. "I knew it'd wear off on you."

"I'm just glad you don't force me to listen to NSync or some other god awful boyband." Flack laughed.

"This is so sweet. Thanks everybody." I smiled.

"And we know that Friday is also your anniversary with Danny." Aiden smiled.

"Best six months of my life." Danny smiled.

I laughed. "Looks like everyone is here." I said as I sat at one of the tables.

"Except for Emily. I tried getting her to stop in." Sheldon sighed as he sat down next to me.

"The narcotics detective? She's actually one of the cuter girls I've seen you pursue." I smiled.

"Well I don't think she's interested." Sheldon said.

"You're trying too hard. And you have to expect her to be a little leery of you considering the first time she met you, you had a wreath on your head and was using the lamest come on line in history." I said.

"But…..okay you're a woman even if you are married…..what would you suggest?" Sheldon asked.

"To be yourself. Quit trying so hard to impress her. Just relax and be casual. Let her get to know Sheldon." I said.

"That's advice from a chick alright." Vicaro rolled his eyes.

Stella slapped the back of his head. "That's good advice." She told him.

"So where's the cake?" Chad asked.

"Always thinking with your stomach." Mac said.

"Here is the cake." Aiden said and set it on the table.

I looked at it. It was an Atlanta Braves cake.

"Since you love baseball so much. And we couldn't very well get a Boston cake in NYC." Danny said.

"It's great, I love it. Tell me you're not going to sing." I said.

"Yeah we are. But a song Danny made us learn." Stella said.

"Tanti auguri a te. Tanti auguri a te. Tanti auguri Aurora. Tanti auguri a te." They all sang.

"Awww, you taught them the happy birthday song in Italian!" I said.

"Yeah, although they're accents suck." Danny laughed.

"Hey, I thought it wasn't bad for being learned in two days." Donald protested.

"It was great thank you." I smiled.

"Now blow out the candles, I want cake." Chad said.

I chuckled and made a wish and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped.

"Now start a few of them drinking songs and we'll pass out the alcohol." Flack said.

Someone started the music. And the boys being themselves had chosen 'Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off' as the first song.

"Let's open presents." Aiden said.

"You got me presents too?" I asked.

"Of course, it's a party." Danny said. "And boyfriend goes first."

Danny set a small box in front of me.

"It's not blue; we know it's not from Tiffany's." Flack said.

I opened the box and found a Pittsburgh Pens puck from 1991. And I recognized the autograph.

"A championship puck signed by Craig Patrick!" I shrieked.

"Are we gonna hear a speech?" Don asked.

"I thought she was banned from saying his name?" Aiden asked.

"She's such a fan of his; I just had to get it for her. I debated getting her something of either Craig Patrick's or Mike Ramsey's…decided on Craig." Danny said.

"Oh Danny, I love it. Thank you." I hugged and kissed him.

"Now she'll have something to throw at the TV when she watches Patrick-less Pens games." Donald said.

"My gift next." Aiden handed me a card.

I opened the card, and found a gift card for a day at the spa like I'd given her for her birthday.

"I liked my day at the spa so much that I just had to get one for you. Make sure you get the full body massage." Aiden said.

"You know, I could give you one of those at home." Danny winked.

"Oh I know." I giggled.

"Mac brought that huge box. Let's see what's in it?" Vicaro said.

Mac set a big box on the table.

"Mac…what did you get me?" I asked.

"Just open it." Mac smiled.

I lifted the lid off the box and saw several wrestling VHS tapes. All of them were older from when I was a kid.

"Wrestling? Mac?" I asked.

"This old video rental place near me is going out of business and selling their old tapes dirt cheap. I stopped in just to look around and saw they had a rack of old wrestling tapes. I know how you like that." Mac said.

"Oh Mac what have you done to me?" Danny groaned. "I'm going to be watching Hulk Hogan the rest of my life now."

"Oh Mac I just love it!" I jumped into his lap and hugged him. "You have to watch a few with me."

"I do?" Mac smirked.

"Yes, you'll love it. We'll make a movie night of it." I giggled. "Thank you so much."

(later)

After the party, Danny and I were headed back to my place together. It had been a lot of fun, with Sheldon deciding to call Emily just to chat.

"Let's go for a walk in Central Park." Danny said.

"Danny, its freezing. It's January in NYC." I said.

"I know, just a quick walk. A nice romantic stroll for your birthday." Danny said.

"Okay, but you better plan on warming me up later." I said.

"Oh I will. I've been looking forward to it all day." Danny smirked and squeezed my hand.

We walked towards Central Park.

"Thanks for the party. It was great." I smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it. Everyone wanted to surprise you." Danny said.

"It was great." I said.

"You know the first week of February marks one year you've been in New York." Danny said.

"Yeah, a lot has happened in that year." I said. "New city, new friends. I was kidnapped, I fell in love with you, and Don was shot. The whole thing with the body in the stadium."

"Aurora, do you see us together in the future?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. I couldn't live without you. You're everything to me." I said.

Danny stopped and cupped my face with his hands. "I couldn't live without you either. I couldn't live knowing I'd never hold you again, or hear your laugh, smell your hair, and watch you yell at some sporting event. If anything ever happened to you…..I don't know what I'd do."

I smiled. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Danny said and kissed me.

"You know you're my whole world right?" Danny asked.

"I know." I smiled. "Let's go its getting cold. And I want to see how Sheldon's conversation with Emily went."


	73. Talking

_BridgetLynn- Glad your finals are over! Aww that would've been a cute proposal. The side trip was meant to help with her background._

_Meadow567- Never listen to me, I was pissed about something. I am pretty sure I am keeping it as I planned. Who knows, maybe Rora will start dating Chad! LOL_

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Thanks. I just needed to include some fluff._

_Snowbear96- February 6th? And everyone seemed to think he was gonna propose._

_Jordayna- My goodness, you're the 5th person that thought he was gonna propose. _

_LizfromItaly- Yes, it's late January. The 18th is coming up fast. I would give anything for a romantic walk in Central Park. _

_Volonta forte- Smack? If that is Stella and Mac, the answer is no. I like Mac single and kinda mysterious. _

_Miss Metal- This is some more fluff. I was having some strange days and needed light chapters._

_Emador- Craig is just so versatile. And you gotta love Vicaro. It's like a rule. LOL_

I was sitting at my desk, finishing up a few items of paperwork before heading out to strip aerobics class with Aiden for the evening. Danny had been acting a bit strange today and had gone to lunch with Stella. I looked up and saw Narcotics Detective Emily Rastovich walking towards me.

"Hey Emily, what're you doing in my part of the department?" I asked.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you." Emily said. "Not about a case." She said.

"Sure, have a seat. I am pretty well done for the day." I said. "What's up?"

"Well you're good friends with Sheldon Hawkes…" Emily said.

"Ah yes, dear Sheldon. What about him?" I asked.

"Well he's called me the past few nights to talk and…well he seems kind of nice. Once you get past the 'I'm too sexy for these corpses' attitude." Emily said.

"Yeah, Sheldon is a great guy. I really like him. And he's very close with Danny." I said.

"Sheldon does seem like a nice guy…but some of these guys in the NYPD have such reputations." Emily said.

"Yeah but some of those reputations are blown so far out of proportion. I highly doubt Vicaro fooled around with Chad's mom." I giggled.

"It's just….I want to be careful you know?" Emily asked.

"I know exactly what you mean. Workplace romances are very tricky. I know a couple of people right now that is skating around each other to the point Danny suggested handcuffing them together." I said.

"How did things with you and Danny work out? I mean how did you two hook up?" Emily asked.

"Well, I was attracted to Danny all along. But the more I was around him, hanging out and working….I got to know him. I fell in love with that smartass attitude, dedication to his job, passion for life. But then I was kidnapped."

"That's right. You were the officer kidnapped last summer." Emily said.

"Right. Well when everything was over and I got home safe…..Danny realized how close we came to losing each other. He decided to just jump in and tell me how he felt." I smiled, remembering that night on the roof.

"There's that sappy face Sheldon mentioned." Emily chuckled.

"Sheldon and Flack love to pick on a few sappy faces I make." I laughed.

"Danny the one?" Emily asked.

"Oh yeah. There is no one else for me." I said. "The first time he kissed me, I was so weak in the knees. And I just knew that there'd never be another man for me."

"That intense?"

I smiled. "It is. It's one of those feelings that swallows you…but in a good way."

"So what kind of girls does Sheldon usually go for?" Emily asked.

I chuckled. "Sheldon would never admit this, but he likes smart girls. I guess it's because he's so intelligent that when he dates airheads…he gets so bored."

"Is Sheldon a player?" Emily asked.

"Not really. He plays the field as much as any single guy in NYC. But he's not the asshole get-laid-and-never-call-back kind." I said.

"Hey, what are we talking about?" Aiden walked up.

"Hawkes." I said.

"The sweet but horny ME." Aiden said.

"See that's what I am afraid of. I don't want to go out with him if he just wants laid." Emily said.

"I've known Sheldon a long time; he doesn't use women that way. He just talks a big game." Aiden said.

"The thing is, I'd really like to get to know Sheldon some. He seems like a great guy and I wouldn't mind going out with him." Emily said.

"It might not be a bad idea for you to hang out with Sheldon in groups. That way you get to know him and there is less pressure." I said.

"That would be great." Emily said.

"I knew telling Sheldon to drop the act and just be himself would work." I said.

"I gotta admit. I didn't know what to say to a guy who I met while he was wearing a wreath on his head and trying to pick me up." Emily said.

"That's nothing. You should've seen him when he got drunk and wanted to be the first black man to learn to Riverdance." Aiden laughed.

"He wouldn't have been the first." I said.

"That didn't occur to him when he'd had a few mind erasers and starting babbling about Braveheart." Aiden said.

"Tell you what. Friday night we're all going to a hockey game. Danny, Aiden, Flack, Mac Taylor, Stella Bonasera, Hawkes everybody. Why don't you come with us? We'll get you a ticket and you can be with Sheldon in a group." I said to Emily.

"That seems like a good idea." Emily smiled.

"Yeah, I hope you're not uptight because if you are, we'll drive you crazy." Aiden said.

"Oh I'm not." Emily said.

"Good, because it'll be cold in the arena and the guys will be looking for THO." I laughed.

(Sports Bar)

"How's things with Rora's brother?" Flack asked as the two sat at a sports bar watching a Knicks game on the big screen.

"Charges against him have been dropped. And divorce proceedings have started." Danny said.

"That's good. I was worried about Rora." Flack said.

"I can't believe her family. Seriously, they make mine look like the Brady Bunch." Danny said. "Her oldest sister used to have threesomes with her mother and men in the neighborhood while Rora's dad was at work. Rora and her have different moms the same dad. And then Angie is the Holy Roller that should be on those late night evangelist shows crying for money. The most normal of the whole bunch is her brother with brain damage from birth."

"That poor girl. But I know she was crazy about her dad." Flack said.

"Yeah, she is. I just….you have no idea how her family hurts her. I swear Angie is damn lucky I didn't shoot her. I wanted to." Danny said.

"Can I ask why you two young healthy people are drawing up living wills and giving each other medical power of attorney?" Flack asked.

Danny sighed. "In our line of work, anything can happen. And after meeting Angie, I realized that if anything ever happened with Aurora, we'd have a fight on our hands. Angie wants to be in charge and have a say in everything. And Aurora's beliefs are so different than her family's…..we just decided it'd be easier."

"So what does Rora want?" Flack asked.

"She doesn't want to be kept alive artificially. She says if her brain is dead and nothing more can be done to turn off the machines. Actually her quote was "If I can't gripe about Craig Patrick and be my usual self; just let me go because I wouldn't be Aurora anyway." Danny said.

"She got this all in writing now?" Flack asked.

"Yeah she was adamant about it. Angie is all about right to life and stuff; Rora was afraid Angie would make it a big political platform and all and keep her alive given the chance." Danny said. "I'd shoot her. I really hate her."

"Rora said Angie cornered you and preached…what did she say?" Flack asked.

"Fuck! First off she wasn't happy that I was catholic….and then she started asking me how I felt about birth control. Well telling her that I'd always practiced it was a mistake because apparently in her world pre-marital sex sends you straight to hell ahead of bin-Laden. Then she asked me how I felt about gay marriage. Rora warned me, so I said it was each person's choice what they believe. Well that was wrong too. I was able to stay calm until she started in on sterilizing people who can't afford children." Danny said.

"And I thought NYC had all the crazy people in the US." Flack said.

"Rora's a sweet girl. She must've clung tight to her dad to be so normal. Did you know she took care of him the last three years he lived?" Danny asked.

"What all was wrong with him?" Flack asked.

"He had COPD from years in the steel mill. He needed oxygen 24/7. He had to have breathing treatments 6 times a day. And then the meds for his breathing caused colon problems." Danny said.

"You know she's the strongest woman in the world right? She's got strength I can't believe." Flack said.

"I know. God Don, I'm so lucky to have her. Do you know how much I love her?" Danny asked.

"It's pretty obvious." Flack rolled his eyes.

"You know, I look at her and I can't breathe sometimes. I mean seriously, I never thought I'd find someone like her." Danny gushed. "I just want to be with her forever."

"She's pretty special. What should we do for her one year anniversary of being here?" Flack asked.

"I dunno. And Valentine's Day is coming up soon. Although I have an idea for that one." Danny said.

"You think I should ask…..nah." Flack said.

"Flack, you're gonna…..forget it." Danny sighed.

"Hey Danny, how did you first know you were in love with Aurora?" Flack asked.

"I couldn't stop thinking about her. And I felt overwhelmingly protective of her. And I just wanted to touch her." Danny said.

"Before you two were a couple did you ever…you know….about her?" Flack asked.

Danny laughs. "Yeah man, a few times. And if you're that far gone, you need to ask her out."

"So what were you and Stella doing today at lunch?" Flack asked.

"Oh she is helping me with something. Actually, I need to get you in on it too…."


	74. Women's Issues

_Snowbear96- So glad I could make your day better. I have so many little plots for this story! LOL_

_Meadow567- Wow, you really thought all that out! What is your paper about? _

_Jordayna- Proposal watch? And the thing with Flack is about to get interesting._

_LizfromItaly- Everyone is waiting on that date. And everything will be explained in time._

_Dybdahl- I am one of the depressed in that case, LOL. Aurora is very lucky, I'd be jealous if she were real._

_Emador- That dance is just so universal for happy times. And don't ignore the others while he's hurt._

_Miss Metal- relax I have LOTS more chappies in this story to go. And what would be wrong?_

I sat at my desk drinking my first cup of coffee. I was tired and hoping for an easy day.

"By the way Rora, we're all going out to dinner tonight." Flack said.

"We are? Why?" I asked.

"Have you forgotten what today is?" Flack asked.

"I'll take a wild guess and say Tuesday." I said.

"One year ago today you walked through those doors for the first time." Flack said.

"Oh yeah that is today." I smiled. "You brought up the Steelers first thing."

"You and Aiden bonded immediately. Danny's not been the same since he met you." Flack said.

"He didn't call me by my name for the first few months." I said.

"Anywho, we're all going to dinner tonight." Flack said.

"Don, I'm having a hard time deciding what to get Danny for Valentine's Day. Any suggestions?" I asked.

"Lie naked in the middle of his bed." Flack said. "The gift every guy can appreciate."

"Not helping. Come on, it's already the 6th. I need something special for him. It's our first Valentine's Day as a couple." I said.

"I thought you bought him a box of candy?" Flack asked.

"No, that's for Mac. I wanted to get him a little something for Valentine's Day since he won't have a date and will probably not do anything to celebrate." I explained. "I also got a box for your dad."

"Great, nothing like your dad bragging because he got candy from a much younger woman." Flack said sarcastically.

I chuckled. "Any ideas for Valentine's Day for Danny? Serious ones, not 'handcuff him to the bed' type stuff."

"I dunno. You two are so happily in love its like living in one of those sappy chick movies they show on Lifetime." Flack sighed. "Baseball season is coming up soon, why not get him season tickets to Yankee Stadium?"

"You do know I carry a gun right?" I narrowed my eyes. "Wait…baseball…..that's not…..I wonder how much that would cost…."

"Rora, what are you thinking?" Flack asked.

"Don't worry about it." I said and started making a list.

"You and Danny are so wrapped up in sports. I swear you two should have a sports wedding. Baseball and Hockey." Flack said.

"What are you babbling about?" I asked.

"Nothing. So what are you two doing for Valentine's Day? Has Danny mentioned anything specific?" Flack asked.

"Not yet. I think everyone is doing something for Valentine's Day. Danny and I will of course be together. Stella has a date with somebody she was telling me about yesterday. Sheldon and Emily are going out but 'just as friends'. Aiden and Louie have a date for Valentine's Day." I said.

Flack nearly choked on his coffee. "What? When did this happen? And isn't Louie still in the hospital?"

"Well it's not a date-date. Aiden and Louie are gonna hang out on Valentine's Day watch a few movies in his hospital room and eat some take-out." I said.

"And whose idea was this?" Flack demanded.

I raised an eyebrow. "I started out as a joke between Aiden and Louie that they just decided 'what the hell'. Aiden didn't want Louie all alone and they're becoming good friends."

Flack scowled but didn't say anything. I eyed him as my cell phone rang.

"Denton." I answered.

(Brooklyn)

Flack and I walked onto the crime scene. A dead body had been found burned on the street behind a dumpster in Brooklyn. The body appeared to be female. She was lying face down, with her back burned.

"Who found her?" I asked.

"Uniforms said the city waste department was making rounds and found her." Flack said.

"Burn marks on the pavement she was burned here." I said. "Second case in just a few months of the victim being burned."

"It's brutal. Usually a message from the killer." Mac walked up to us. Aiden was with him.

"Sometimes they think it'll get rid of evidence." Aiden said.

"We'll need Hawkes to tell us the time and cause of death." Mac said.

"From the burn marks it looks like she was already on the ground when the killer set her on fire. The accelerant is on the ground around her." Aiden said.

"Take swabs, I want it analyzed. Any ID on the victim?" Mac asked.

"None found. From the way she is dressed and the area…I'd say she was a hooker." I said.

"Possibly a pissed off john?" Aiden asked.

"Possibly. Hooker murders are hard to solve sometimes." I said.

"Looks like her hands weren't damaged too bad. Hawkes might be able to print her." Mac said.

"Have him run a sexual assault kit. If there are fluids present, it would give us who was with her at least." I said.

Aiden started swabbing the accelerant while Mac took pictures of the scene.

"So Aiden, I hear your date for Valentine's Day is Louie Messer?" Flack asked.

I hid a smile. That was about a subtle as thunder.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fun. I mean it'll just be at the hospital. But it'll be nice for him to not be alone and I didn't exactly have dates lining up around the block." Aiden said.

"Think this might turn into more than one date with Louie?" Flack asked.

Mac stopped and raised an eyebrow at Flack.

"Louie's really a nice guy, but right now he's got so much ahead of him with therapy and the trial and all." Aiden said.

"So this Valentine's Day thing is just as friends?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, good grief Flack, you don't even like Valentine's Day. Last year you said it was 'a holiday created by women to get flowers, fancy dinners and candy all in one day'." Aiden said.

"No wonder you're single Flack." Mac said.

Flack made a face but didn't say anything else.

(Morgue)

Mac and I walked into the morgue to see what Sheldon had found for us.

"What is up with Flack asking Aiden so many….personal questions?' Mac asked.

I chuckled. "It's a long story."

Mac raised an eyebrow but said nothing as we walked into the morgue. Sheldon was listening to Frank Sinatra.

"Hey Hawkes, how's our dead girl case?" Mac asked.

Sheldon turned down his radio. "Hi Mac, Rora. I finished her autopsy a bit ago."

"What did it show?" I asked.

"She was killed by a blow to the head. Crushed the back of her skull. She didn't put up much of a fight. No DNA under her nails or signs of defensive wounds. The fire was post-mortem." Sheldon said.

"Can you tell what caused the blow to the head?" Mac asked.

"No, the damage is uneven and severe." Sheldon said.

"Time of death?" Mac asked.

"Taking into account the cold weather…..I'd say she was killed around 4AM." Sheldon said.

"Sexual assault?" I asked.

"No fluids present but I'd be willing to bet she was a prostitute. Vaginal scars consistent with years of rough sex and rape." Sheldon said. "And she had the track marks consistent with drug use."

"Could you fingerprint her?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, you can run them through AFIS." Sheldon said.

"Anything else about her?" I asked.

"I wish there was. Truth is, she's like so many other dead hookers I get down here. Little to go on." Sheldon said.

"Maybe we can identify her through her prints." Mac said.

"I hope the finger prints work out because from the looks of her teeth, she hasn't seen a dentist since Carter was president." Sheldon said.

"Could you tell her age?" I asked.

"I'd say 40-45. She was an older working girl. I had the remnants of her clothes sent to the lab." Sheldon said.

"I'll have Aiden go over them while I run her prints through AFIS." Mac said.

"Okay, while you're doing that. I'll look through the police blotter from today and see if anyone has called looking for her or attempting to file a missing persons report on someone of her description." I said.

(Locker room)

Danny walked into the locker room and was surprised to see Flack in there changing clothes.

"You're changing clothes in the middle of the day?" Danny asked.

"Spilled coffee on myself. It's just not been my day." Flack said.

"Heard you pulled a dead hooker case. I talked to Rora a bit ago." Danny said.

"Yeah. So when did Louie ask Aiden out?" Flack asked.

"I don't think he really asked her out. I think they just decided to be each other's date for Valentine's Day. I mean not like they can actually go out. Although Louie is recovered enough doctors hope he can leave the hospital at the end of the month and start going in for therapy." Danny said.

Flack frowned slightly but said. "Well how is getting things for Aurora's Valentine's Day going? I still can't believe I got dragged into this."

"I've changed those plans slightly. I decided Valentine's Day was too cliché and I want to surprise her." Danny said.

"Like this Miracle on Ice thing you're bidding on from eBay isn't going to make her flip out. Don't you think you should get her something less expensive and less…hockey?" Flack asked.

"Don, you should've seen her face when she opened her Miracle Team picture on Christmas……I can't explain it. But if you could see it you'd understand." Danny said. "Besides, gifts like that get great sex."

Don gave a small smile. "This is all gonna be fun to just sit and watch unfold."

"It's gonna be perfect. I am even going all out on the flowers I am getting her." Danny said.

Don shook his head, and then stopped. "Danny, do you ever feel….smothered by the fact that you don't want any other women?"

"What? No…I never even think of it that way. Why would you ask such a thing?" Danny asked.

Don shrugged. "I just…..no reason."

(Station)

I was sitting at my desk when Mac called me about the burnt hooker case.

"Mac, what do you have?" I asked.

"Our dead female is 42 year old Melissa Butcher. She has a long rap sheet of being picked up for prostitution and drug possession." Mac said. "No family listed. Her last given address is an apartment in a condemned building that was demolished earlier this year."

"So who knows where she was living at. With no family, there is no one to interview." I said.

"Aiden is still processing the clothes. The accelerant was paint thinner." Mac said.

"That's available in 500 stores around the city." I said. "Anything from the remnants of her clothes?"

"Nothing yet. No foreign fibers, no fluids other than her own blood." Mac said.

"Looks like the case may be at a stand still." I sighed.

"I'll look over it a few more times and see if there is anything we missed. I'll still be around to meet you when we all go to dinner." Mac said.

"Okay, I'll see you then." I smiled and hung up the phone.

I turned around and saw Danny walking up to my desk.

"Hey you, what are you doing out of the lab?" I asked.

"I had a break and thought I'd come see you." Danny smiled.

"You're so sweet." I kissed him quickly.

"Where is Flack?" Danny asked.

"He met his dad for a late lunch." I said.

(8PM)

"We're all here, are we ready to head out?" Flack asked.

"I can't believe you've been here a year." Aiden hugged me.

"And here go the women." Flack sighed.

"Let's head out. Where do we want to go? We'll need a table for seven." Danny said.

We started out the door.

"How about that Chinese place that Aurora likes so much?" Mac asked.

"That sounds great." Hawkes said.

"We'll need to catch the subway….." Danny started to say but my cell phone rang.

"Denton……yeah…we're on our way." I hung up the phone. "Sorry, going out will have to wait. Flack and I just got a call. Another woman found dead and burned. This time in the South Bronx, in a known red-light area."

"Aiden, get your kit, we'll handle this case. Danny, I want you to go through files of cold cases in the past year looking for any pattern of women being set on fire." Mac said.

"Let's go. Looks like we have a serial killer on our hands." Flack said.

"And let's keep this from the press as long as we can until we know what's happening. We don't want to cause undue panic and we don't want to inspire a copycat." I said.

"I'll be ready to do the autopsy immediately when the body is delivered to the morgue." Hawkes said.

"Let's work this case as quickly and accurately as possible. It might save more women if we can get this guy off the streets." Mac said.

Flack and I hurried and jumped in an SUV. We took off for the South Bronx, knowing that Mac and Aiden would be right behind us to work the scene.

"Have you ever thought about the life of a prostitute?" I asked.

Don looked at me. "Not really. Although I've often wondered what would drive a person to such a life."

"It's so dangerous. And these women are the easiest targets. They live on the streets, most have little contact with family. No one really cares what happens to them. And when they are hilled, most people don't care." I said.

"Why are you talking about this?" Flack asked.

"I dunno, it just occurred to me today when I was working Melissa Butcher's murder." I said.

"One good thing about you drawing this case is you have a gift for getting street people to talk to you. They sense you genuinely care." Flack said. "And I'm sorry we didn't get to go out this evening."

"Oh that's not your fault. One rule of being in the NYPD is all plans are tentative. Besides, we can all go out anytime." I said.

We pulled up at the crime scene. It was an alley behind a known crack house. We hopped out of the SUV and were met by uniformed officers.

"Someone driving by saw the flames. They stopped to investigate and realized it was a human body burning. They called for help on their cell phone." Uniformed officer said.

"The caller check out?" I asked.

"It was a nun. I ran her background but obviously came up with nothing." He said.

"Good enough for me." Flack said.

Flack and I walked over to where the body was. This woman had been badly burned. The purse and high heels nearby were the evidence that this was a female. The body had been burned to the point we couldn't tell by looking.

"Think there is ID in the purse?" Flack asked.

"We'll have Mac and Aiden check. The purse might have prints on it." I said.

"This is brutal. I hope she wasn't alive when he set her on fire." Flack said.

"The last vic wasn't. It was done post-mortem." I said.

"This is sick." Aiden said.

"Looks like the same perp." Mac said.

"I'll check the purse for ID." Aiden said putting on gloves.

"I'll take pictures. I want the area checked thoroughly for any empty containers of paint thinner. I'm willing to bet it was used as the accelerant in this murder too." Mac said.

"I'll get the uniformed officers on it." Flack said.

"Hawkes will have a time with this autopsy." I said.

"There is a card in her purse from a methadone treatment clinic. It's made out to Tara Johnson. She had an appointment for day after tomorrow." Aiden said.

"She was seeking drug treatment." I said.

"If that's even her card. But it does give us a name to start with." Mac said.

"I'll be at autopsy when Hawkes is done. I want to know everything possible about this case." I said.

(morgue)

I walked into autopsy with Mac. Sheldon had called earlier saying he'd finished the autopsy and was ready to report about it.

"Sheldon, is this case related to the Melissa Butcher case?" I asked.

"In my opinion yes. This victim was also bludgeoned to death, although she was hit from the front rather than the back. Her whole face and forehead was crushed." Sheldon said.

"Any signs of sexual assault?" Mac asked.

"I ran a kit, no fluids present." Sheldon said.

"Aiden is rushing the test on the accelerant found at this scene. But even if it wasn't paint thinner, the similarities are there. We have a serial killer on our hands and one with a purpose it seems." Mac said.

"How old was this victim?" I asked.

"Young. I'd say about 25." Sheldon said.

"He doesn't seem to be targeting an age group of women, just hookers." Mac said. "Time of death?"

"7:00 or so this evening. She'd only been dead a short while when I got her." Sheldon said.

"She was found in a bad neighborhood." Mac said.

"Burning these girls is brutal." Sheldon said. "She was burned post-mortem as well."

"Someone is trying to send a message." Mac said.

A thought occurred to me. "These two murders look very similar to family murders of women in these extremist Islamic countries, especially the middle east." I said.

"What?" Sheldon said.

"In the middle east, when a man is unsatisfied with his wife for whatever reason, he is allowed to set her on fire." I said.

"She's right. Many Muslim women are murdered because they displease their husbands." Mac said.

"You think that's related to this case?" Sheldon asked.

"It's a possibility. I read somewhere that in LA last year a Muslim man set his wife on fire because she had an affair. His defense was his religion and culture taught him it was okay to do such a thing. He was defending the family honor; his wife was a whore and brought shame, Etc." I said.

"An extremist Muslim sees not just hookers but American women…." Mac started.

"And we all know how most Muslims feel about Americans." I said.

"He decides to kill them in the tradition his religion has taught." Mac said. "It's a possibility."

"Rora, how do you know about this stuff?" Sheldon asked.

"The way Muslim women are treated is a big women's issue even in this country. Muslims migrate to the US and continue to abuse their wives as their home countries allowed." I said. "And then there are Muslims that are wonderful people. It's hit and miss."

"Let's see what we can find. I'll get to the lab. Aurora…." Mac said.

"I'll look over assault cases from the past year for any violent offenders with an Islamic background." I said as I walked with Mac out of the morgue.

**To Be Continued………**


	75. Women's Issues Part 2

_Jordayna- If only life were so simple. LOL There is a lot gonna happen in the next week of chappies. Stay tuned._

_Snowbear96- It'll be coming up soon. Hope you enjoy the conclusion to this case._

_Meadow567- Well here is more. And do I even want to know about the Chev bad joke?_

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I've often wondered. I think it's a choice of desperation. _

_Miss Metal- Well take a deep breath before you pass out all over Vicaro, LOL. _

_Emador- You gotta love Mac. And Sheldon is so cute. And for your info I was at the grocery store and saw a nun on a cell phone. I think she was a nun-nurse from the Catholic hospital nearby._

I sat looking over case files from the past year of assaults, looking for anyone with an Islamic past. It was just a hunch, but we had nothing else to go on. And like Mac says, exhaust every lead.

Aiden had matched the accelerant at the second crime scene to that of the paint thinner used to burn Melissa Butcher. Mac was still working to verify that the second victim was Tara Johnson. Danny was still looking through cases too.

"Find anything?" I asked.

"No, all the assault cases involving Muslims…they are the victim." Danny said.

"Paranoia is rampant especially after 9/11." I said.

"What I don't get is how any religion can advocate murder." Danny said.

"We're not meant to understand Danny. If we did, we'd be like them." I said. "Sad part is, there are a lot of nice, law abiding Muslims. They get a bad rep from a few quacks."

"Now this is interesting." Danny said. "Abdul Davari, immigrant from Iran and a Muslim. He was arrested in September assault on a man outside a bat. Claimed the man had made bigoted remarks towards him."

"Was he ever charged?" I asked.

"No charges were pressed because the man he allegedly assaulted died of natural causes before the investigation was complete." Danny read.

"That's someone to look at. But that was an assault on a male. Any history of violence against women?" I asked.

"None listed here." Danny said.

"Hold onto that file." I said.

"I am sorry we didn't get to go out this evening." Danny said.

"Like I told Flack, it's not your fault. Besides, we'll all go out soon." I smiled.

"You know it's been a good year with you. Even before we became a couple, it was great having you around." Danny smiled.

"It has been a good year." I smiled. "When we're done with this case, you and I can spend some time alone." I winked.

"You always find a way to distract me from a case." Danny joked.

"Whoa…look at this guy." I said to Danny about the file I just picked up. "Andrew Campbell, Caucasian, 30 years old. American born, converted to Islam in 1997. Arrested in 2000 for assaulting his wife and attempting to set her on fire."

"Wow, that is quite a similarity." Danny said.

"He was paroled in December and was involved in a minor altercation with a meter maid but nothing came of it." I read. "And listen to this. Andrew works for a contract house painting company- Beam House Panting and Repairs."

"Easy access to paint thinner." Danny said.

"We need to talk to this guy." I said.

"What about Abdul Davari?" Danny asked.

"Wouldn't hurt to look at his background a little more." I said.

"We should interview Campbell's ex-wife too." Danny said.

"Let's find Flack and Mac and fill them in." I said.

I walked out into the main room of the station house. Flack was at his desk and by chance Mac was talking with him.

"We found someone interesting." I said.

"We identified the second victim." Mac said.

"Who is she?" Danny asked.

"Tara Johnson like the card said. We checked the methadone clinic. Tara Johnson had been going there for two months now." Flack said.

"We found a possible suspect." I said and handed Mac the folder. "This guy was arrested for assaulting his wife and trying to set her on fire."

"Campbell….born catholic and converted to a conservative sect of Islam." Mac read.

"We need to interview his ex-wife and Campbell too." I said.

"Flack, find Aiden and you two interview the ex-wife. Aurora and me will interview Campbell. Danny, go to where Campbell works and get some of their paint thinner. See if it matches that from the crime scenes." Mac said.

"On it." Danny said, he kissed me quick then walked off.

"Aiden is in the lab, I'll go find her." Flack said and walked off.

I smiled over at Mac. "Sending Flack and Aiden to work together?"

Mac gave a small smile. "I'm not totally oblivious."

"And you're a closet romantic." I winked.

Mac laughed. "Let's go find our suspect."

(Campbell's Apartment)

We found Andrew Campbell at his apartment before he could leave for work that morning. Mac knocked on the door.

"NYPD, Mr. Campbell open the door." Mac yelled.

Andrew opened the door. "Can I help you officers?"

"I'm Detective Mac Taylor, this is Detective Aurora Denton. We have some questions for you." Mac said and held up his shield.

"Where were you the past two nights?" I asked.

"Here, I come home from work. Drinks a few beers, watch TV and go to bed." Andrew said.

"Can anyone verify your story?" Mac asked.

"No, I live alone with my cat." Andrew said.

"Poor cat. You gonna set it on fire too when it annoys you?" I asked.

"That's what this is about. That was a long time ago. I ain't seen that bitch in years and I done my time for that." Andrew said.

"Doesn't your religion teach that you have the right to do that to your wife? That she is property?" Mac asked.

"Are you discriminating against me because I'm a Muslim?" Andrew asked.

"No, we're here because two women have been murdered and burned. We know your history with burning women." I said.

"You have access to paint thinner at work?" Mac asked.

"Of course, I work painting houses." Andrew said.

"Do hookers bother you?" I asked.

"What? I don't frequent them." Andrew said.

"I didn't ask that." I said.

"No, I don't like them. They stand on the streets and spread disease." Andrew said.

"Did you kill two prostitutes this week?" I asked.

Andrew gave me a funny look, hen turned to Mac. "You hear her? You let her talk like that?"

"Yes, she's a detective, Answer her." Mac said.

"Women are not meant to be in a position of authority. Why don't you ask the questions Detective Taylor?" Andrew asked.

"Detective Denton is my equal, a damn fine detective and I don't control her." Mac said.

"Well her husband should. Imagine him allowing her to speak this way." Andrew sneered.

"I'm not married. And my boyfriend wouldn't try to control me." I said.

"Women allowed to act in such a way. It's a disgrace." Andrew said.

"Women are valuable to society. It's sad that you don't see that." Mac said.

My cell phone rang. I walked down the hall a bit. "Denton."

"Aurora, we just talked to the ex-wife." Aiden said. "She told us that Andrew always had serious issues about hookers. She said one night he went as far to try to run a hooker down with his car while they were still married."

"There is our motive. And it fits his previous pattern. We'll need more before we can get a search warrant. Has she heard from Andrew recently?" I asked.

"No, she has a restraining order against him." Aiden said.

"Okay, you and Flack ask her about any friends he might have that she remembers. If she tells you anyone, interview them." I said.

"You got it." Aiden said and hung up.

I walked back to where Mac was talking to Andrew and seeming to get no where.

"I hear you tried to run down a hooker with your car." I said to Andrew.

"You've been talking to that bitch!" Andrew snapped.

"You need to start finding a way to verify your alibi because right now it's not looking good for you." I said.

Andrew turned to Mac. "You seem like a good man, and you're a cop. You can understand hating prostitutes. I am sure you have to deal with the problems they cause."

"I respect their rights as human beings to life. And it's my duty to see that they get justice." Mac said.

"Her free minded liberal shit get you to thinking that?" Andrew pointed to me.

"No, I felt that before I met her." Mac said. "And you show her respect, she's doing her job."

Mac's phone rang. "Taylor."

Mac talked a few minutes but wouldn't leave me alone with Andrew. I stood my ground, not allowing Andrew's way of thinking to intimidate me.

Mac hung up his phone. "That was one of my detectives. Seems your boss has a complaint that you give the women on the crew a hard time. And it also seems that several cans of paint thinner has come up missing this week."

"Danny get samples of paint thinner from the company to compare?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's going to rush it at the lab. But I think Andrew already knows it's gonna match." Mac said.

Andrew looked between the two of us. Before we could react, Andrew threw me to the ground and took off running. Mac ran after him, yelling. I winced in pain as I landed hard on my wrist but was up as fast as I could, chasing after them.

They had run down back stairs of the apartment building. I hurried to catch up with them. I could hear Mac yelling in the stairwell below me. I ran to the bottom and found Mac struggling to pin Andrew down. I ran to assist.

Gritting past the pain in my wrist, I held Andrew down so Mac could handcuff him. Mac pulled Andrew off the ground.

"Touching her was a big mistake. That adds assault of an officer to everything else you're facing." Mac said.

I rubbed my wrist.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked me.

"I landed hard on my wrist. It's throbbing." I said.

"You want an ambulance?' Mac asked.

"Hell no. I hate doctors and hospitals. When we get back, I'll have Hawkes check it out. He's a doctor after all." I said.

"You might need x-rays." Mac said.

"Sheldon has an x-ray machine." I said.

Mac nodded. "If it's broke or cracked, you go to the hospital."

"I will. Let's get him to the station." I said and walked with Mac as we took Andrew outside.

(Morgue)

I walked into the morgue. Sheldon was no where to be seen.

"Hawkes?" I called.

"Back here." Sheldon said.

I walked to the back of the morgue where Sheldon was sitting in his little room on his cot. His TV was on and he was watching Emeril.

"Hey Aurora, what's up?" Sheldon asked.

"Suspect threw me down while trying to run today. Landed hard on my wrist. And since you're a doctor and all, I was hoping you'd check it out rather than making me go to the hospital, fight with idiots in the ER and fill out all those insurance and compensation claims." I said.

"Sure…..its not often I get a _live_ woman to examine." Hawkes winked.

I chuckled.

"Come on, I'll throw a clean sheet over one of the slabs so it's not as creepy." Sheldon said.

"Thanks." I said and followed Sheldon out into the morgue.

"So I hear that Aiden is spending Valentine's Day with Louie Messer." Sheldon said as he put a sheet on one of the tables.

"Who told you?" I asked.

"Flack called me last night." Sheldon said. "Hop up."

I hopped up on the table. "And I hear you and Detective Rastovich are spending Valentine's Day together."

"Give me your wrist." Sheldon said and I did as he asked. "Yeah, problem is. I didn't think she'd actually agree to go out, even as friends and now…well I am not sure what to do."

"I think now that you're being yourself with her, she's really starting to like you." I said. "Ow, ow, ow."

"Sorry." Sheldon said as he continued prodding my wrist. "So any ideas what I could do for Valentine's Day? I really want to impress her, but it's only a date as friends."

"Make sure you get her flowers." I said. "She likes plays and musicals….take her to see a show on Broadway. Oh and dress really nice. And wear good cologne. Drives women crazy. Sometimes just smelling Danny makes me weak in the knees."

Sheldon tightened his grip on my arm. "Try moving your fingers. That sounds like a great idea. But I want to do something that says….that I like her as more than just a friend. You know?"

"I know what you mean. You know what is really romantic…horse drawn carriage rides around Central Park." I said.

"Danny take you on one? Bend your wrist as much as you can." Sheldon said.

"No, but I've seen them when Danny and I would be in the park. Oh just thought of sitting in that carriage under the stars, curled up with Danny…..drop the hint by him for me." I said.

"Sounds like a great date. I should ask you for help more often." Sheldon said. "Your wrist doesn't seem broken or cracked, just sprained and sore. I'll bandage for you. But strip, I'll check the rest of you."

"I didn't hurt anything else." I said.

"I am a very thorough doctor. Have to check everything." Sheldon winked.

"I don't know what Emily sees in you." I laughed.

"I'll get an ace bandage for ya. It should be fine in a few days." Sheldon said.

I nodded as he walked to one of his drawers. Sheldon came back and held my wrist as he started wrapping it.

"You know, I knew a Muslim from Morocco when I was in college?" I said.

"Really? What was he like?" Sheldon asked.

"Karim….he was royalty of some kind in his home country, which is why he was getting educated in the US. I never paid much attention to him. The girls all flocked to him because there were rumors that he was well endowed; not only was he tall….he was black." I laughed when I realized I'd said that to Sheldon, who was smirking. "Anyways, I never paid him much attention until one night I was watching TV in the lobby of my dorm and he walked over for a few minutes while waiting for someone. On the TV was a character I really liked and he was Jewish. I made a joke he was my Jewish husband and Karim flipped out. I'd never given a moments thought he would be prejudiced. I could never look at him the same after that."

"It's a whole other world we don't understand." Sheldon said.

"I later found out that Karim's family in Morocco had shunned one of his sisters because she had sex before she was married. Yet Karim chased every skirt on campus. It didn't seem fair. Dealing with Andrew Campbell today, reminded me of how unfair women get treated in other parts of the world." I said. "But he was born an American. He was born Catholic. He wasn't raised to be like that."

"Aurora." Danny was in the door. "Mac said you hurt your wrist. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, she's gonna be fine." Sheldon smiled.

Danny came over and hugged me. "You sure? Does she need to go to the hospital or anything?"

"I'm fine. Sheldon is a doctor." I said.

"That scared me. Damn Campbell trying to hurt you." Danny said.

"Oh I'll be alright." I said. "How's the case?"

"I got a match on the brand of paint thinner his company uses and that from the crime scenes." Danny said. "That and the other evidence was enough for a search warrant. Flack called earlier and said that he and Aiden were finding tons of Islamic books, teachings and such at Campbell's apartment."

"He confess yet?" I asked.

"He's lawyered up. He's confessing and the lawyer is already screaming insanity because of brainwashing or something." Danny said. "Mac isn't buying it. We got him. And since he assaulted you, Mac is letting Flack and Vicaro personally take Campbell to central booking."

I chuckled. "I do love Mac. And I am so glad this case is over."

"There, your wrist is done. Just take it easy on it for a few days. Which means Danny, no handcuffing her to the headboard." Sheldon said.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks doc, I believe you have a date to be planning."

"Come on Aurora. Let's get your things and take you home. You're taking the rest of the day off at Flack's insistence." Danny said. "Take the afternoon and rest."

"Oh alright." I said as Danny helped me off the table. "Thanks Sheldon."

"Yeah. Yeah. I have to call ticketmaster." Sheldon said and took off.

"By the way, what are we doing for Valentine's Day?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." Danny winked.


	76. Guys and Girls Again

_BridgetLynn- I have a soft spot for Sheldon. And congratulations on graduation! I'd sing for ya, but it'd make hounds howl! LOL _

_Meadow567- I knew a girl in college that wanted to become a nun and somehow became a lesbian instead. Don't know and don't want to know. _

_Dybdahl- You'll just have to wait and see, because there is something coming. _

_Emador- I actually went to college with that guy and there were those rumors. I never knew if they were true or not but figured they must be when other guys from his frat said it was true because they lost to him in a measuring contest! _

_**A/N- **Just some quick fluff before V-day! Enjoy. _

"Where is Hawkes? He was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago." Flack said.

Flack and Danny were in the lab waiting for Sheldon to meet them. The three guys were going to a Knicks game.

"Relax, we have plenty of time." Danny said.

"What were the girls doing tonight?" Flack asked.

"Rora and Aiden have strip aerobics tonight and then they were hanging out at Aurora's place." Danny said.

"Do you ever get the feeling those two would be lost without each other?" Flack asked.

"Rora loves Aiden to death. That's the sister relationship she was always looking for." Danny said.

"So what is Louie doing for Aiden tomorrow?" Flack asked.

"I don't know. Aurora has been helping Louie out on this one. And between Louie's charm and Rora's mind….who knows." Danny said.

"Louie's charming?" Flack asked.

"It's a Messer men trait. In high school, Louie could charm the pants off anybody….including the chemistry teacher." Danny said.

"What?"

"Yeah, she was really young; I think it was her second year of teaching. Tanglewood made bets to see who'd get her first. Louie won in three days. Course no one else ever found out or there'd been a scandal. I don't know whatever happened to that lady." Danny said.

"Were you in on that bet?" Flack asked.

"No, I wasn't risking anything interfering with baseball." Danny said.

"So Louie can turn on the charm." Flack scowled.

"Hell even dad was charming in his heyday. You should've seen all the…..yeah Messer men are charming." Danny said.

"You got all your plans for Valentine's Day set?" Flack asked. "You know Stella has been walking around here green."

"It's all planned. We have reservations for an evening cruise in a Riverboat down the Hudson River." Danny said.

"But you have something else in mind?" Flack said.

"Of course. I want to totally catch her off guard." Danny said.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I was on the phone and then Emily showed up." Sheldon said walking in.

"Oh really?" Danny raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Just to talk about tomorrow. She has to appear in court tomorrow morning so we're meeting here rather than me pick her up." Sheldon said.

"And what are your big plans with the Juliet of narcs?" Flack asked.

"Geez, somebody's grumpy because they don't have a date." Sheldon said.

"I am not." Flack insisted.

"Uh huh, anyways Aurora gave me some great ideas…."

"What the hell? When did Aurora become the official Valentine's Day consultant?" Flack asked.

"Nooooo, you're not grumpy at all." Danny said with sarcasm.

(Manhattan Ladies Gym)

"Have you done any of this for Danny yet?" Aiden asked me as we changed in the locker room at the gym.

"No, I am just not sure how to go about it." I admitted.

"Honey, sit him on the couch, turn on some music, strip in front of him and watch him mess in his pants." Aiden laughed.

I chuckled. "I'll have to try that sometime."

"You wearing anything special tomorrow night?" Aiden asked.

"Well I am wearing that little red dress I bought last week….hopefully it'll end up crumpled on the floor near my bed." I giggled.

"I'll be surprised if Danny makes it through dinner with you wearing that." Aiden said.

"You're going to have a great Valentine's Day." I winked. "I helped Louie plan everything."

"I've actually been looking forward to it. Even though we're just friends, I think it's gonna be great." Aiden said.

"I wonder what Danny is planning." I smiled.

"Stella knows, but I am not allowed to for some reason." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Oh who knows. And Flack has been a royal pain in the ass today." I said.

"I noticed that. He stopped up in the lab and had PMS worse than we ever do." Aiden said.

"I sent his dad his candy today. Donald called me, thanking me and insisting he take me out to dinner soon." I smiled.

"You give Mac his yet?" she asked.

"No, I'm leaving it on his desk in the morning. I just have to make sure Chad doesn't find it before him." I said.

"Vicaro was thinking of calling one of those escort services and getting a girl for Chad for Valentine's Day. And then telling Chad it was his friend who wanted a date and setting them up on a 'blind date'." Aiden laughed.

"Why am I not surprised?" I rolled my eyes.

"I could just see Chad's face when he arrived and saw some gorgeous woman as his date. And then finding out she was an escort." Aiden laughed.

"Poor Chad. He gets so much grief but is so sweet." I said.

"You think Jessica will be here tonight?" Aiden asked.

I rolled my eyes, knowing who she meant. There was this girl Jessica in our Strip aerobics class that was quite a large girl, but she thought she was J-lo and pranced around proud.

"I dunno….we should introduce her to Vicaro." I winked.

"I totally see him as a chubby chaser." Aiden said.

"I see Vicaro as chasing anything with tits and a vagina." I laughed.

"I heard Sheldon got an Armani suit for tomorrow." Aiden said.

"ARMANI? Damn….I told the boy to dress up, but he's going all out." I smiled.

"I can't wait to see him in it. I bet he'll look sexy as hell. Emily is gonna flip." Aiden smiled.

"Yeah, if they start going out and hook up that'd be great. She's such a sweet girl." I said.

"Better than his last girlfriend…I think her name was Kristen….she thought she was god's gift to fashion." Aiden made a face.

(Knick's Game)

"I think the Knicks aren't trying hard tonight." Sheldon said.

"The cheerleaders still look good." Danny said.

"Yeah, especially that redhead down front." Sheldon said.

"What do you think Flack?" Danny asked.

"Her lips are too small." Flack said.

"Oh yeah…you like girls with full lips." Sheldon smiled.

"Yeah girls with pretty full lips, nice asses and nice curves." Danny winked.

"It's not funny." Flack said.

"Oh come on Flack. It's not that big of a deal." Danny said.

"I didn't say it was." Flack said.

"Did your dad get his candy from Rora?" Danny asked to change the subject.

"Yeah. Calls me up saying he was going to the lodge and tell all the guys his Valentine is a twenty something blonde. He says 'they don't have to know she is like a daughter to me.'." Flack sighed.

Danny and Sheldon cracked up.

"Your dad is great." Sheldon said.

"You should've been there when he dragged out Don's baby pictures and showed Aurora. And of course Don's mom was one of those that insisted on naked bathtub baby pictures." Danny laughed.

"Can we quit picking on me?" Flack rolled his eyes.

"You're the one pouting." Sheldon said.

"I am not." Flack insisted.

"You are so. So you don't have a date? Mac doesn't either. You two could go hang out tomorrow." Sheldon said.

"Yeah, I could just see trying to pick up women with Mac as my partner." Flack rolled his eyes.

"I didn't mean you had to go pick up women. Go watch a game at a bar or something." Sheldon said.

"Yeah, maybe." Flack said.

(Café)

"So did Danny's gift make it in?" Aiden asked.

We were sitting at a café after class to get a snack before heading in.

"Yeah, it came yesterday. I was so glad it came on time." I said.

"You two are keeping eBay in business ya know." Aiden laughed.

"He's gonna love it. I am so excited." I said.

"I got Louie like a hospital care basket. I put car magazines, some candy, and stuff like that in there." Aiden said.

"He'll like that. I can't wait for him to get out of that hospital. I am so sick of hospital food." I said.

"He gonna stay at his old place?" Aiden asked.

"No, he wants to move closer to Danny. And away from the old neighborhood." I said.

"That'll be good. Have you seen Papa Messer lately?" Aiden asked.

"Just a few times at the hospital. We don't say much." I said.

"Well on to more important things…..now about tomorrow, you guys leaving from work?" Aiden smiled.

"Yeah, which means I'm gonna be getting some interesting looks." I chuckled.

"I want to take pictures. You'll want them someday. Your first Valentine's Day with Danny." Aiden smiled.

"I am so excited. I just think it's going to be an amazing evening. I am so excited Danny likes Valentine's Day. Most men will try anything to get out of it." I said.

"Girl, Danny is so crazy about you he'd celebrate Flag Day if you wanted him to." Aiden said.

"You know, when I was little I dreamed of a prince charming. As I got older I thought I'd never find someone to love me so much. I was always afraid I'd have to settle for someone I didn't really want." I said. "But never did I think I'd find someone like Danny."

"Well I am glad you two are so happy. Now if I can find a man." Aiden said.

"Well you have a date for tomorrow. Just relax and have fun." I smiled.


	77. Valentine's Day

_Miss Metal- Well here is some more. Hope you like it._

_Starcaoe- Oh I adore Mac too. I am so glad you like the story and hope you keep reading._

_Lane Cohen- Well to help you get through work, here is some more. There is a lot more of this story to be written. Hope you keep reading and reviewing. Glad you like it. And so glad you like Rora, I worked hard to develop her._

_Snowbear96- I am a firm believer men get PMS too. Of course Flack has things on his mind._

_Jordayna- Well twists ahead. Hope you enjoy._

_Meadow567- Soon I hope. Also, with Carolina against Buffalo, I dunno who to be for._

_Emador- Take a deep breath before you pass out. Enjoy this chappie._

Aurora and Aiden were in the locker room finishing up getting ready to head out for Valentine's Day. Aiden was wearing a black pant suit while Aurora was wearing the red dress she'd bought for the evening.

"Do you have condoms in your purse just in case Danny can't wait till you two get home?" Aiden laughed.

"He's not a caveman." Aurora laughed.

"Maybe not, but the way that dress is cut…..what kind of bra are you wearing with that?" Aiden asked.

"I couldn't, there are pads sewn in." Aurora laughed.

"I better get to the hospital. Louie is expecting me around 7:30." Aiden said.

"I know what he has planned. Girl, you're gonna have a good evening." Aurora smiled and hugged her. "Love you, girl. Go have fun."

"And I want details about your evening with Danny." Aiden said as she walked out.

Aurora giggled and picked up her jacket and headed out of the locker room as well. She turned the corner and ran into Mac.

"Aurora….aren't you cold?" Mac asked looking at her.

"No, I am headed out for the evening with Danny." She smiled.

"I'm glad I caught you. I was coming to find you." Mac said.

"Something wrong? We get a call?" she asked.

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to thank you for the box of candy." Mac said. "It's been a long time since I received anything for Valentine's Day. It was nice."

Aurora smiled. "You're welcome Mac. You can be my Valentine anytime."

"Thanks. I won't keep Danny waiting for you." Mac said and kissed her cheek. "Thanks again. Have a good evening."

Aurora smiled and walked down the hall to meet Danny. Danny was waiting in the lobby of the station for her. He was wearing a suit and his contacts.

"Wow, you look….wow….do we have to go out?" Danny smiled and kissed Aurora. He handed her a bouquet of flowers. "These are for you."

"They're so beautiful. A mixed bouquet." Aurora smiled.

"I picked each flower for you specifically based on their meaning." Danny said.

"Really? What do they mean?" She asked.

"The yellow tulip means hopelessly in love. The red tulips mean declaration of love. The white carnation means pure love. The daisy means loyal love. The gloxinia means love at first sight. The lily of the valley means you've made my life complete. The primrose means I can't live without you. The violet means I'll always be true." Danny said.

"Danny, how do you know all this?" She asked.

"What kind of detective can't do a little research?" Danny winked.

"Baby, most of these flowers are out of season." Aurora said.

"You can get anything in New York City if you know where to go." Danny said.

"They're beautiful. I love them." Aurora said and kissed Danny.

"And I love you." Danny said.

Sheldon walked up to them wearing his new Armani suit and carrying a single pink rose.

"Wow, Sheldon you look great." Aurora smiled. "Damn, you look downright sexy."

"Thanks. Emily should be here at any minute." Sheldon said.

"One rose Sheldon?" Danny asked.

"I sent her the other eleven this afternoon with a card telling her I was looking forward to tonight. Now when she gets here, I can give her this one to complete the dozen." Sheldon said.

"That is so sweet." Aurora smiled. "Emily is going to have such a great time."

"So what did you finally decide to do with Emily tonight?" Danny asked.

"We're going to dinner, and then we have tickets to see 'Victor/Victoria'. And at 10:30 I am surprising her with a carriage ride around Central Park." Sheldon said.

"She'll love that. That is a perfect date." Aurora told Sheldon.

Flack walked up to them. "I feel dateless on prom night."

"What are you doing tonight?" Aurora asked.

"Getting drunk as hell." Flack said and walked out.

"Think tying them up and leaving them in a room would help?" Sheldon asked.

"What exactly did you and my brother arrange for tonight?" Danny asked Aurora.

Aurora chuckled. "We had roses sent to Louie's room so he'd have them for Aiden when she gets there. We ordered Chinese to be delivered with all of Aiden's favorites. And I hooked a DVD player up to the TV in his room and left him a bunch of my DVD's so they have a selection."

"Sounds like a nice date." Sheldon said.

Emily walked in. She was wearing the typical little black dress. Sheldon walked up to her and handed her the 12th rose.

"Now the dozen is complete." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you. It's beautiful like the others." Emily smiled.

"Are you ready to go? We have reservations in a half hour." Sheldon said.

"Sure. Hi Aurora, Danny." Emily said.

"Have fun you two." Aurora said and winked at Emily.

Sheldon and Emily walked out to go on their date.

"That leaves just us." Danny smiled. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go."

(Riverboat)

"Danny, an evening riverboat cruise….this is amazing." Aurora said as they were seated at their dinner table.

"I thought you would like it." Danny said.

"Danny, this is wonderful. Thank you." She smiled.

"I wanted a special evening for you." Danny smiled.

"I love you so much."

Danny took her hand. "You look so beautiful. Looking at you tonight….you take my breath away."

"I can't believe I've found someone so wonderful." Aurora said.

"I'm the lucky one." Danny said.

"I brought your Valentine's Day present." Aurora said and reached into her purse.

"You're wearing it." Danny raised his eyebrows.

"Later. I hope you like this." Aurora said and handed Danny a small box.

Danny smiled and opened the small box. He looked inside and then looked up at Aurora with his eyes wide.

"Is this authentic?" Danny asked.

Aurora nodded. "I got it on eBay through a dealer who specializes in rare items. I checked out how legit he was, he is fully licensed and all. And there is a certificate of authenticity with it."

Danny reached into the box and pulled out a baseball in a glass case. "Ted Williams? A Ted Williams autographed ball?"

"I know he's your all time favorite player. And I know how much you love baseball. And it's meant so much to us, even before we got together." Aurora said.

"I'm speechless…..I don't know……Aurora I love it. This is……I mean Ted Williams is a legend among legends, and he's dead now so anything of his……wow." Danny said.

"I'm glad you like it." Aurora said.

"I love it. I…baby, thank you." Danny said.

"You're welcome." Aurora smiled.

"I love you so much. You didn't have to get me anything near this extravagant." Danny said.

"I wanted to get you something very special." She said.

Danny scooted his chair closer to her and leaned over and kissed her. "This is amazing…everything about tonight."

"I am so glad I'm here with you. You make my life so special." Aurora kissed him.

"Your present is back at my place. I didn't want to bring it, but here is a picture of it." Danny said and handed Aurora a Polaroid.

Aurora looked at the picture. "A Team USA hockey jersey?"

"Look closer Miss Craig Patrick." Danny smiled.

Aurora peered at the picture again. "It's the design from the 1980 team."

"Right…..and if you look really close you can see 20 signatures." Danny said.

It was Aurora's turn to look wide eyed. "Autographed jersey? By all 20 players?"

"Yeah, Ramsey, that Jimmy Craig guy, Rizzo…they're all there." Danny smiled.

Aurora covered her mouth and started crying. "Danny….I don't know….this is like the…..I've wanted one of these since forever."

"I know you did. And I know you're really getting into collecting memorabilia from the team. This will go great with your picture I got you for Christmas." Danny said.

"Danny…..you are spoiling me. You're getting me all these wonderful collectors items." Aurora said and wiped her eyes.

"I've always said you're mine to spoil. I'm gonna spoil you forever." Danny said.

Aurora leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I love it. I love you."

(Later)

Danny and Aurora had finished their dinner and were dancing in the ballroom of the riverboat.

"Danny, this night has been amazing. You always plan the most amazing dates." Aurora said.

"You know before you came along I never put thought and time into a date. You help me to be a better man. You make me want to be a better man." Danny said and kissed her.

Aurora snuggled her head down on Danny's shoulder.

"You're wearing that cologne." Aurora nuzzled on his neck.

"Because I know how you react to it." Danny said.

"How soon to the boat docks?" Aurora gently nipped at his neck.

Danny inhaled sharply. "Baby, you need to stop. With you dressed that way I am barely not dragging you to the bathroom."

Aurora pulled herself closer to Danny and grinded against him. "Your place is closer from here."

"Let's go out on the deck." Danny said.

"Baby, it's like 10 degrees out there. This is the middle of the river, in NYC, In February." Aurora said.

"Wear your coat. I want to go on the deck for awhile. See the city all lit up from the river." Danny said.

Aurora nodded and went to the table to grab her coat. Danny and Aurora walked up the stairs to the top deck of the riverboat. The wind was blowing but not hard. Aurora shivered and Danny wrapped his arms around her.

"The city looks so pretty." Aurora said.

"It does, especially all the lights bouncing off the water." Danny said.

"This is by far the best Valentine's Day I've ever had." She said.

"Rory, when we first started going out, did you think we'd make it this far?" Danny asked.

"I hoped we would. You're all I've wanted since the kidnapping." She said.

Danny ran his knuckles down her cheek. "Un bellissimo viso."

She smiled and leaned into his touch. "What does that mean?"

"A pretty face. I can't believe how pretty you are sometimes. Like now, just standing there in the moonlight, wind lightly blowing you hair, smiling at me." Danny said.

Aurora leaned over and kissed him. "I love you so much."

"Ti amerò per sempre." Danny said. "I will love you forever."

"You have to teach me Italian." Aurora said.

"I will." Danny said.

(Brooklyn)

Danny and Aurora arrived at his apartment shortly after 11:30.

"Where's my jersey?" She asked.

"On the coffee table." Danny smiled.

Aurora threw off her coat and shoes and hurried to Danny's coffee table. The USA jersey was laying there spread out to see.

"I think I'm gonna cry again." Aurora said, leaning down but not touching.

"We'll get a case for it to preserve it." Danny said.

"Danny, thank you. Tonight has been amazing. A riverboat dinner/dancing cruise. It was so romantic." Aurora said and leaned on Danny.

"Come on. I have another surprise." Danny said and took her hand. "Close your eyes."

Danny led Aurora through his apartment to his bedroom. He left her by the door and lit a couple candles by the bed. He turned on his CD player to some soft music. Then he took her hand again.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Aurora opened her eyes to see rose petals spread out on the bed over new silk black sheets.

"Danny, I love it." She said.

"I hoped you would." Danny said and kissed her.

Aurora rubbed herself against Danny causing him to moan low in his throat. She pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and reached for the buttons on his dress shirt. Danny slid his hand under her dress and up her thigh, tracing along the edge of her panties.

Aurora's head fell back and her breathing quickened. Danny smirked and eased her down onto the bed, tracing her neck with his lips.

"Ho bisogno di fare l'amore con te." Danny whispered.

Aurora kissed him again, pulling his wifebeater over his head. Danny reached for the zipper of her dress.

"Condoms?" She breathed, arching into him.

"Under the pillow, relax baby….I'm taking you slow and making you scream." Danny said.

Aurora groaned and fell back on the bed.

(Later)

"Gatta." Danny said.

Aurora looked up from his chest. "What?"

"You're my gatta…….sex kitten." Danny said.

Aurora smiled and kissed his chest. "I like that."

Danny pulled her up and kissed her. "You wanted to learn Italian…might as well start. Bacio."

"What's that?"

"Kiss." Danny said and kissed her softly.

Aurora smiled. "Bacio." She repeated and kissed Danny.

"Strofinare." Danny said and nuzzled against her neck.

"Does that mean nuzzle?" she asked.

"Yeah." Danny said.

Aurora moved and nuzzled his neck. "Strofinare."

Aurora's cell phone started ringing.

"Baby let it go." Danny said and moved to kiss her shoulders.

"I can't." Aurora said reached for the phone and saw the number. "It's Aiden."

"Ignore her, we're busy." Danny said and ran a hand up her thigh.

"Stop." She knocked his hand away. "Hello?"

"Hey, I hope I didn't interrupt. I just wanted to tell you Emily called me." Aiden said.

"Oh it's fine. What did she say?" Aurora asked.

"She'd just got back from her date with Sheldon and wanted to call you but was afraid of interrupting so she called me. The girl was floating on air." Aiden said.

Danny chuckled and ran his hand up Aurora's thigh again, sliding his body down the bed.

"So I… I take the date went WELL." Aurora glared at Danny who chuckled and kissed above her bellybutton.

"Yeah, she was all excited about the carriage ride. And I guess Sheldon invited her to hang out with all of us and gave her a quick kiss goodnight. So she's really into him now." Aiden said.

"That's…..I'm…." Aurora tried to talk. She looked and saw Danny smirking at her from between her legs and he lowered his head again. "I……gotta go."

Aurora slammed her phone shut before grabbing for Danny's shoulders.


	78. February 18th

_Trizzy- So glad you reviewed! I hope you keep enjoying the story. Aurora is lucky, very lucky. Don and Aiden are a trip! LOL So much fun to write._

_Meadow567- Well here it is. All your guessing can stop…sorta! _

_Snowbear96- I love Danny too. He's so cute and sweet._

_Jordayna- Glad you liked the romance. So much is coming. Hope you enjoy._

_Dybdahl- Your dream scared the dickens out of me. Rora would never do such a thing. And Danny knows how much she loves him._

_Tara6- I am so glad you reviewed, I love reviews. And thank you so much for your nice comments. I am so happy you're hooked on the story. And you seem to be a Flack fan! LOL_

_Miss Metal- Glad you like Vicaro so much! LOL I wouldn't know who to choose from Vegas because I rarely watch it. From Miami was Speed but they killed him._

_Emador- No clothes were burned during the writing of my story! LOL _

The ringing of Danny's cell phone woke me up. I groaned and looked at the clock. It read 4:15 AM. Danny mumbled something and reached across me and grabbed his phone.

"Messer." He answered.

I snuggled back against him and closed my eyes. I heard him mumbling into the phone. Finally the phone snapped shut.

"Baby, I gotta go." Danny said and rolled me away from him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"That was Mac. Narcotics squad just did a major bust in Staten Island. They also found a dead body in the warehouse the sting went down in. Mac and I have been called to process the scene. Ironically Rastovich is handling the case for narcotics." Danny said as he looked around for his clothes.

"So you get to work with Sheldon's crush on a case." I said.

"Yeah, and Vicaro is being brought in too for the homicide unit." Danny said as Rammer jumped up on the bed.

I rolled over and looked at Danny. "You want me to make you some coffee or anything?"

"Nah, I'll just grab some on the way." Danny pulled his clothes on.

"Call me later if you're not busy. We'll have lunch together." I told him.

"I will." Danny sat down on the bed. "Go ahead and get a few more hours sleep."

"Okay. I love you." I said.

"I love you too." Danny said and kissed me. "Call you later."

"Be careful." I said as he walked towards the door.

"I will. Get some sleep." Danny smiled. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io." I smiled as snuggled further under the covers.

(Lab 10AM)

(TPPOV)

Mac and Danny were in the lab going over evidence from the dead body found in the warehouse. Those arrested for trafficking heroine were not talking. Meanwhile the body found was a young male, about 25 years old.

"You find anything on his clothes?" Mac asked Danny.

"Got some stains here I can run trace on." Danny said.

"I still can't believe you waited." Mac shook his head.

"Valentine's Day was too cliché." Danny said.

"But you had her on the deck of a boat under the New York City lights." Mac said.

"I got it all planned. Whenever this case finishes up I am surprising her with a weekend in a suite with a Jacuzzi, a fireplace, the works." Danny said.

Mac smiled. "I'm sure Aurora will be thrilled."

"I hope so. Of course I let Aiden in on it and now she's all…..whatever women are at times like this." Danny said.

Mac chuckled as Flack walked in. "What's going on?"

"Evidence from the drug bust this morning." Danny said. "Is Rora in yet?"

"Yeah, she is in the station doing paperwork." Flack said.

"How do you feel?" Mac asked Flack.

"I'm good to go." Flack said.

"How much did you drink that you had a two day hangover?" Danny asked.

"I don't remember." Flack said evasively.

"Don't do it again." Danny said. "Aurora was ready to shoot you with her own gun."

"It was stupid…but how would you feel if Aurora was on a date with…" Flack stopped.

"I told Rora how I felt so I don't have to worry about her going on dates with other guys." Danny said.

Mac raised an eyebrow at the two but said nothing.

"And now for three days I've had to sit and listen to how much fun Aiden's date was." Flack sighed.

"It was fun. But it wasn't serious." Danny said. "Louie said he gave her a quick kiss goodnight."

Flack scowled but didn't say anything else because Aiden walked into the lab.

"What's up?" Aiden asked.

"We were just talking about Danny's weekend plans." Flack said.

Aiden gave a big smile. "I am so leaving my phone on all weekend."

"Just take it easy. I want to surprise her." Danny said.

"Oh she will be. She's not even looking for it." Aiden smiled.

"Aiden, there is couple case files that Aurora requested. She is looking into a few cold cases. Would you take them to her?" Mac asked.

"Sure." Aiden smiled.

"And hush." Danny said.

Aiden rolled her eyes as she picked up the files and walked out.

"Aurora's looking into cold cases?" Flack asked.

"She wants review a few. She said my habit of keeping cold case files on my desk and reviewing them inspired her." Mac said.

Meanwhile, Aiden had started to the station but caught Aurora walking down the hall.

"Hey what are you doing here?" Aiden asked.

"I was just coming to see how Danny's case was coming. He had to leave my apartment early this morning to go to the scene." She said.

"He and Mac are working on evidence now. Flack is in there for…I'm not sure. Here are those files you asked Mac for." Aiden said and handed her the folders.

"Thanks. Did they say how the case was coming?" Aurora asked.

"Still collecting evidence." Aiden shrugged.

"Did you hear Emily is on this case with them?" Aurora said.

"Really? Sheldon hasn't stopped smiling in three days. And he keeps asking when we're all going out so he'll have something to invite her to." Aiden laughed.

"Why don't they go out just the two of them if Valentine's Day went so well?" Aurora asked.

"Well even though Emily called me jumping up and down, she wants to take things slow." Aiden said. "And don't think I don't know what you were doing when I called."

"I wasn't doing anything; it was all Danny…..remind me to buy him ice cream for dessert at lunch." Aurora winked.

Aiden laughed. "You so have to pay him back for that."

Aurora saw Emily coming down the hall towards them.

"Hey Emily, what brings you up here?" Aurora smiled.

"I was wondering how the case was coming. A few of the suspects have lawyered up and if we don't find something soon, we'll have to release them." Emily said.

"They're still working on it. But Mac will find evidence if it's there." Aiden said.

Emily nodded. "This case is bigger than we originally thought. Turns out Jerome Harvey, the head of the operation we busted this morning, has ties to one of the major heroine importers on the east coast."

"Wow, that is big." Aiden said.

"Now for the important stuff….we want to know everything about your date with Sheldon." Aurora said as they walked towards the break room.

"Don't leave out anything." Aiden said.

The three ladies sat down on the couch.

"Well, we went to dinner and Sheldon pulled out my chair, helped me with my napkin…all those cordial things. Then we went to see the play and he asked if I minded if he put his arm around me, and he was so cute when he asked too." Emily was smiling. "And then he totally surprised me with the carriage ride in the park. I wasn't expecting it at all."

"And now that you've been out with him alone?" Aurora asked.

"I think he's great. I really do want to hang out with everyone and get to know him better and maybe go out again sometime alone with him." Emily said.

"Oh that is so great……but you're not allowed to cheer for the Yankees." Aurora smiled. "We women have to cheer for the Red Sox just to annoy the guys."

Emily raised an eyebrow.

"You'll understand of you're around us very much." Aiden said.

Vicaro walked in. "Oh great it's the Estrogen Brigade."

Aurora noticed Danny walk by the room and head for the supply closet.

"Excuse me, I just remembered something. "Aurora said. She stood up and walked out of the break room.

She saw the supply closet door was open and Danny inside looking for something. He wasn't in his lab coat so she assumed it wasn't urgent whatever he was looking for. She walked in quietly and locked the door behind her.

Danny turned around. "Hey baby, what are you doing?"

"Turn about is fair play." Aurora said and walked over, pinning Danny against one of the shelves.

"What?"

"Remember the other night when Aiden called and you were a bad boy?" Aurora leaned in and nibbled on Danny's ear.

He swallowed. "You loved that….you were noisy enough."

"Oh I did love it. But payback is a bitch." Aurora licked the outer shell of Danny's ear and grinded her hips against his.

"Rory….Mac's office is next door." Danny protested as she undid his jeans.

"Then you'll just have to be quiet so he doesn't hear." She winked and dropped to her knees.

"Right out of some fantas…..cazzo!" Danny's eyes fell shut. "Gatta…..Rory."

Danny leaned back against a shelf and gently stroked Aurora's hair careful not to choke her.

"Pompino." Danny's head fell back. "Rora…."

Danny clenched his eyes shut tighter, desperate not to thrust and hurt her.

"Io amo il modo in cui tu succiare cazzo." Danny said.

Danny inhaled sharply. "Fottere!"

Danny slumped back against the shelves. Aurora tucked him back in and stood up smiling.

"You gonna be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll need a few minutes." He said.

"Well I got to get back to work. I'll see you later." Aurora smiled.

"You know I have to get even for this?" Danny smirked.

"I look forward to it." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you more." Danny said and watched her walk out.

(Station, 3PM)

(FPPOV)

I was sitting at my desk when Danny walked in. He was smirking which meant he was still thinking about our little activity in the supply closet. Danny sat on the edge of my desk.

"Can I help you?" I giggled.

"Emily is meeting me here. We're headed back to the warehouse to look around. Mac thinks there might be a bunker under the warehouse so I have to look for a door or way into it." Danny said.

"What does he think is in the bunker?" I asked.

"A meth lab. Chemicals on the dead guy's clothes came back as ingredients used to make meth. And Emily said one of those arrested in the bust has started talking about a meth lab under the warehouse." Danny said.

"This could end up being a huge bust." I said.

"So baby, about this weekend….do you have any plans?" Danny asked.

"No, why there something you want to do?" I asked.

"Just pack a bag and be ready to leave Friday after your shift." Danny smiled.

I raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going?"

"Just trust me." Danny said.

I smiled as Emily walked up to us.

"Danny, you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you later." Danny said and leaned over and kissed me.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." Danny said and hopped off my desk.

I watched as he started to walk out the door then turned and looked at me. He walked back over to my desk. He looked at me a moment then leaned down and kissed me again.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." I smiled. "Now go on, Emily is waiting."

I watched Danny walk out of the building. I turned back to the files Mac sent me that I had been looking over. Flack walked in and sat at his desk.

"Aurora can I ask you something?" Flack asked.

"Flack, you can ask me anything, you know that." I said.

"When did you first know for sure that you had feelings for Danny?" he asked.

"What?"

"I….need to know. I've been thinking….well…."

"When Danny was involved in that subway shooting last year. I knew I cared about him and even was in lust….but damn when that happened…..I knew it was love. I'd have fought the devil himself for Danny that day." I said.

"Does Aiden have any feelings for Louie Messer?" Flack asked.

"I don't think so. Theirs isn't a serious flirtation." I said.

"So she's technically not involved with anyone?" Flack asked.

"No sweetie." I said.

"It's just……damn how did Danny get through it?" Flack muttered.

I chuckled and turned back to my desk. Maybe he'd make a move.

I read over the files for awhile, making notes and thinking of new theories. I really liked that Mac kept files and went over them looking for new ideas and ways to solve cases.

Vicaro walked up to my desk. "Aurora…I think you should hear this."

"What?" I asked as he pulled me out of my chair and to the back break room.

"Listen." He said and motioned towards the police scanner.

Emily was nearly screaming into the police radio. "I repeat I need an ambulance NOW. Officer down. He was in a hit and run….."

I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out at once. "Danny….."

**To Be Continued…….**


	79. February 18th Continued

_**Trizzy**- You keep a picture of Danny near you? I am sure several things are on Rora's mind. Here is an update, don't bite your nails too much._

_**Meadow567**- Loved your PM. It's actually a slang that can be either of the three. Glad you liked the closet time. I was a little unsure of it at first but its so them at this point. _

_**Oddie33325**- Well you wanted drama._

_**CrazygirlHaley5555**- There was no shooting. It was a hit and run._

_**Jordayna**- I hope this was soon enough for you._

_**Snowbear96**- There wasn't a shooting. It was a hit and run. And wow, you really want that proposal._

_**Tara6**- No that doesn't make you a Flack fan at all! LOL And here is the update so you don't have to do anything. Hehe, her 'revenge' was amusing, LOL. _

_**Dybdahl**- Why were you waiting for Danny to get hurt? Mess up? You lost me._

_**Emador**-I never thought a little fun in the closet would be so popular. And could you imagine Mac catching them? LOL _

_**Miss Metal**- In a perfect CSI world (like in my head) Speed never dies and Ryan still gets hired. They become friends! _

_Vicaro walked up to my desk. "Aurora…I think you should hear this."_

"_What?" I asked as he pulled me out of my chair and to the back break room._

"_Listen." He said and motioned towards the police scanner._

_Emily was nearly screaming into the police radio. "I repeat I need an ambulance NOW. Officer down. He was in a hit and run….."_

_I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out at once. "Danny….."_

"Aurora?" Vicaro asked.

"I…I got to find out where they're taking him!" I said and hurried out of the break room to my desk.

"Aurora?" Flack asked.

"Danny's been in a hit and run. He's down. Emily is calling for help." I screamed.

"I'll call Mac. He's Danny's supervisor." Flack said.

Flack picked up his phone.

"Rora, take a deep breath." Vicaro said. "We'll drive you to wherever they take Danny. You shouldn't drive like this."

I nodded. "I don't even fucking know if he's dead or alive."

I was shaking from head to toe, but couldn't cry…for some reason there was no tears. Vicaro put an arm around me.

Flack hung up. "He's being taken to University hospital."

"He's alive?" I asked.

"Mac didn't know much because everything has just happened. But he said Danny was alive, but badly injured." Flack said.

"Is he conscious?" I asked.

"No." Flack sighed.

"I gotta go to him." I said.

"Come on, we'll take you." Vicaro said.

Flack nodded and the two walked me out of the station. I sat in the back of the SUV shaking. I was filled with dread. I didn't know what to expect. What had happened? Danny was supposed to be looking for evidence.

"Damn it Flack, drive faster!" I snapped.

"Aurora…"

"Damn it, I don't want him dying without me there to hold him!" I yelled.

"Don't expect the worst." Vicaro said.

"Just fucking get me to him!" I yelled.

"Just try to stay calm until we know for sure how bad he's hurt." Flack said.

"Fucking….either you drive faster or I am climbing over this goddamn seat and pushing your foot on that accelerator myself!" I snapped. "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that."

"I know you're scared. I am too." Flack said.

We finally pulled up in front of University hospital. I leaped out of the SUV before Flack even had it fully stopped and ran into the hospital. I looked for the ER. I saw a sign and ran down the hall.

"Where is Detective Danny Messer? He was just brought in; he was in a hit and run!" I yelled at the desk.

"Are you family?" a nurse asked.

"I'm listed as his next of kin and I hold his medical power of attorney now where is he?" I said.

"You Aurora Denton?" she asked.

I slammed my shield onto the desk. "Where is he?"

"He's being prepped for surgery." She said.

"I have to see him." I gritted through my teeth.

"Someone will be out to talk to you about his case soon." She said.

"Aurora?" I heard behind me. I looked up and saw a distraught Emily.

"Emily, what happened?" I hugged her.

"We were at the warehouse looking for that bunker. Danny went outside to check the perimeter of the building. I started out the side door to see if he'd found anything when this….this car came out of no where and crashed into Danny and kept going." Emily cried.

"Did you get the plates?" Vicaro asked walking up to us.

"There were no plates." She said. "This was intentional. They swerved to make sure they hit Danny."

"Did you see the driver?" Flack asked.

"No the windows were tinted. I couldn't see anything." Emily said.

"Okay, we need to get a description of that car out. I wonder if it was connected to the bust." Flack said.

"Which of you is Aurora Denton?" a doctor asked.

"I am. How is Danny? What's going on?" I asked.

"Mr. Messer is still unconscious; he landed hard on his head. He also has several broken ribs, broken collar bone, a broken left arm, and a cracked left femur. He has internal bleeding as well. We're going to operate and see if we can get it stopped." The doctor said.

"Is Danny gonna die?" I asked wanting the truth.

"We don't know anything for sure yet. But he's in very critical condition. Even if we can get the internal bleeding stopped; we don't know the extent of his head injury." The doctor said.

"Can I see him?" I asked.

"We'll be taking him to surgery momentarily. You can see him for a moment before we wheel him in. But we don't have time to waste." The doctor said.

I followed the doctor down the hall. My hands were shaking so bad. I'd never been this scared. Not even when Tanglewood had me locked up was I this scared.

Orderlies pulled a bed with equipment out of a room and headed towards the OR. I looked and saw Danny, he was bloody and bruised.

"You have just a few seconds." The doctor said to me.

I walked up to the gurney and looked down at Danny. I took his hand.

"Don't you die on me Danny Messer. I'll come to the afterlife for you. Don't you leave me." I said and finally the tears came. "I love you, don't go."

"Miss Denton, we need to get him in surgery." The doctor said.

I nodded and stepped back, letting the wheel him on into the OR. I stood and watched as the doors closed. And then I couldn't stop the tears. I couldn't lose Danny.

I felt arms wrap around me. I looked up and saw Mac.

"Mac?" I cried.

"I got here as soon as I could." Mac said.

"Danny…"

"Shhhhh, come on, let's sit down." Mac led me back to the waiting area of the ER.

I couldn't stop crying and Mac gently rubbed my shoulders as we walked. Mac managed to get me into a seat.

"Aurora, Danny is strong. He's a fighter." Flack said.

I nodded. "He just looked so….and…."

"Vicaro, get her something to drink." Mac said.

"Rora, just try to think the best. Danny is gonna need you to be strong." Don said.

I nodded. "What if…"

"None of that until we know more." Mac insisted.

"It's my fault." Emily said.

I looked over at her. "No its not. You were both at the scene; you couldn't help someone run him down. And you got him help and did everything you could for him." I took her hand. "I don't blame you, it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"Aurora?" I looked up and saw Aiden.

"Oh sweetie." I jumped and ran to her.

Aiden hugged me tight. "What did the doctors say?"

"He's in surgery now. They need to stop internal bleeding and then they'll see about his head injury." I cried.

"I'm so sorry. But Danny will get through this, he's tough." Aiden said.

"I can't lose him Aiden." I cried.

"Hey, we'll get through this. I'm scared too. You know how much Danny means to me." Aiden said and I could see her tears.

"Aiden I'm so scared." I said.

"I am too." She said.

Aiden took my hand and we walked back over to the others. Don immediately hugged Aiden and kept an arm around her.

"We need to call Danny's dad." Mac said.

"We can call Papa Messer when we know more. Besides, I am not sure Danny would want him here." I said. "But I will call Louie. He needs to know."

"Emily? Rora?" I looked up and saw Sheldon still in his scrubs.

"Hawkes." I said.

Sheldon rushed over to us. "Emily, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Danny was the one hurt." Emily said.

Sheldon hugged her. "Stella called me and told me what happened."

"I'm fine, just shook up. And worried about Danny." Emily said.

"Aurora, oh god I'm sorry. How's Danny?" Sheldon took my hand.

"In surgery. We won't know more until he's out." I said.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Sheldon asked.

"There is nothing any of us can do but wait." I sighed.

(Two Hours Later, TPPOV)

"Aurora hasn't stopped staring at that door in an hour." Flack said looking down the hall where Aurora was sitting with Donald watching the door for the doctor.

"I don't know what we'll do with her if Danny doesn't pull through. He's her world. She loves him more than….love like theirs is rare." Aiden said.

"I'm getting really tired of these hospital scenes. First Flack gets shot, and then Louie Messer gets assaulted. Now this." Mac sighed.

"Yeah….Mac we're wrapping you in bubble wrap and keeping you in the office." Aiden gave a small smile.

"If Danny doesn't make it…do you think Rora would…" Flack hesitated.

"Do I think Rora would eat her gun?" Aiden finished.

Flack nodded.

"No, Aurora is a strong person. She'd make it….she'd have to fight like hell but she'd get through it." Mac said.

"This sucks. This should be the happiest week of her life. Danny was about to…….and now this." Aiden sighed.

"Danny wanted to do that more than anything in this world. Now he's in there…." Flack walked away.

Aiden frowned and went after him. She caught up with him down the hall as he was headed into the waiting room for same-day surgery.

"Hey Don, its okay to be upset." Aiden said.

"I just had to get out of there for a minute." Don said and sat down.

Aiden sat beside him. "We're all scared to death for Danny. I don't know what any of us will do if we lose him. But none of us are going to judge you for getting upset and crying."

"I don't cry." Flack said.

"Oh come off that macho trip for five minutes. It's okay for a man to cry." Aiden said.

Flack looked down. "Danny is my best friend. We've been together through thick and thin for years. And now he's lying back there fighting for his life and I can't do anything."

"There's nothing any of us can do." Aiden took his hand.

"And Danny has been so happy since Aurora came along. His life was great. He had Louie back in his life, he'd mostly forgiven Papa Messer, and he was getting ready to……he was so happy." Flack said his voice wavering a bit.

"Danny will get through this. And he'll still have all that when he wakes up." Aiden said.

"You know, Rora goes around always telling people she loves them. There might be something to that because Danny is back there and I never…" Flack finally let go of a sob.

Aiden pulled him against her. "Don, Danny knows you love him. You two are so close. He knows you love him; just like you know he loves you."

(Hour Later, FPPOV)

I was still staring at the doors, waiting for the doctor to come out. Donald had not left my side since arriving at the hospital. I looked around the waiting room. Sheldon was holding Emily; Flack was hugging Aiden. Mac was making phone calls to ensure that everything was being done to find out who hurt Danny. Stella was at the scene but was checking in every half hour.

"If Danny has brain damage, he wants to be taken off the machines." I said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Donald said.

"It's the truth. It's a possibility I might be facing very soon. Having to sign the papers to turn off…."

"Aurora, don't even think about that until we know more. Deal with that when it's time." Donald said.

I nodded. "There is just so much flying through my head at once."

"Just think positive. Think about happy times with Danny." Donald said.

The doors opened and the doctor walked out. I jumped to my feet.

"How is he?" I asked as the others gathered around.

"We managed to get the internal bleeding stopped. We had to remove his spleen it was ruptured. His liver was punctured by a broken rib. We've set the rib and stitched his liver. He also had a punctured lung. We've repaired the damage and cleared the lung. He's lost a lot of blood, but the internal bleeding is stopped." The doctor said.

"Is he gonna be okay?" I asked.

"He's not out of the woods. We have to be very careful of infection and we have to see how he responds to treatment. His body has suffered a severe shock. And we need to run a CAT scan to assess his head injury." The doctor said.

"Is he breathing on his own?" Mac asked.

"He's on a ventilator because of the lung injury. His left lung filled up with blood from the puncture wound. We had to drain it." The doctor said.

"When can I see him?" I asked.

"He's being moved to ICU. You can see him, but I want that CAT scan as soon as possible." The doctor said.

I nodded and watched the doctor walk away.

"He survived surgery, that's a good sign." Sheldon said.

I took a deep breath. "He's still got a long way to go it seems."

"Danny is a fighter. No one thought Louie would make it and he did. Those Messer boys are tough." Flack said.

(ICU)

"Now he's hooked up to machines and has tubes coming out of him so don't be shocked." The doctor warned.

"I'll be okay. I just want to see him." I said.

I walked into Danny's room and looked at him. Stitches showed where they'd operated on him. His left arm was in a cast and his left leg was in a splint. There were tubes for his ventilator and IV's.

I walked over to the bed and careful of his wires, sat down beside him. I took his right hand.

"Danny……I hope you can hear me. Baby, I'm so scared. I don't think I'd be okay without you." I said. "Everyone is here. Mac, Aiden, Flack, Hawkes, Emily, Vicaro, Donald."

I started crying. "Danny listen carefully to me. When dad was sick at the very end……he saw angels and the bright light. Some said it was just the medicine and lack of oxygen……but he saw his mother at the bottom of a staircase and kept trying to get to her for two days. For two days he'd point and tell me to look insisting she was there. And then he was gone…he was finally able to touch the angels."

I stopped and caught my breath and continued. "Danny, if you see bright light turn away, don't go towards it. Just walk as far away from it as you can. Follow my voice if you or something. Don't touch the angels…..not yet. I might sound selfish but I need you here with me. Don't leave me. I love you so much."

I leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Miss Denton?"

I looked up and saw orderlies in the doorway.

"It's time for his CAT scan." One said.

I nodded and moved away from the bed so they could take him.

**To Be Continued……**


	80. February 19th

_Tara6- LOL, I have a line of people wanting to guest star in the fic to be near Don….he's quite the Don Juan (Pun intended). Didn't mean to make you cry._

_Megs24- Well here is more. You'll just have to see how everything plays out. Thanks for reviewing._

_Trizzy- Nothing wrong with keeping a pic of Danny nearby. He's on my screensaver. And seems almost everyone is rooting for Don and Aiden._

_Meadow567- You should know by now that my mind works in twisted ways. Just enjoy._

_Oddie33325- A mistaken situation? What is that? Glad you like the chappie though._

_Jordayna- Here is the update. I hope it was soon enough._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- LOL, it happens when you're panicking! _

_Dybdahl- And there is so much more of the story to come._

_Snowbear96- Our official hugger is at it again. Here is more, don't know if it's a rollercoaster or not._

_Miss Metal- I think your review was cut off. You just kinda stopped mid-sentence and I wasn't sure what you were saying. _

_Emador- I don't know if you'll need tissues for this chapter or not. But I hope you like it. _

I sat in the waiting room anxiously waiting while the doctors performed the CAT scan on Danny. The others were still around. Flack and Aiden were sticking tight to one another. Donald stayed nearby. Sheldon had stayed with Emily the entire time. Vicaro had left to work the case but was checking in, as was Stella. Mac was on his phone a lot checking on the case.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. I couldn't stop thinking about Danny and things we'd done; the progression of our relationship.

Our first crime scene together. _"Hey Oreo, what'd you find out?" Danny asked._

The first time Aiden and I dragged him and Don to an 80's night_. "I was hoping I'd get to dance with you." Aurora smiled. "I wanted to thank you for being such a good sport tonight."_

_Danny smiled at her. "I hate to admit it, but this is turning out to be fun. Don't tell Flack or Aiden I said that. But I'm glad you dragged me here tonight."_

And when we investigated the sex party_. "So what about this sex party?" Don asked._

"_I was the center of a threesome with Aiden and ADD." Danny smirked._

I didn't know what I'd do if Danny didn't make it. I loved him so much. This couldn't be happening. I'd waited all my life to find my prince charming. Now that I had him, and he loved me so much…..I couldn't lose him.

I'd fought so hard for him before_. "I made a statement to IAB." Danny said and shook his head. "Mac was there…he told me that if IAB goes after me for this, the evidence he found is useless. And I disobeyed a direct order."_

_I stared at him, not sure to hug him or smack him. "Mac told you to stay away from IAB. It's full of blood sucking vultures. Even I told you not to go. Why did you go?"_

"_I had to do something. I couldn't just sit back and be crucified." Danny snapped._

"_We were all pulling for you. Listen to your voicemail." I said. "Damn! Why did you have to go and talk to IAB?"_

_"Look, I know all that. Didn't I just tell you I just got chewed out for this? There's nothing more for me to hear about this" Danny snapped._

_I sighed. "I'm sorry Danny. I am just worried is all. IAB has been riding Mac for awhile now, and Stella's little stunt with the rich people last week didn't help. I just don't want you to be made an example of. Besides, I care about you. I don't wanna see you unhappy or lose your job."_

_Danny's face softened. "I'm sorry Aurora. This is all so stressful. And I just want it all to be set right as soon as possible."_

_I hugged him. "I know and it will be. Mac has evidence to clear you even if IAB won't listen. And I'll personally start screaming on the evening news if they try to take your badge." I smirked. "But seriously if you need anything, let me know."_

_Danny gave a small smile. "Thanks Rora."_

All the sweet little things Danny did for me. _I opened the bag and inside was a dirty baseball. I pulled it out of the bag and looked at it._

"_It's Chipper Jones' grand slam ball." Danny said._

"_But how did you…"_

"I watched where it went then hurried down there and found who caught it. Luckily they weren't Braves fans. A few bucks later, it was mine." Danny shrugged.

I smiled a little remembering the outfit I wore undercover at the rave that Danny liked so much. Aurora smiled and stood up she came over and hugged him. _"Don't worry Danny. Next time I go under cover, you can be my boyfriend and I'll grind against you."_

"_Really? I think I could find us a case." Danny winked._

"_You're so cute." She smiled._

"_It's getting late. Flack is showering. You gonna change and head home…not that I mind this outfit." Danny smirked. "I wouldn't mind taking you home in that outfit."_

And when Danny helped save my life. _"You can't get away with this, let her go!" Flack yelled._

_Danny's eyes met Aurora's. He mouthed, "You okay?"_

"_Talking to your bitch Messer, did you miss her?" Baba yelled and pulled on Aurora's arm till she screamed._

"_Just let her go. You don't want to kill an officer." Flack said._

"_What the fuck do I care? Not like you could hold us." Spangal said._

"_We're looking at you. You can't get away with this one." Flack said._

"_That's what you think. We killed Montenassi and got away with it. Killing this whore don't mean nothing to us. Just ask Messer." Baba smirked._

_Danny tightened his grip on his gun. A thousand thoughts and emotions running through him at once._

"_Let Aurora go!" Danny yelled. "She isn't involved in this. This is between you guys and me!"_

_Flack glanced over at Danny._

"_Fuck you Messer. When her pretty little head is blown all over the wall, it'll be your fault." Baba said and pulled on her arm again. She screamed in pain._

"_Fucking let her go!" Danny said and took a step forward._

Finally the doctor walked out.

"How's Danny? What did the tests show?" I asked.

"Mr. Messer's brain stem is fully functional, which means his organs will work on their own and he'll be able to breathe on his own when removed from the ventilator." The doctor said.

"So he's gonna be okay?" I asked.

"Danny has some brain swelling. It's not severe enough to require surgery. Right now we're going to administer drugs to reduce the swelling and see how he responds." The doctor said.

"When will he wake up?" I asked.

"IF he doesn't get an infection, his brain swelling reduces and he improves, we can take him off the ventilator in 48 hours. Then we'll stop administering drugs to keep him in a coma." The doctor said. "Right now if he were to wake up he'd fight the machine so we're keeping him asleep for now….although from the brain swelling he couldn't wake up anyway."

"Is Danny gonna die?" I asked.

"He's got a long way to go. The next 24 hours are critical." The doctor said.

"Is he going to have brain damage?" I asked.

"If we can get the swelling down, no. If not…we'll take the next step." The doctor said.

"What is the next step?" I asked.

"Surgery to relieve pressure on the brain." Doctor said.

"Can I go be with him?" I asked.

"He's been taken back to his room." The doctor said.

(ICU)

I walked into Danny's room. He was lying much like he had been before the tests were run. The beeping of the monitors was loud in the quiet room. I walked over and sat on Danny's right side as most of his injuries were on the left side.

I reached up and gently touched his face, careful of the tube going down his throat.

"Danny, I'm right here. I'm not leaving you. I'm right here no matter what." I said and held back tears. I didn't want Danny to hear me crying.

"You know how much I love you, but I'm saying it again….I love you. And no matter what, I'm right here." I said.

_Danny wiped away a few more tears. "I am so afraid of losing you. Rory, I could be going to prison. And you deserve so much better than all this. Tanglewood kidnapped you, nearly killed you, and now this……..why do you put up with me?"_

_I held his face in my hands. "Because I love you more than anything else. You're the other half of my soul. And nothing is taking me away from you. I am beside you whatever happens."_

"_Things could get a lot worse than they are now." Danny said._

_I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. "I know we're not married and never repeated vows….but we're in this together for better or for worse."_

"_I love you so much….I don't know what I'd do without you." Danny said._

"_I love you too." I told him._

I leaned up and kissed his forehead.

"We've been through so much together Danny. You mean everything to me. What am I supposed to do without you?" I asked.

_I reached into my purse and pulled out the frame I'd put in there earlier._

"_Last month you did a beautiful thing when you told me your song for me was 'You Had Me From Hello'. Well that got me to thinking what my song for you would be. And when everything first happened and I was faced with you possibly going to prison and being without you……well I immediately knew this song was it." I said and handed him the frame. "It's not in Italian, but I wrote the lyrics out and framed them for you."_

_Danny took the frame._

"_And to go with it, I got you the ConAir soundtrack. I remember we watched that movie together awhile back." I said and handed him the CD too._

"'_How Do I Live Without You.'" Danny read._

"_The Trisha Yearwood song." I said. "That's what's in my heart. How would I live without you? I would be so lost without you. That song couldn't be any more from me if I had wrote it."_

_Danny looked up at me. "This is……I'm speechless. No wonder you cried when I did this for you……I am still amazed that anyone could love me so much."_

"_I do. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I can't imagine my life without you." I said._

_Danny leaned over and kissed me softly. "You never have to worry about living without me. Nothing in the world could take me away from you."_

"Danny, I know you're a strong person. I need you to fight now. Fight to live. Fight to stay here with me. Please don't go." I said.

"Aurora?" I looked up and saw Don and Aiden in the door.

"Come on in." I said and stood up.

They walked over to the bed. Aiden started crying and Flack put his arm around her.

"Can he hear us?" Aiden asked.

"The doctors don't know." I said.

Don took Danny's hand. "Danny, you gotta get better. I can't handle both these girls by myself. And I….I really need you. You're my best friend."

I hugged Don and started crying. Aiden wiped her eyes and leaned down beside Danny.

"Danny you gotta pull through this. We all need you. We love you. Things just wouldn't be the same without you." Aiden said.

"Danny will get through this. He's tough." Don insisted.

"Aiden, would you stop by my place and pick up a change of clothes and stuff for me. Check on Rammer and tell him where I'm at?" I asked.

"Tell the cat where you are…..oh never mind. I've been around you too long; that actually made sense." Flack sighed.

"Sure, I'd be glad to stop by…but don't you think you should go home and rest?" Aiden said.

"I'm not leaving him!" I said.

"Danny wouldn't want you to get sick." Aiden said.

"I am not leaving him." I said.

"We'll get your things. Come on, Aiden." Flack said. "Danny, hang in there. We'll be back later."

I watched them walk out of the room and Papa Messer walked in.

"Aurora, I just spoke with the doctors." Leo said. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm taking this one hour at a time. Danny needs me and that's the important thing." I told him.

"Thank you for calling me. This is a father's worst nightmare. Both my sons critically injured within a few months of each other." Leo said.

I eyed him. "Well you're his father; you have a right to be here."

"You might not believe this, but I am glad you're with Danny. I think you're good for him." Leo said.

"Thank you…Danny means everything to me." I said.

There was a knock at the door. I looked up and saw Mac standing there.

"Aurora, can I see you for a moment?" Mac asked.

I nodded. I squeezed Danny's hand. "I'll be right back. Mac needs me. Your dad will be here with you."

I walked out into the hall where Mac was.

"What's up?" I asked.

"There is news on the case. That dead body that was found at the warehouse was Nathan Comfort. He's a heroine drug runner in Jersey. This organization killed him to get rid of competition." Mac said.

"What about who ran Danny down?" I asked.

"The car that was used to hit him was found abandoned at JFK airport. The damage is consistent with Danny's injuries. Stella went over the car and found prints. She is running them through AFIS now." Mac said.

"I want to be kept up to date." I said.

"Why don't you go get some rest?" Mac asked.

"I'm not leaving. Aiden is going to pick up a few things for me. I am staying with Danny." I said.

"Aurora…"

"Mac, I won't leave his side. If….if Danny is going to die….I want to hold him as he goes." I said.

Mac's eyes softened and he nodded. "Is there anyone from your family we can call for you?"

"No one from my family would care except my oldest brother, but he wouldn't really understand what's going on. I'll call him when we know more and explain everything to him as best I can. He gets upset easily, so I have to handle that carefully." I explained.

"You hang in there. We'll get through this." Mac said.

"Thanks Mac." I said.

I turned to go back into Danny's room when I saw Louie slowly walking down the hall on a cane.

"Louie? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I had to be with Danny. He needed me." Louie said.

"But….your therapy? How did you….."

"I told them I was leaving for awhile but I'd come back. After arguing they let me have a pass out of the hospital. I was leaving whether they liked it or not." Louie said.

I hugged him. "You Messer boys are so stubborn."

"That's why you love him." Louie said.

I nodded. "Come on, I'll help you into his room."

I kept an arm around Louie and helped him into Danny's room.

"Louie?" Leo asked.

"Danny needed me. He's my little brother." Louie said.

I helped Louie into a chair and scooted it close to the bed.

"Danny, its Louie. Hey you gotta get better." Louie said and took Danny's hand. "We just found each other again. I'll be out of the hospital soon and we can do those things we were talking about. Like taking Rora to Yankee Stadium."

I laughed and cried at the same time.

Louie pulled something out of his pocket. It was a necklace and charm of some kind. He leaned up and using a safety pin, pinned the necklace to Danny's hospital gown.

"It's mom's St. Anthony medal. You brought it to me when I was in the hospital. Right now you need it more than me. Mom always believed in it." Louie said.

I smiled and sat down on the bed next to Danny.

(Late Night, TPPOV)

Mac and Donald stood outside of Danny's room, looking through the window. Aurora was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading to Danny out of the newspaper about baseball spring training.

"She hasn't left his side all day." Donald said.

"I know. Earlier she gave him a sponge bath herself. You know her determination as much as I do, she'll not leave him." Mac said.

"Devotion like that is rare. You can tell they're meant to be." Donald said.

"I don't want to think about Danny not pulling through." Mac said.

"That little woman is tough. You know I practically claim her as my own anymore." Donald said.

Mac smiled. "You know Danny claims you over his own dad. I've heard him say that."

"Everything Danny went through growing up with that bastard…..he finally gets away and makes a life for himself, finds Aurora and now this." Donald sighed.

Mac nodded. "They caught the guy that ran Danny down. He's Jerome Harvey's brother, Jermaine. He was in this drug ring too. He was trying to keep Danny from finding that Meth bunker."

"He talking?" Donald asked.

"Emily did the interrogating. Turns out Jermaine wasn't arrested in the initial bust and knew he had to get the meth lab out of there. So he returned to the warehouse, but didn't expect officers to be there. He planned to run Danny down, kill him. Clean out the lab and hide the body. He saw Emily at the last minute and realized he had to get out of there." Mac said.

"Does Jermaine realize the charges he is facing for attempting to kill an officer? Or what he'll face should Danny die?" Donald asked.

"Oh Emily made sure to point out that New York will give him a needle in the arm." Mac smirked.

Donald nodded and turned back to looking into Danny's room. Aurora had laid down the newspaper and was straightening Danny's covers.

"They've been giving him intense doses of the medicine to reduce his brain swelling." Mac said.

Donald nodded. "They'll do another CAT scan in the morning to see how he is reacting to the medicine."

Aurora pulled a chair up close to Danny's bed. She took his hand and laid her head on his uninjured thigh. She wanted to rest for just a moment but ended up falling asleep. Her dreams were filled with happy memories of Danny and their relationship.

'_Unchained Melody' started playing._

"_Oh I love this song. Ever since the movie 'Ghost'." Aurora said. "That's such an amazing movie. I mean to love someone so much…"_

"_Would you like to dance?" Danny asked._

"_I'd love to." she said._

_Danny tugged on her hand and led her to the dance floor. They stopped among a few other couples. Danny pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder. He was wearing that cologne she liked so much. She inhaled, enjoying being near him._

"_Aurora?" Danny said._

"_Hmmm?" she raised her head and looked at him._

_Danny looked at her a moment, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Ti amo." He whispered._

_Aurora looked up at him. "What does that……" she knew by the look in his eyes what he meant._

_Danny leaned down and kissed her. She leaned closer to him. Danny kissed her softly and she held tight to him, not willing to let him go. He made no effort to let go of her._

Their first official date. _Danny reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue box and handed it to me._

"_Tiffany's? Danny, you didn't have to get me anything." I said._

"_I wanted to. Just open it." He said._

_I smiled and opened the box. Inside was a heart shaped pendant with diamonds around it. The pendant was on a gold chain._

"_Danny, its beautiful….but you didn't have to…."_

"_I wanted to get you something special. I wanted you to have something to always remember our first date by." Danny said._

The night Danny played Kenny Chesney for her and gave her the words to "Loved You From Hello' written in Italian. _Aurora smiled. "Danny, what does all this say?"_

_Danny leaned over and kissed her. "Listen to the words of the song. He is singing exactly how I feel."_

_Aurora looked at him. "You wrote the words to this song in Italian?"_

_Danny nodded. "When I heard this song…it's just how I feel. I really think I've loved you from the first minute I saw you."_

_Aurora started crying. "Danny, this is the sweetest most wonderful thing. I can't believe…."_

_Danny reached up and wiped her tears away. "Don't cry."_

"_They're happy tears. No boyfriend has ever made me cry happy tears." Aurora said._

Danny comforting her when her family upset her in Cincinnati. _"Dad was the only one that was ever proud of me. Nothing I ever did was good enough for the rest of the family." Aurora cried._

"_Aurora, you're 'family' in NYC loves you and are very proud of you. They all want you. Don, Aiden, Mac, Stella, Sheldon, Donald…even Louie; they all love you very much. And you know how much I love you." Danny said._

"_I know……that's why I'm so happy in New York. I have friends there that mean more to me than my real family…..well I shouldn't say that my brother who is slightly retarded loves me and has always been the best I could hope for. But with the exception of him…..you guys in New York mean everything to me. Donald has more or less adopted me as one of his kids. And Mac….I adore him. And words can't say how much I love Don and Aiden. And Louie just welcomed me right into his life."_

"_Louie didn't have a choice….you and me are a package deal." Danny winked._

"_But you know what I mean……..New York City is my home now. With you and my friends." Aurora said._

"_It's where you belong; don't ever let anyone tell you different." Danny said. "And anyone should be proud of you. Look at the people you help. Remember all those babies we rescued from Damek and his cult? They have a better life now. And think about all the women you saved by locking up Harold Genott; and the families you gave peace to by finding their missing loved ones."_

_Aurora gave Danny a small smile. "Thanks…I needed to hear that."_

And their first Valentine's Day together that was just a few days earlier. _"This is by far the best Valentine's Day I've ever had." She said._

"_Rory, when we first started going out, did you think we'd make it this far?" Danny asked._

"_I hoped we would. You're all I've wanted since the kidnapping." She said._

_Danny ran his knuckles down her cheek. "Un bellissimo viso."_

_She smiled and leaned into his touch. "What does that mean?"_

"_A pretty face. I can't believe how pretty you are sometimes. Like now, just standing there in the moonlight, wind lightly blowing you hair, smiling at me." Danny said._

_Aurora leaned over and kissed him. "I love you so much."_

"_Ti amerò per sempre." Danny said. "I will love you forever."_

"_You have to teach me Italian." Aurora said._

"Miss Denton? Miss Denton?"

Aurora was awakened by someone calling for her. She looked around and realized it was morning. She'd slept through the night leaning on Danny's bed.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked.

"We have to take Mr. Messer for his CAT scan to see if he's responding to the medication." An orderly said.

Aurora nodded. "Yes of course."

She stood up and leaned over and kissed Danny's forehead. "Ti amo." She whispered. She moved away from the bed so the orderlies could transport Danny downstairs for his tests.

**To Be Continued…..**


	81. February 20th

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Lots. When I started writing this story, I was on a mission._

_Tara6- A day of CSI:NY, now that is a way to spend a day! LOL And yes, you've mentioned liking my schedule._

_Ilovemygelding- Glad you are reviewing! I'm happy you like the story. I love reviews and reviewers too. Hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Meadow567- I am to the point of one more of my siblings has a kid, I am shooting someone. And now you can find out what happens._

_Trizzy- Take it easy before you chew off your fingers. I thought the flashbacks were a nice way of showing all Danny and Rora have been through._

_Miss Metal- Well here is some more for you to read. Hope you enjoy._

_Snowbear96- I am glad you liked the flashbacks. I wanted them to show/remind about all Danny and Aurora have done together._

_Emador- Don't kill me for this. But you should know by now when it comes to me and stories……I'll call Tim._

I sat in the waiting room again. Donald was with me. Leo had called and said he was on his way with Louie. (He had to stop and pick Louie up at the hospital after therapy.) Mac had called from the lab saying he'd be here when he could, but that he needed to speak with the DA about charges against Jermaine Harvey.

I looked across the room to Flack and Aiden. They'd been helping me and taking care of each other since this all started. Maybe the one good thing that could come out of all this would be them finally getting together.

I kept watching the doors, knowing that at any minute the doctor would tell me Danny's fate. I refused to think the worst. I knew how stubborn Danny could be.

"Are you gonna be okay? Should I get you something?" Donald asked.

"I won't be okay until Danny is." I said.

"You're being a rock. Most people would've fallen apart two days ago." Donald said.

"Danny needs me. I'd walk through hell for him." I said.

Mac hurried in. "Have you heard anything?"

"Nothing yet. We're still waiting." I said.

"I got here as fast as I could. The DA for now is indicting Jermaine on charges of attempted murder. If Danny shouldn't pull through, he'll drop those charges and re-indict on first degree murder of an officer." Mac said.

I nodded. "Everyone did a great job of finding this guy fast." I said.

"We're take care of our own. Just like when you were kidnapped, Flack was shot and Louie was assaulted." Mac said.

I saw Louie and Leo walk in. I ran to hug Louie.

"Has the doctor talked to you yet?" Louie asked.

"No, I am still waiting." I said. "Louie, I'm glad you're here."

"You and Danny needed me." Louie said.

I helped him over to a seat. Aiden looked up and saw him.

"Louie." She said and got up to come sit with him. Flack's face was unreadable.

"Aiden, I was hoping you'd be here." Louie said and hugged her.

"Miss Denton?" the doctor walked out.

"Yes, Doctor…how is he?" I asked.

"His CAT scan showed that he has responded well to medication. The brain swelling has reduced, his brain is normal again." The doctor said.

"Does he have brain activity?" Mac asked.

"His brain waves are normal. No brain bleeding, no damage. I can't believe it for as hard a hit as he took." The doctor said.

"So Danny is going to be okay?" I asked.

"We run blood tests and there is no sign of infection. His brain is functioning normal. We want to try removing the ventilator later today. When we do that, we'll stop the medication causing him to sleep and allow him to come to when he is ready." The doctor said.

"Danny's going to be okay?" I asked again.

"With time and some physical therapy….he'll be just fine." The doctor smiled. "But if Mr. Messer hadn't been in such good health and an active, fit person…he'd have been a lot worse."

I started crying. Danny was going to be okay. Donald hugged me before I turned and hugged Mac.

"Thank you doctor…when can I see him?" I asked.

"He's back in his room in ICU. You can go to him now." The doctor said.

The doctor walked away and left us all hugging and laughing. Danny was going to be okay.

(ICU)

I walked into Danny's room. I started crying, just looking at him and knowing that he was going to be okay. I realized how close I had come to losing him. I walked over and sat down on his bed, careful of his wires.

I kissed his forehead. "I am so happy you're a stubborn asshole sometimes. I wasn't about to let you leave me. I'd have come to the afterlife for you."

I ran my hand through his hair. "I love you so much. You just keep getting better. I am going to be right here."

I looked up and saw Flack standing at the door.

"Where is Aiden?" I asked.

"With Louie in the waiting room." Flack said.

"No don't start moping. Aiden and Louie are friends and Louie nearly lost his brother." I said.

"I know." Flack sighed.

"Besides, you two seemed to be getting closer the last few days." I said.

"I was thought we were….maybe we just needed each other to get through this." Flack said.

I turned to Danny. "Baby, we're going to have kids in high school before Flack asks out Aiden."

"I don't want to talk about it." Flack said and walked over to where Danny's bed.

"I was really scared there for awhile." I admitted.

"So was I. Doctor said it helped that he was so fit." Flack turned to Danny. "Looks like all that screwing Rora paid off in more than one way." He joked.

I rolled my eyes. "Great, now you two along with Sheldon will use the line 'but sex can help save your life'."

"Danny you gave us quite a scare. Now you just get better. I'm getting real tired of hospitals. And the nurses here aren't very cute. Actually you managed to get all old women nurses." Flack joked.

"Which is just how I like it." I giggled.

Aiden walked in.

"Where's Louie?" I asked.

"With his dad. They'll be in soon." Aiden said.

Aiden walked over to Danny's bed and sat beside me.

"Danny finally gets you both in bed with him and he's not even awake to enjoy it." Don joked.

Aiden and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes but smiled.

(Noon)

Louie sat next to Danny's bed. He'd agreed to stay with Danny when Mac and Donald had forced Aurora to go get lunch. Actually they had to practically drag her out. Aurora was afraid Danny would wake up and her not be there, despite he was still being sedated because of the ventilator.

"Danny, you know you've got a special girl. The way she dotes on you….I haven't seen since mom doted on dad. Of course he never appreciated any of it. I thank god you appreciate her." Louie said. "I know what you were planning on doing this weekend…..when you're better and out of here, do it. First chance you get plan something nice and do it. You'll never find another one like her."

Louie took Danny's hand. "I wish mom were here to see how great you turned out. She'd be so proud of you. And she'd love Aurora. I can almost see mom smiling as you raise Aurora's veil someday."

Leo Messer walked into the room. "How is he?"

"About the same. Doctors said they'd remove the ventilator in a couple hours and stop the sedation." Louie said.

"When will Aurora be back?" Leo asked.

"Probably soon. I doubt they'll get her to stay away long. At one point I thought Donald would have to grab her hands, and Detective Taylor grab her legs and them carry her out of here." Louie said.

"Where is Aiden?" Leo asked.

"She and Don went to Aurora's apartment to get a few things for her." Louie said.

"How are you holding up?" Leo asked.

"Better now that I know Danny is going to be okay." Louie said.

"You two have gotten very close again." Leo observed.

"He's my little brother."

"And you got a sister with him." Leo said.

"I didn't mind. Aurora is like a sister to me. I'd do the same for her as I would for Danny." Louie said.

(Afternoon)

I stood outside Danny's room, while the doctors were inside removing the ventilator from Danny. If his lung was stable enough for him to breath without it, they would leave it off and remove him from the sedatives.

I took a deep breath and sat down to keep from pacing.

"Aurora, have you spoken to Papa Messer today?" Mac asked walking towards me.

"No, why?"

"Emily Rastovich just called me. Jermaine Harvey was assaulted in central lockup. Somehow the rumor got started that he was a child molester." Mac said.

"I can't say that I'm sorry. Chances are Papa Messer did have something to do with it. He probably had someone start the rumor knowing that sex offenders get beat up in the general population." I said. "Might be the only good part of having a mafia father."

"Pretty sneaky plan. Lie about someone's crimes so they get assaulted." Mac said. "Then again, mob bosses aren't dumb."

"The case all finished?" I asked.

"Yeah, we got the drug ring taken out. Narc squad is happy." Mac said. "How are you?"

"I need Danny to wake up. I need to see his eyes and hear his voice." I said. "By the way….thank you for everything. For helping me get through these past few days, for handling everything with IAB, everything."

"It was no problem." Mac said.

"Having you, Aiden, Don, Donald, Sheldon, Emily, Vicaro and Louie here has made the past few days more bearable." I said.

The doctors walked out.

"How's Danny?" I jumped up.

"He's breathing on his own. He's still wearing the heart monitor and we're giving him oxygen to help make his breathing easier." The doctor said.

"When will he wake up?" I asked.

"We've stopped administering sedatives. When they wear off and his body is ready, he'll wake up. From here on out is up to Danny." The doctor said.

I nodded. "Thank you. I'm going to be with him."

"Go ahead. I'll tell the others." Mac said.

I walked into Danny's room. He was still on his heart monitor. He had an oxygen hose in his nose. He had his IV in his right hand. But it was a relief to see no ventilator in his mouth going down his throat.

I sat down on his bed. "Please wake up soon. I know all the doctors have said you're going to be okay. But I am not going to be satisfied until you're awake."

I noticed that his lips were dry. I dug through my pockets and found my chapstick.

"Here baby, don't want your lips all dry and peeling." I said and put some on him. "It's that strawberry banana I wear. Kinda girly for you, but it'll do. Besides, you like kissing me when I wear it."

I smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "You know when this is all over and you get out of here….we need to go away on vacation or something. Just the two of us. Danny, you're going to be awhile recovering….but I am going to be there for you every step of the way."

I chuckled. "Your glasses were broke in the accident. I'll have to go to your apartment and find an old pair for you until you can get new ones. Do you even have an old pair? I'll look around your place and see."

"Don't you ever stop talking to him?" Emily asked from the doorway. She was standing there with Sheldon.

"No, if he can hear me I need him to know that I am right here and not leaving." I said. "Besides, talking to him has helped me stay sane the past couple days."

"Mac said we're now just waiting for Danny to wake up?" Sheldon said as they walked farther into the room.

"Yeah, Sheldon how long will it take those sedatives to wear off?" I asked.

"Each person is different." Sheldon said.

"Is there anything we can bring you?" Emily asked.

"No, Aiden and Don stopped at my place and got me a few things earlier. You two come together?" I asked.

"Yeah, I picked up Emily after my shift." Sheldon said.

I smiled inwardly. Sheldon with a crush was adorable. Maybe he could teach Flack a thing or two.

"See Danny, get better and we got two more to bring to 80's night." I laughed. "Maybe we can get Sheldon to wear cornrows and go as Milli Vanilli."

"No way." Sheldon laughed. "Not for a million dollars am I getting extensions and wearing cornrows."

"Sheldon, I bet you liked Milli Vanilli before the scandal. I can see you all doing that dumb dance and singing 'Blame it on the Rain'." I laughed.

"I did not……okay I had their album, but only because 'Girl I'm Gonna Miss You' was such a big hit that girls liked. You play that back then and……." Sheldon looked at Emily and trailed off.

Emily just rolled her eyes. "I still want to see this moonwalk you brag about."

(Late Night)

I looked up at the clock, it was nearly 3 AM. I'd sent everyone home earlier. I told them to go get some rest now that Danny was out of the woods and I'd call if he woke up before they came back in the morning.

"It's now February 21st. Do you know what that makes tomorrow? The anniversary of the US beating the Russians at Lake Placid. If I am ever president I am declaring it a national holiday. Oh wait, its Washington's birthday……oh well Rob McClanahan was a lot hotter than George Washington." I laughed. "Did I ever tell you I cried the first time I saw the movie 'Miracle'? I did, I cried like a baby. The guy I was dating at the time thought he would have to carry me out of the theater. But I walked out on my own; jumping up and down saying I was going to name my first son James Craig."

I stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at Staten Island. There was snow on the ground, typical of NYC in the winter. I couldn't wait for spring, for warm weather. I wondered what Danny and I would do for Easter. I wouldn't mind going to church with Mac again.

I looked down and saw an ambulance pulling into the ER below. The hospital seemed busy for a……

"Aurora? Aurora?" I heard behind me.

I turned and saw Danny moving his head and slowly open his eyes.

"Danny, I'm right here." I rushed over to his bed and grabbed his hand. "I'm right here baby."

"Rora." Danny opened his eyes and looked at me. "Thirsty."

I grabbed the pitcher of water and poured some for him into a cup. I held it up to him and helped him get the straw in his mouth.

"Drink slowly; your throat is going to be raw." I said.

Danny drank the glass empty then leaned back.

I reached over and touched his cheek. "I'm so glad you're awake." I started crying.

"What happened?" he asked. "Don't cry, I'm here."

"Someone hit you with a car trying to kill you to keep you from finding evidence at the warehouse." I explained. "We've already caught him, he's locked up."

"How long was I out?" Danny asked.

"Three days. Oh baby I was so scared." I cried. "I should get the doctor now that you're awake."

Danny squeezed my hand. "No, just sit with me a minute. Don't cry, I'm going to be okay."

"I know….just….Danny I love you. Don't ever leave me." I cried.

Danny tugged my hand and pulled me towards him. He wrapped his one good arm around me. "I'm not leaving you. Ever."


	82. One Week Later

_XX- I am so glad you're back. I miss those wonderful reviews. They are so much fun. And don't worry about Flack. I have everything with that situation planned. Just try to be patient and see how it all unfolds. Louie is turning into one of my favorite people to write. And I didn't intentionally leave out OC. Rora is such a Rammer fan, and dedicated to Craig Patrick and all. I hope you keep reviewing. I love your commentary._

_Sarramaks- Glad you're enjoying the story. I love reviews, thank you so much._

_Megs24- I enjoyed keeping everyone in suspense. I like cliffhangers._

_Meadow567- Rora couldn't handled it? Here is some fluff._

_Pnkrckprncss- There is a lot more chapters to come. Wow, everyone was crying the past few chapters._

_Tara6- The amnesia idea crossed my mind, but I decided against it. I have other plans. And sometimes Papa Messer being in the mob is a plus._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- It was a mission, not sure what kind. I was just determined to write this story._

_Snowbear96- You know men, they'll say anything._

_Emador- That dance is useful. Gotta love Lt. Dan (bad tie and all). And Danny can get the award for 'Most able to be horny and injured at the same time.' LOL you'll see what I mean._

_Miss Metal- Deep breath. Yes Danny lives._

_Ilovemygelding- Must be a baby boom. Like practically every woman I know is having a baby and your horse too. Must be in the water._

Sheldon walked in to the hospital to find Aiden, Flack and Emily sitting in the waiting room.

"Why are you all down here?" Hawkes asked.

"Rora kicked us out so she could give Danny a sponge bath." Aiden said.

Sheldon chuckled. "Nurses on the surgical recovery floor are younger than those in ICU."

"That has nothing to do with it." Emily said. "She just wants to take care of him."

"She's been doing a great job too. She has stayed by him all week. She bathes him, brings him better food than what the hospital serves, and helps him with anything he can't do one-handed. She is amazing." Flack said.

"Your dad keeps going on and on about how devoted Aurora is to Danny." Aiden said.

"She is. I gotta hand it to her. I don't know too many women that would put their whole life on hold to care for him like she has." Sheldon said.

"I am just so glad he is okay. I couldn't imagine Aurora without him." Emily said.

"I was really starting to worry about her. She loves him like……like something out of a movie." Aiden said. "I swear sometimes when I see them kissing I almost expect an orchestra to start playing in the background."

"The Homicide Detective and the CSI Detective, next week on Lifetime." Flack rolled his eyes.

"You know, it's probably a small blessing that it was Danny hurt and not Aurora. I couldn't imagine Danny's reaction to almost losing her. It was one thing when Tanglewood had her before they were officially a couple. It'd be so different now." Flack said.

"By the way, when is Rora going back to work?" Aiden asked.

"Monday. She talked to me earlier today." Flack said.

"Mac is letting Danny come back and do desk duty only until medically cleared." Aiden said.

(Surgical Recovery Floor)

Aurora giggled. "Danny quit groping me so I can finish your bath."

"But ba-by." Danny whined. "It's my leg and arm that are hurt. My dick is fine."

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Amazing, a broken arm and collarbone, a cracked leg and stitches in your abdomen and you're still horny."

"Well what do you expect? I'm laying here practically naked and you're touching me everywhere." Danny smirked.

"I'm washing you off."

"You're touching me. Touching me while wearing one of those cute tight sweaters." Danny smiled.

"Do I have to dress like a nun until you're healed?" she giggled.

"Hell no, I love looking at you." Danny said. "I think you're even prettier now than when I first met you."

"Glad to see your charm wasn't lost when you hit your head." Aurora said as she continued to wash him.

"When I am better can I sponge bath you?" Danny asked.

"Will you stop? You're only making yourself hornier." Aurora giggled.

"No I am getting motivation to get better faster." Danny winked.

Aurora smiled at him. "Baby, when you get better, we'll do anything you want."

Danny grabbed her hand. "Have I told you how much I love you? I appreciate you staying here, taking care of me, and pampering me."

"I told you before even though we're not married, we're in this for better or worse, in sickness and in health." Aurora said and kissed him.

"Now you're kissing me while I'm almost naked." Danny said.

Aurora laughed and shook her head.

(Later)

Everyone walked into Danny's room when Aurora told them she was finished bathing him.

"So Aurora won't let these hot young nurses bathe you?" Flack winked at Danny.

Danny smiled and pulled Aurora onto the bed beside him. "Maybe I can get Aiden to help Rora bath me. Emily too."

"If he gets three gorgeous women washing him, I'm going to break _my_ leg." Sheldon said.

"Hey Danny, did you know that sex can help save your life?" Flack laughed.

"Don't encourage him." Aurora groaned.

"Danny, we need to have a guy's night. So we called Louie and he is coming tonight and we're hanging out here." Sheldon said.

"And we're dragging you out of here for some fun." Aiden said to Aurora.

"But I don't want to leave Danny." She protested.

"Baby, go have fun." Danny said. "You'll be back in the morning."

"But what….I don't….."

"Aurora Dawn, go have fun." Danny smiled and kissed her.

"You're sure?" She asked.

"Yes, I got the guys." Danny said.

"And we're playing poker and drinking a few beers we're sneaking in." Flack said.

"Danny can't have that with his medication." Aurora said.

"I won't drink any. The guys can have fun. Now go on." Danny kissed her again.

"You'll call me if he needs anything?" Aurora asked Sheldon and Flack.

"Yes nurse hot body." Flack winked.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Okay, but you call me if he needs anything."

Danny pulled her to him and kissed her. "I love you. Now go."

"I love you too." She said as Aiden practically pulled her out of the room.

(Guys)

Louie and Mac had joined the guys in Danny's room. They'd got a poker game going, all of them sitting around Danny's bed.

"Where was Aiden and Emily taking Rora?" Danny asked.

"Out to dinner and shopping." Sheldon said.

"I am glad. I didn't want her just sitting here all the time." Danny said.

"That girl worships you." Louie said.

"I know how lucky I am. I'd be lost without her." Danny said. "She was the first thing on my mind when I woke from a coma."

"So when are you going to do it?" Sheldon asked.

"When I am well enough to do something special like she deserves." Danny said.

"What was it like…being in a coma?" Mac asked.

Danny shrugged. "I could hear some things, voices. And I dreamed….I dreamed a lot. I dreamed of my mom. I dreamed of Aurora…..lots about her."

"Really? Comatose wet dreams?" Flack smirked.

"No. I dreamed things like…Aurora walking along a beach……another time she was singing while cooking in the kitchen. I even dreamed she was pregnant." Danny said.

"She's not is she?" Sheldon asked.

"No, didn't you see her cramming the chocolate? And notice Aiden is moody?" Danny said.

"Those girls…..oh no. Emily is hanging out with them now and she'll get on their menstrual schedule." Sheldon groaned.

"You really like her." Flack smiled.

"Emily….yeah. We're still just friends though. But she's started calling just to talk." Sheldon said.

"Always a good sign." Louie said.

"I mean she said she just wanted to hang out with all of us and stuff. But then when Danny got hurt we were together a lot." Hawkes said.

"Just sit back and see what happens." Flack said.

"And I'll ask Rora how Emily feels because you know those girls are gonna talk to each other." Danny said.

"So Danny, how are you feeling really?" Mac asked.

"All things considered not bad." Danny said.

"Aurora can't kiss this and make it better." Louie chuckled.

"When are the doctors going to let you get out?" Mac asked.

"If everything keeps going well, next week. Of course I'll have to come back and get physical therapy when they take the cast off my arm and splint off my leg." Danny said.

"You'll be getting out about the same time as me." Louie smiled.

"You're getting out?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, they think I am well enough to live on my own as long as I still come in for therapy." Louie smiled.

"Is your new place ready?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, we took care of it." Flack said. "We all helped move boxes, carry furniture and Aiden helped get things in place."

(Girls)

"Aiden, what is going on with you and Flack?" Aurora asked as the girls walked around the mall.

"Not a damn thing." Aiden sighed.

"But I really thought you guys were getting so close. I mean when Danny got hurt you two looked like it." Aurora said.

"I don't know what is up with him." Aiden sighed.

"Maybe you should just grab him and see if he still has his tonsils." Aurora chuckled.

"So how goes things with the ME?" Aiden asked Emily.

Emily smiled. "Good I guess. We're still just friends, but….well he's everything I am looking for in a guy."

"Sheldon is a great guy." Aurora smiled.

"Yeah he is. But I still don't want to jump headfirst into a relationship. It's better to get to know the person first." Emily said.

"But what you've gotten to know so far you like." Aiden smiled.

"Yeah. He's really sweet. And he's funny." Emily said.

"And with spring coming….love always blooms in the spring." Aiden said.

Emily giggled.

"Seriously, you should've seen Danny and Rora last spring. They didn't get together until the middle of summer. But all spring you could see something was there." Aiden said.

"Hey let's stop in Victoria Secrets." Aurora said and started towards the store.

"With Danny's injuries you won't need any lingerie for awhile." Aiden said.

"But I can still shop." Aurora said. "Besides, Emily needs a few things to tease Sheldon with."

"What? Sheldon and I aren't….." Emily started.

Aurora chuckled and took her hand. "I know you two aren't rolling through the sheets, but there are other ways to tease a man and keep him thinking about you."

Aiden laughed. "It's no wonder some days Danny is fidgety."

The girls walked into the store.

"Thongs work great for me." Aurora smiled and pulled Emily towards a rack of them.

"Danny an ass man?" Aiden asked.

"No, he's a leg man. Louie is an ass man and so is Sheldon. This will work great." Aurora giggled.

"I knew getting you out of that hospital was a good idea." Aiden said.

Aurora started looking through the rack of thongs. "What I do and it works every time, even before Danny and I started dating…..wear it so that when you bend down in front of them it sticks out of your pants. Not obscene or inappropriate, just enough to tease."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "You actually do this?"

"Yeah, course I make sure I'm not showing the entire lab my thong, so I wait until Danny is alone." Aurora said.

(Guys)

"Flack, since when you do you have 'Girls Gone Wild' videos?" Danny asked as the guys sat around watching one, careful to watch the door in case a nurse came in.

"My little brother got me this as a gag gift for Christmas." Flack shrugged.

"I can't believe Mac is watching." Sheldon smiled.

Mac rolled his eyes. "Am I supposed to faint?"

"Well no…but….this isn't your kind of thing." Sheldon said.

Mac shrugged. "It's my job to know a little bit about everything."

"Only Mac would turn this into an educational experience." Danny said.

"I wish we could hit spring break." Louie said.

"I haven't been to spring break Flack said.

"Now she is too flat-chested to be in this video." Louie said.

"Yeah, that's not even a handful." Sheldon said. "What do you thank Mac?"

"That one day that girl will have kids and a life and regret doing something so stupid." Mac said.

"He's got a point. If you're in one of these videos doing that…your kids always have something to throw in your face when they get into trouble." Danny said.

"You're still able to think rationally?" Louie asked.

"For now." Danny said.


	83. Home Sweet Home

_Pnkrckprncss- It's a big debate among doctors as to how much comatose patients can hear. Here is a short but important chapter._

_Emador- Leave it to Mac. He's just so fun to write at times._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Sometimes I like to write Mac doing things with the guys that you wouldn't expect but still being all Mac-like._

_Meadow567- I dunno, I am having a hard time writing her visit._

_Snowbear96- Well Flackie is being stubborn. Here is s short chapter but its very important._

I helped Danny up the stairs of his building. He had just been released from the hospital and was going home for the first time following the accident. His left arm in a cast and fastened against his body so the collar bone could heal. His leg splinted so that the crack could heal. He had to move slowly because of the incisions in his abdomen.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah, just taking it slow. I'll be okay." Danny said.

"Alright, just a few more steps." I told him.

I unlocked the door to Danny's apartment and opened the door.

"Welcome home!" Flack yelled.

Everyone was waiting inside to greet Danny as he came home from the hospital. I smiled and helped Danny into his apartment.

"Who planned this?" Danny asked as I helped him to the shower.

"I did." Aiden smiled. "There are snacks in the kitchen, beer in the fridge and Emily brought a cake."

"You guys didn't have to do this." Danny said.

"Oh it was just a chance to let you know how happy we are that you're home." Donald said.

Danny smiled and settled on the couch. "Then grab me a beer."

I laughed and carried Danny's bags to his room.

"So what is the plan now that you're home?" Louie asked.

"Rora is going to stay nights with me. Donald is going to stay with me during the day and when Rora has to work late. That's just until I can go back to work and do desk duty for awhile." Danny said.

"What'd the doctors say?" Sheldon asked.

"That everything is healing nicely." Danny said.

"I bet you're glad to be home." Emily said.

"Yeah, it's nice to be among my own things." Danny smiled. "Of course Rora will still help me bathe."

"I can't wait for the first night I have to work late and Donald helps you bathe." I said.

Danny made a face. "I'll just wait for you to get home."

Donald laughed. "It's okay. I used to bath Donnie when he was little. Did I ever tell you about the Donnie tried to bath a frog he caught outside?"

"Dad!" Don groaned.

"I wanna hear." Aiden said.

"Donnie was about 4 years old, it was summertime and he had caught a frog in the yard. Well his mom didn't know he brought it in the house. She walks into the bathroom and Donnie has the frog in the toilet; says he's giving it a bath." Donald said.

I cracked up. "That's almost as funny as little naked Danny in the font."

"We have to find someone who can tell us embarrassing stories about Aurora." Flack said.

"It's not so bad that you were playing with a frog. Every little boy does that." I said.

"Then there was the time Danny asked me how to kiss a girl." Louie said.

"Shut up Louie." Danny glared at his brother.

"I want to hear this. How old was he?" I asked.

"He was 12, and his 6th grade class was having an end of the year dance before moving up to the junior high." Louie said. "This little girl in his class asked Danny to be her date."

"Aww this is so cute." I giggled.

"Well Danny comes to me a few days before the dance and asks me how to kiss a girl. Since he was only 12 I told him to go with a quick peck on the lips and make sure not to be so nervous he misses. I walk into the bathroom and find that he's taken a marker and drawn a bull's-eye on the mirror and is practicing kissing on target." Louie laughed.

"Hey I was twelve. And she was the most developed girl in the 6th grade." Danny said.

I laughed and kissed Danny's cheek. "I bet you were so cute."

"What happened the night of the dance?" Emily asked.

"Half a bottle of my cologne turns up missing and you could smell Danny a mile away." Louie laughed.

"Did you kiss her?" Sheldon asked.

"No, I walked her home and stood on her front porch working up my nerve and her dad walked outside and offered me a ride home." Danny said.

"That is so cute." Aiden said.

"So Emily, what happened with the Harvey case?" Danny asked.

"Jerome is giving up names of his contacts to the DEA that has taken over the case. Jermaine has been put in solitary in jail because he kept getting assaulted." Emily said.

"I'm glad the case was solved." Danny said.

"So am I. And I made sure all the forensic evidence was triple checked so that no attorneys could say the lab made a mistake." Mac said.

(Later)

"We'll see you tomorrow at work?" Aiden said.

"I'll be there." I smiled.

Aiden and Flack were leaving taking Louie to his new apartment a few blocks away.

"You make Danny behave." Louie said.

"Yeah because I can work magic." I laughed.

"Stay out of trouble Danny." Louie called to his brother as they walked out.

"We're headed out too." Sheldon said helping Emily with her coat.

"Wow, everyone is leaving at once." I said.

"Danny needs to rest. You guys should have some time alone." Emily said.

"Guess I'll see you at work tomorrow then too." I said.

"Take care Danny." Sheldon called as they walked out.

Mac walked up to me. "Rora, can I see you for a few minutes?"

"Sure, something wrong?" I asked.

"Walk me out." Mac said.

I nodded and followed him out of the apartment.

"You've seen on the news that Jack Adams is being executed in 5 days." Mac said.

"Yeah, it's all over the news. Protest groups are already outside the prison." I said.

"Aurora, I'm asking for your help because I know this is the kind of case you'll want to help in and I can trust you." Mac said.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Jack Adams is out of appeals, the death warrant has been signed by the governor…but something about that case isn't setting well with me." Mac said.

"They said on the news that he murdered his sister in 1988. He stabbed her because he was angry at their mother." I said.

"These protest groups are saying that Adams was railroaded and that there isn't enough evidence to convict let alone execute. I've looked at a few files from the case to settle my own curiosity. This case isn't adding up. I think more needs to be investigated before he's executed." Mac said. "Would you help me? I know that you're a big believer in making sure all evidence is reliable before executing anyone."

"Yeah, anything you need. I'll meet you in the morning and we'll start." I said.

"We'll need to work fast. He'll be moved to death watch day after tomorrow." Mac said.

"We'll find out the truth. Mac I know your instinct. If you think there is something, I'll help you look." I said.

Mac gave a small smile. "Thanks."

I watched Mac leave and then hurried back to Danny's apartment. Danny was relaxing against the back of the couch.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I am just so glad to be home." Danny smiled. "Come here. I've wanted to hold you without nurses interrupting and not being cramped in that small hospital bed."

I snuggled up in his arms on the couch.

(Night)

"You have your cane next to the bed in case you need to get up during the night?" I asked Danny as I helped him into bed.

"Yeah, you sleep on my good side so I can hold you?" Danny asked.

"Of course." I pulled the covers up to his waist.

"You have no idea how much I missed being near you to sleep." Danny said.

I smiled. "Do you mind if I bring Rammer here? He's been alone more than usual lately because I was staying at the hospital and I'll be here so much."

"Bring the little guy." Danny smiled.

I climbed into bed beside Danny and turned out the light. I snuggled up against his good side.

"You tired?" I asked.

"Yeah, been a long time since I could sleep in my own bed." Danny yawned.

I leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said. "And don't think I've forgotten that I owe you one for you blowing me in the supply closet."

"That can wait until you're healed." I said.

Danny kissed my forehead.

"Goodnight baby." I yawned.

"Buona notte." Danny said.


	84. Death Watch

_Ilovemygelding- Wow, still waiting? And Miracle is one of my favorite movies. And I am a huge hockey fan. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Good luck on your exams. I hope they go well._

_Trizzy- Well maybe you can read this one at work. And wow, you took moving the pet in more seriously than even me. LOL And no shaking my muses._

_BridgetLynn- Yay, you're back. I was wondering where you went. You're like the first person that said Danny should propose way back when. If he ever does, you'll faint, LOL. _

_Meadow567- I'll get it done, its just I know what I want to happen but don't want people getting mad._

_Jordayna- Well you get to see it here. And Danny couldn't forget Rora. If he forgot everything else, he'd remember her._

_Tara6- Well here is that case. I hope you like it. I updated twice in one day yesterday. _

_Snowbear96- Yeah and here is said case._

_Dybdahl- I swear I could just see little Don and Little Danny doing those things._

_Miss Metal- I hope you enjoy this chapter as well._

_Emador- Then stand back before we get something on us. Hope you enjoy this chappie. Glass in his office……_

_**Author's Note-** 'Death Watch' is when a prisoner is three days from execution they move him to a cell all alone, close to the death chamber and under 24 hour watch so they do not commit suicide. They spend their last 3 days there and are executed. _

Mac and I sat in his office going over the Jack Adams case files. We had been studying them for the past hour. The more I looked at the case, the more I had to agree with Mac that something wasn't right.

"There is no forensic evidence here." I said.

"It's before I came to New York and became lab supervisor. And in the late 80's we still didn't have all the capabilities we do today." Mac said.

"Look at these autopsy pictures, this woman has bite marks on her left breast, but no one ever took molds of Adams' teeth to compare." I said.

Mac looked at the picture. "When Adams confessed, no further investigating was done."

"But he recanted his confession saying the police tricked him into confessing." I said. "And have you read his confession; it doesn't match the crime scene at all."

"A jury found him guilty based on that confession and nothing else." Mac said.

"Juries can be wrong. And some of the people they let on juries shouldn't be allowed to decide Coke or Pepsi, let alone guilty or innocent. Remember the juror with pink hair in the Peterson case?" I said.

"There are inconsistencies in this confession." Mac said.

"Who were the officers that interrogated him?" I asked. "Who took his confession?"

"Detective Geho and Officer Joey Yost." Mac said.

"I don't trust those two. They want collars and will do anything to get them." I said.

"They've both been reprimanded several times." Mac said.

"Whoa look at this. The defense had Adams psychiatrically evaluated. He only has an IQ of 62. He wouldn't understand his rights, or what confessing meant." I said.

Mac frowned.

"I thought there were laws against executing the mentally handicapped?" I asked.

"It's very difficult to get an execution called off because of one's IQ, despite the law." Mac said.

"I'll call Roselyn Carter herself if I have to; she's a leading advocate against execution period especially that of the mentally handicapped." I said.

"Just because Adams is mentally slow doesn't mean he isn't capable of murder." Mac said.

"Oh come on Mac, the guy is Forrest Gump. All he needs is Lt. Dan." I said.

"Who?" Mac asked.

"Never mind. My point is I don't think he's mentally capable of planning and carrying out a murder. The knife used to stab the victim was never found. Someone with an IQ of 62 is not smart enough to hide the weapon that well." I said.

"I'll call and set up an interview with Adams. Maybe we can get him to volunteer to let us take a cast mold of his teeth to compare to the bite marks on the pictures." Mac said.

"I'll look into Geho and Yost's files and see how many red flags I get." I said.

"We gotta move fast Aurora. We'll need evidence to present to the governor to get a stay of execution." Mac said.

(Station)

"Hey Mac. I've looked at the files of Geho and Yost from the past ten years." I said. "They've had 12 cases where confessions they took were thrown out of court."

"That's a high number." Mac frowned.

"How are these two still cops?" I asked.

Mac sighed. "Hard to say. You know how politics within the NYPD work."

"Where is the Dove commission when you need them?" I sighed.

"We've got another problem." Mac said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"When I called to get an interview with Jack Adams, the DA wouldn't allow it." Mac said.

"Why the hell not?" I asked.

"He says that the case is closed and that Adams is being executed in a few days and he's not leaving any room for the execution to be stopped." Mac said.

"Worried about elections coming up. Doesn't care at all about justice." I gritted out.

"I'll talk to Geho and Yost and see what I can find out. I'll also get the tapes from that interrogation and give them a listen." Mac said.

"I have somewhere to be." I said.

"Aurora." Mac warned.

"Mac, the state of New York is about to execute an innocent man." I said.

Mac looked at me. "Do what you feel you need to."

I left Mac and went immediately and grabbed my jacket.

"Where you going?" Flack asked.

"Chew someone a new asshole." I said. "Hold down the fort."

I walked out of the station and hopped into one of the cars. I headed straight for the DA offices. I could feel my temper getting hotter as I drove. I loved my job, but politics made me crazy.

I stormed into the offices and found the office of who I was looking for.

"Do you have an appointment?" his secretary asked.

"Don't want one." I brushed past her and straight into the DA's office.

"Excuse me…..ah yes Detective Denton." The DA sighed.

"Detective Mac Taylor and I want to interview Jack Adams, you're preventing that." I gritted out.

"Jack Adams is going to be executed in fours days. His appeals are exhausted. There is no need to waste time and effort." The DA said.

"Bullshit. There is a lot of doubt in my mind as to the guilt of Jack Adams. We just want a chance to make sure the right man is being executed." I snapped.

"He was found guilty. He confessed." DA said.

"And 12 other confessions taken by the officers over this case have been thrown out." I yelled.

"There is no reason to think…."

"Jack Adams is mentally handicapped. He could not have planned and carried out this murder. Furthermore, the case was not fully investigated as it should've been. And with the questions involving the arresting officers I'd say there are more than enough reasons to let us investigate. Don't you want to execute the right person?" I yelled.

"The right person is already on death row. He will be executed in a few days, giving the people of New York City the justice they want for the victim." DA said.

"You mean you don't want to admit that you might've prosecuted the wrong man. And with elections coming up you can't risk anything going wrong on a high profile case like this." I sneered.

"Detective Denton….."

"Either you let Detective Taylor and I interview Jack Adams and see what we can find out about this case; or I am going to call those anti-death penalty protesters and tell them you won't allow us to investigate the possibility of Adams' innocence. I'll have them marching in front of your office and on your head!" I snapped. "And then I'll go to the media. I'll tell them there is reason to believe new evidence is available but you're willing to execute an innocent man. And not just the local media…I'll call CNN. I'll talk to Anderson Cooper if I have to. I'll make this a nationwide story and bring all kinds attention to it."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" DA asked.

"I'm just telling you the truth. Either we get an interview, or you do…with Larry King." I narrowed my eyes.

"I'd listen to her. She means every word she's saying." I heard Mac behind me.

"Mac? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to talk to the DA in person. Thought maybe I could get him to change his mind." Mac walked in.

The DA looked at us. "One interview."

"Make the arrangements." Mac said.

I glared at the DA one last time and followed Mac out of the office. We needed to get to the prison and interview Adams.

"I'll drive." Mac said.

I nodded and climbed into the car he had brought with him and settled in the passenger seat. He started the ignition and pulled us out into traffic.

"Are you fighting so hard because of your brother?" Mac asked.

"No, I'm fighting so hard because too many times cops see someone who is slow and take advantage. They intimidate and scare them into confessing just so they can close a case. They don't inform them of their rights, they just get them to confess." I sighed.

"You think that's what happened here?" Mac asked.

"I do. Mac I grew up with an older brother who was mentally handicapped…they're not vengeful people." I said. "Yeah, he had emotional ups and downs because of his handicap. He took violent spurts and acted out, but he never hurt anybody."

"You fight harder than anyone I have ever seen." Mac said. "Would you really have called CNN?"

"Damn right I would've." I said.

(Prison)

Mac and I sat in the interview room on death row waiting for Jack Adams to be brought in. Mac had brought his kit with him.

"Are you okay?" Mac whispered.

"I've never looked at a man who knew he was about to die before." I said.

"Just try not to think about that and concentrate on the interview." Mac said.

I nodded as Adams was brought into the room. He was in prison orange; he was wearing ankle shackles and handcuffs. The guards placed him in a seat across from Mac and me.

"Mr. Adams, I'm Detective Mac Taylor of the NYPD crime lab. This is Detective Aurora Denton from the NYPD Homicide unit." Mac said. "We'd like to talk to you."

Adams nodded. "What about?"

"Your case." I said.

"I didn't murder my sister but no one will listen to me." He said.

"We'll listen." I said.

"Why did you confess if you didn't kill her?" Mac asked.

"They told me I could go home if I said I killed her. I just wanted to go home." Adams said.

"Who said that?" I asked.

"Those cops. The ones that kept yelling at me." Adams said.

"Were you told you could have an attorney with you? Did they let you call anyone?" I asked.

"No, I kept asking for my dad." Adams said.

"Were you angry at your sister?" Mac asked.

"Yes, but I didn't kill her. We'd had a fight earlier that day, but I didn't kill her." Adams said.

"How did you know what to write in your confession?" Mac asked.

"They told me." Adams said.

Mac and I looked at each other. Understanding clicking in.

"Mr. Adams, would you consent for us to make a mold of your teeth?" Mac asked.

"For what?" he asked.

"Your sister had a bite mark on her. We want to compare your teeth to that bite mark." Mac said.

"Will it hurt?" Adams asked.

"Not at all." I smiled and tried to calm his fears. "Detective Taylor will just mix some mushy stuff up and put it in your mouth for a few seconds."

"Okay." Adams said.

Mac took his kit and began mixing the stuff to make a mold of Jack's teeth. I watched, hoping we were able to find something. I was more convinced than ever that Adams was innocent and had been intimidated into confessing.

Mac took the mold and locked up his kit.

"Thank you Mr. Adams. We appreciate your time." Mac said.

"Can you help me?" Jack asked.

My heart broke. "We're going to try, but we can't promise anything." I said.

"It's okay. I know they're gonna kill me." Adams said.

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Thanks again." I said and followed Mac out of the interview room.

I followed Mac out of the prison building and once outside took long gulps of air. Mac patted my shoulder.

"It'll be okay." Mac said.

"Not unless we can save him. Mac he's innocent." I said.

"I know that. Now we have to prove it and get the governor to grant a stay of execution." Mac said.

"Geho and Yost scared him and then promised he could go home if he confessed." I gritted.

"Don't approach them. There is a procedure to follow." Mac said.

I frowned but nodded.

"When we get back to the lab. I'll make the mold of his teeth and compare that to the pictures." Mac said. "You go over the case and look for any witnesses that we can interview."

I nodded. "Let's go. Every second counts."

(Station)

I was reading over the files for the Adams case when my cell phone rang.

"Denton."

"Aurora, how is finding witnesses coming?" Mac asked.

"Not good. Both of Jack's parents have died while he's been in prison. There are some character witnesses I could try." I sighed.

"I think I got enough to buy us some time." Mac said.

"The bite mark?" I asked.

"It's not from Jack Adams. His teeth do not match the bite on his sister." Mac said.

"That should buy us some time." I said.

"The defense counsel is taking it to the governor now." Mac said.

"That's good." I said. "Since that is done, I'm heading out. It's getting late and this has been Danny's first day home."

"Okay. Tell Danny I said hi. And I'll see you in the morning to see what else we can find on this case." Mac said.

"You got it." I said and hung up.

(Brooklyn)

"Hey baby, that was a fabulous meal." Danny said.

"I'll get the dishes. You can relax." I smiled.

"You know me and Rammer are bonding. He laid with me all day." Danny said as he made his way to the couch.

"He's very affectionate." I smiled.

"You want to watch a movie?" Danny asked.

"Sure, how about that one Liam Neeson as a comic book hero." I said.

"I knew you were gonna suggest one of those actors you fawn over." Danny chuckled.

My cell phone rang. I wiped my hands on a towel and picked it up.

"Denton."

"Aurora, the governor refused to sign a stay of execution." Mac said.

"What? How? The bite mark did not come from Jack Adams." I said.

"The DA argued that the bite mark did not necessarily come from the person who killed the victim; that it could've been from a sex act with another person. The governor agreed and said that the execution will be as scheduled." Mac said.

"But that is reasonable doubt. It's enough that they should at least let us investigate further. If we find he did it, which he didn't, then they could always reschedule." I said.

"The governor is not budging. He says that without more evidence he cannot in good conscience grant a stay of execution." Mac sighed.

"Mac, we're running out of time. Adams will be moved to death watch at midnight." I said.

**To Be Continued…….**


	85. Death Watch 2

_Trizzy- Sorry, but I will be out of town over the weekend. I am throwing a shower for my best friend who is getting married. But I'll post tomorrow before I leave._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I based this case on one I was familiar with out of Oklahoma._

_LizfromItaly- The Donald stories crack me up. I think I write them so well because I love them so much._

_BridgetLynn- Never saw Oz. Wasn't Christopher Meloni on that show?_

_Megs24- I just had to throw a little Lt. Dan in there. LOL _

_Emador- Are you still all fired up? And that glass is never far from my mind….poor kids, if they only knew. And I can't believe you of all people missed the Lt. Dan joke._

_Meadow567- I never saw either one. I based this on a true case from Oklahoma._

_Jordayna- I giggled writing. It was one of those, I have to make a pun moments._

_Tara6- I love writing Mac and Rora working together. And I love writing Aurora ranting._

_Snowbear96- I just see Danny as the type that would be sweet to a kitty and make it his buddy, especially if the kitty belonged to his girlfriend._

_Miss Metal- They're coming to take you away, ha ha. LOL_

I hurried into the lab. I had agreed to come right back and keep working the case with Mac. I had called Donald to come back and stay with Danny and hurried to the lab. Mac and I knew we were racing against time.

"Mac, what did you find on the interrogation tapes?" I hurried into his office.

"These are disturbing. I don't know how Geho and Yost ever got away with this method of interrogation." Mac said.

"That bad?" I asked.

"Adams is scared to death. He is crying and asking for his dad. And Adams was telling the truth. They did keep telling him that if he confessed he could go home. Bastards even offer to call his dad to come get him." Mac frowned.

"Son of a bitch. Where the hell was their captain when all this was going on?" I asked.

"I don't know but I intend to find out. I am taking these tapes before IAB. I am also playing them for a psychologist to get a profile of what Adams would've been going through and so it can be documented that the confession was coerced and false." Mac said. "That, along with the bite mark evidence might be enough to get a stay of execution."

"What if its not?" I asked.

"Aurora…."

"I am not giving up on this case!" I said.

"We'll do everything we can." Mac said.

Flack walked in.

"Don, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I was with my dad when you called him. When you said the Adams case something clicked." Flack said. "I came here and grabbed a file for you to look over."

"What is it?" Mac asked.

"A few years ago I arrested a man named Terrence Lyons for murdering his girlfriend. I remember when he confessed to killing his girlfriend; he also confessed that as a teenager he had killed a woman who lived in his building. He said he stabbed her. He didn't know her name so we didn't have much to investigate on." Flack said.

"And you think he killed Adams' sister?" I asked.

"I checked his address from 1988 and he lived in her building at the time of the murder." Flack said.

"Aurora, find Terrence Lyons and interview him. See what he can tell you. Maybe his confession will match the crime scene better than Jack's." Mac said.

"He's still in prison." Flack said.

"I'll call and make an appointment to see him first thing in the morning." I said.

"Meanwhile, I am getting that psychologist down here tonight to analyze these tapes and get a report done." Mac said.

(3AM)

"Mac, what did the psychologist come up with?" I asked.

Mac handed me the psychologist's report. "I am taking that to the defense counsel now."

"It says that Adams would've been under tremendous stress and most likely in fear for his well being." I read.

"They were brutal during that interrogation." Mac sighed.

"It says he wouldn't have been able to make an informed decision even if he was given the proper information." I read. "Basically this rules out the entire confession."

"Right, that in itself should be grounds for a retrial. I am just hoping at this late date the governor is willing to listen." Mac said.

"He better. I have no qualms about driving to Albany to choke someone." I said.

Mac gave a small smile. "I am so glad we're on the same side."

"When are you taking this to IAB?" I asked.

"As soon as possible." Mac said. "I am suggesting they open a full investigation into every confession Geho and Yost ever took."

I frowned. "I hate dirty cops."

Mac looked at me. "How you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Angry, nervous, anxious, but I'm okay." I said. "You know I just can't get used to being in the lab without Danny."

Mac smiled. "He should be able to return to at least desk duty soon."

"My appointment with Terrence Lyons is at 8AM. Hopefully we'll get some answers. The problem is, I have nothing to offer him. The DA certainly isn't going to make a deal." I said.

"If he confessed once, maybe he is looking to clear his conscious." Mac said.

"I hope so. I want to clear Jack Adams." I sighed.

(Prison)

I sat alone in the prison interview room, waiting for Terrence Lyons to be brought in. I took a deep breath hoping that I could find the words to say to draw a confession from Terrence. I set up a tape recorder so that if he confessed it would be on tape.

Lyons was brought in. He was cuffed and in his prison issued clothes.

"Mr. Lyons, I'm Detective Aurora Denton. A few years ago when you were arrested for killing your girlfriend, my partner Detective Don Flack was the arresting officer." I said.

"Yeah, what's that have to do with me?" Lyons asked.

"While you were in his custody, you confessed to murdering a woman as a teenager that lived in the same building as you." I said.

"I did." Lyons said.

"Would you tell me about that? Are you willing to talk about it?" I asked straight up.

"Can I be charged with that murder?" Lyons asked.

"Yes, I'm not going to lie. But you confessed once when no one would listen. I'm willing to listen now. Something made you want to tell." I said.

Lyons looked at me. "Why are you suddenly willing to listen to me?"

"Someone else is about to be executed for that murder. I am trying to help him." I said.

"Are you married detective?" Lyons asked suddenly.

I was startled by the change in topic. "No, I'm not."

"You have someone special in your life?" he asked.

"What's with the personal questions?" I asked.

"I'm just curious as to who I am dealing with. How well you will understand me if I tell you everything." Lyons said.

"I'm not here to judge. I just want a few answers." I said.

"So do you have someone special?" Lyons asked.

"Yes, very special. I couldn't live without him." I said.

"And if he cheated on you?" Lyons asked.

"He wouldn't. He's one man even Angelina Jolie couldn't steal." I said.

Lyons smirked. "He must really love you."

"Where is all this going?" I asked.

"I felt that way about my girlfriend…..but she didn't return the sentiment. I found her with someone else. I killed her later that night. If I couldn't have her, no one else could." Lyons said. "And it was so easy to kill her because I had killed before."

"Killed Renee Adams?" I asked.

"Was that her name? I didn't know her. She lived a few floors below me." Lyons said.

"Why'd you kill her?" I asked.

"I had a petty drug habit. I needed money. I saw her in the laundry room in the basement of our building. I followed her to her apartment." Lyons said.

"You were hoping to rob her?" I asked.

"Yeah, I knocked on the door and made some excuse about needing kitchen pan. She let me in her apartment and went to retrieve it." He said.

That explained why there was no forced entry. "Then what?"

"While she was in the kitchen I started going through her purse. She caught me. She went back into the kitchen to call the cops. I panicked. I followed her into the kitchen; there was a knife on the sink. I grabbed it and stabbed her." Lyons said.

"How many times?" I asked.

"Five……and lot in the haze of stabbing her, I bit her." Lyons said.

The bite mark had not been released to the public. I knew Lyons was telling the truth and was the killer. "What'd you do then?"

"I ran out of her apartment and upstairs to mine. I showered and threw my bloody and the knife in a bag. A few nights later I burned the entire bag in an old dump behind our building." Lyons said.

"Describe her apartment." I said.

"Why?"

"I want you to tell me everything you remember to help verify your story." I said.

"She had this green blanket on the back of her couch. And on her living room floor, there was a laundry basket. She had magnets on her fridge….and mail on the counter." Lyons said.

He had perfectly described the crime scene. Details that Jack Adams had not been able to give.

"Would you allow a CSI Detective to take a mold of your teeth to compare to the bite mark on the victim?" I asked.

"Why not? They're never letting me out of here anyway." Lyons said.

"Thank you, I'll call the lab." I said.

"Detective…..I think…..well the reason I want to tell everything is because inside I'm a serial killer. I just got caught before I could kill a lot of people." Lyons said.

I nodded. "If you realize that, you know you're better in here where you can't harm anyone." I stood up. "Thank you for your time and help with this case. A CSI will be here soon."

(Law Offices)

I was sat with Mac outside the office of the defense attorney. He'd been on the phone for the past hour with the governor. Mac and I had given him Lyon's confession, the psychologist report on the coerced confession from Adams, and Mac's findings that Lyon's teeth did match the bite mark on the victim.

"Do you think it's enough?" I asked.

"If not, I am going on the news like you threatened to do." Mac said. "That is overwhelming evidence."

"How did it go with IAB?" I asked.

"Geho and Yost are both on suspension pending a full investigation." Mac said.

"Good. And I hope they are both fired and lose their pensions." I said.

"This one case has a lot of repercussions." Mac said.

"This case is an example of handicapped people's rights being violated." I said.

"No matter what happens with the governor….I want you to know that you fought hard for Jack Adams. You did what no one else was willing to do. I'm proud of you." Mac said.

I looked at Mac. "You're not one to give out compliments like that."

"This wonderful person I know is always saying to tell people how you feel because you never know what might happen." Mac smiled.

"Thank you Mac." I smiled and reached for his hand.

The defense attorney walked out of his office. Mac and I both stood up.

"Based on the new evidence the governor is issuing a stay of execution. A hearing will be held later this week." He said.

I was limp with relief. "Oh thank god."

"I've already called Jack Adams and given him the news. He's been moved from death watch." Defense attorney said. "Thank you, none of this would've happened without your help."

"It's our job." Mac said.

I turned and walked with Mac out of the building.

"Where are you headed from here?" Mac asked.

"Back to the station. I owe Flack a kiss for helping break the case. And then home to Danny." I smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mac said.


	86. Loose Ends

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Maybe internet movie database. I am not sure otherwise. And yes it's very sad that such cases happen._

_Snowbear96- Thanks, this is some fluff and conclusions._

_Trizzy- Don't cry. Jack is safe, they saved him. Mac and Rora are tough to beat. And get Flack involved…LOL._

_Meadow567- Yeah, this was one of those plots that gave me a chance to grandstand._

_Jordayna- Flack is like superman. Only he doesn't go into a phone booth to change clothes because if he did women all over NYC would faint._

_Sarramaks- Well here is some more, its some fluff that is needed every now and then._

_Tara6- Nothing like being a corpse with Hawkes poking at you to see what happened, and then Mac, Rora, Aiden etc standing over you as well. _

_Miss Metal- Aurora has kissed him before and she kisses Mac so it wouldn't be a big deal._

_Emador- We all wanna hug Jack…and then we want him to find his own Lt. Dan friend, LOL. And I am glad you liked the Mac and Rora stuff. I try to write them as close._

Aurora helped Danny walk into the lab. He had just been to the doctor's office to get the sutures in his abdomen removed. He'd been cleared to return to desk duty the following week and just wanted to spend some time at the lab.

"You're getting around better." Aiden said as they walked in.

"Doc says I'm healing well. Another couple weeks I can stop wearing the splint and get my cast off. Ribs are healed too." Danny said.

"That's good news. Aurora's TLC must be helping you." Aiden smiled.

"Between you two ladies I've had two hott nurses." Danny smirked.

Danny sat at his desk. Mac walked in.

"Hey Danny, it's nice to have you back here." Mac said.

"Well I can only take so much of reruns and cop shows." Danny said.

"We all have to go out soon. Sheldon wants to take Emily out with us so bad he's been spouting ideas for a week." Aiden said.

Mac hid a smile and busied himself with some files.

"Sounds good to me. Now that I can get around better I am all for getting out of my apartment." Danny said.

"You good here for awhile?" Aurora asked. "There is somewhere I need to be."

"Yeah baby, I want to hang around for awhile, catch up on cases and stuff." Danny said.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few hours." Aurora said and kissed Danny. "I love you."

"Love you too." Danny smiled and watched her walk out.

"Where is she going?" Aiden asked.

"Jack Adams is being released from prison today. He has been pardoned by the governor with apologies." Mac said.

(Prison Gates)

Aurora was waiting outside the prison when Jack Adams walked out. He was alone, having no family left to take care of him. Aurora smiled as he walked out of the gate. He recognized her and walked over to where she was leaning on an SUV.

"You're that detective lady….the one who helped save my life." Jack said.

"It's good to see you again." Aurora smiled.

"Thank you….I was ready to die, but you saved me. You and that man." Jack said.

"Detective Taylor and I are both thrilled that you are okay and have a life ahead of you." She said.

"You're a nice lady." Jack smiled.

"Hop in." Aurora jerked her head towards the SUV.

"Where are we going? I need to find a place to stay." Adams said.

"Just hop in." Aurora smiled. "I'll let you play with the radio."

(Break Room, Lab)

Danny was sitting in the break room when Flack walked in.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" Flack asked.

"Just wanted to stop in after my trip to see Doc and hang out." Danny shrugged.

"Get those stitches out?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, doc said the scar would lighten over time." Danny said.

"Sounds like you're really coming along." Flack smiled.

Danny nodded. "Yeah and I can't wait until I am back at 100 percent."

"You okay?" Flack asked.

"The doctor says everything is healing good and I'm feeling a lot better. But you know Rora…..until I am given a clean bill of health, I ain't getting any." Danny sighed.

"And you're horny." Flack laughed.

"It's more than that. God Flack, I love her and I want to be intimate with her again. And it's so hard not…..I mean she sleeps snuggled against me. And she's at my apartment so much that things are starting to smell like her." Danny said.

"Come on, you've been badly injured." Flack said.

"I know and I didn't want to tear my stitches out or anything, but Flack….it's not easy. I really want her." Danny said.

"But with your leg in a splint and your arm in a cast that is strapped to you, what could you do?" Flack asked.

"Aurora could get on top." Mac said from the doorway.

Flack choked on his drink. "Did Mac Taylor actually just say THAT?"

"Mac?" Danny was shocked.

Mac rolled his eyes. "I was married you know."

"But, for you to say something like THAT?" Flack was still in shock.

"Just thought I'd make a helpful suggestion." Mac shrugged. "Not like I went into any great detail."

Mac got his coffee and went back to his office.

"He had a point. If Rora was on top, you wouldn't hurt yourself or anything." Flack said.

Danny thought a moment. "By the way, I need your help with something."

"I knew I was gonna get dragged into this." Flack sighed.

(Sunshine Home)

Aurora pulled up in front of the group home. It was a place like where her brother stayed.

"Why are we here?" Jack asked.

"I've arranged for you to live here. You'll have your own room and make friends. There are activities and things to do." She smiled.

"But…"

"I know you didn't have a place to go. And here you can be around people and be cared for." Aurora said. "My brother lives in a place like this in PA."

"Does he like it?"

"He does. He's very happy there." She smiled.

Jack smiled. "I can move in here today?"

"They have your room ready." Aurora smiled.

Jack smiled. "Thank you….I wasn't sure what to do."

Aurora pulled a card from her pocket. "This is the card for an attorney; he's one of the best in the state. He's going to call you."

"What for?" Jack asked.

"The state of New York owes you a lot." She said. "He'll help you get it."

"Thank you…I'll never forget you." Jack said.

"Of course you won't. I'm gonna visit you and see how great you're doing." Aurora said.

"I guess I should go in." Jack said.

"They're expecting you." Aurora said. "I'll go in with you. Help you get settled into your new room and we'll go meet some people."

(Night, Brooklyn)

Aurora turned out the lights and crawled into bed beside Danny.

"So did Jack get settled into the home?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine." She said.

"You've got a good heart, you know that." Danny leaned over and kissed her.

"I just wanted to help him." She said.

"More than that. Look at how you've been here helping me. I love you so much." Danny kissed her again, longer this time. "You're so beautiful."

Aurora pulled back and looked at Danny. "Baby, your injuries."

Danny shifted so he could pull her closer. "Aurora…..I just want to touch you."

Danny leaned in and kissed her. He slid his good arm down her side and under her nightgown.

"Danny…..you still have a splint and….oh god….." she trailed off as Danny slipped his hand under her panties.

"Rory….so beautiful like this." Danny whispered in her ear. "Eyes closed, moaning and panting."

Aurora moaned and arched into his touch. "Don't….hurt you."

"You won't." Danny said.

Danny kissed her again, then using his good arm, pulled her on top of him. "Ride me, I won't break."

(Later)

Aurora snuggled up against Danny. "That was great."

"I really missed that." Danny winked at her.

"Me too." She kissed his shoulder.

"And don't think I've forgotten about what you did to me in the supply closet. I'm going back to work and payback can be a bitch." Danny chuckled.

"I'm looking forward to it." She smiled.

"I love you so much." Danny said and ran a hand through her hair. "Not being able to make love was killing me."

"It wasn't easy on me either but I was so afraid of hurting you..."

"Well I just think you proved I can take it….."

"And beg for more." Aurora giggled.

Danny kissed her again.

"I'm hungry." Aurora said. "We worked up an appetite."

"It's like 1AM." Danny said. "Then again Flack says you can get anything at any hour in this city."

"So what do you want to call out for?" Aurora asked, sitting up and looking around for her nightgown.

"What do you have a jonesing for?' Danny asked.

Aurora giggled. "You've got enough take out menus here to paper the walls. I'm sure we'll find something we like."

She grabbed her nightgown off the floor and pulled it over her head.

"Do you need help?" she asked Danny who was slowly getting out of bed.

"No I am good." Danny said, pulling on a pair of sweatpants.

"Your cane is next to the bed." Aurora said.

Danny reached for it and made his way around the bed and walked with Aurora out into the kitchen. Danny sat on one of the kitchen stools while Rora pulled a stack of menus from a drawer.

"Okay baby, what are you hungry for?" she asked handing him a bunch of them.

"You, but you're already here." Danny smirked.

"I am talking about take-out." She rolled her eyes.

"The sandwich shop around the corner isn't bad." Danny said.


	87. Pizza Parlor

_Trizzy- Shame on your boss. I am glad you liked the chappie._

_Meadow567- Wow what? And I am making slow progress on Chev and Rizzo._

_Emador- Gotta love Mac. And I am sure he said that all with a serious face! _

_Miss Metal- Well he was injured. And what is KUTGW? _

_Sarramaks- Here is more. I hope it was soon enough._

_**A/N- **Special thanks to Emador for jumping in with this chappie while I was out of town._

One evening, the group was hanging out at a pizza parlor to unwind after a long day of work. Actually Sheldon had gotten everyone together as a reason to invite Emily to a group activity.

"So Danny, how does it feel to be back at work now?" asked Aiden.

"A lot better than being confined to sitting down all the time at home." replied Danny.

"Sheldon, I thought you said Emily was coming," said Aurora.

"She is," replied Sheldon. "She had to testify in court today against Jerome Harvey, and wanted to get a few things done after that, but she'll be here."

Just then, Emily walked in. She smiled when she spotted the group and made her way over, sitting next to Sheldon. Sheldon smiled and put his arm along the back of the booth behind her.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," she said.

"No problem," said Aurora. "We only got here about 5 or 10 minutes ago."

"How'd the trial do?" asked Danny.

"Fine," said Emily. "Today they presented everything about the drug trafficking. They haven't even started the conviction for the homicide or attempted murder of a police officer yet. Mac and Stella will be testifying tomorrow. Yes indeed, our friend Jerome Harvey and his friends will be in prison for quite a long time."

"You guys testifying about the bunker?"

Emily nodded. "A fully fledged meth lab, complete with Sudafed, asthma meds, batteries, antifreeze…one of the biggest I've seen since moving out here. These boys were living large."

The group sat looking over the menus and looking for what they wanted to eat. After they all decided on what they'd have, Flack went up and ordered. He came back and sat back down, but lightly pulled on Aiden's pony tail as he sat down.

"What's your problem?" Aiden asked, punching him in the arm. Flack laughed.

"I'll be right back," said Aurora.

"Where you going?" Danny asked.

"The ladies room," she replied.

"I'll come with," said Aiden.

"Me too," said Emily, and then all walked toward the restrooms.

"It's like a freaking parade," said Flack, shaking his head.

"Well, they're women, what do you expect?" said Danny.

"Next thing you know, they'll all be on the same schedule," said Sheldon.

"Rora and Aiden already are….a few more months and Emily will be too." Flack said.

"Well, them all being friends is a good thing. Because Rora and I are together…Emily and Hawkes are on track, and then there's you and Aiden," Danny said, looking over at Flack.

"What about me and Aiden?" asked Flack, taking a drink.

"Oh come on," said Danny. "You pulling her ponytail and then her punching you like that? I haven't seen an interaction like that since grammar school. You always pick on the girl you like. Why do you think I went around calling Aurora by the wrong name?"

"Why don't you just ask her out?" asked Sheldon. "What would it hurt? It's obvious to everyone that you're crazy about her."

"We work together," said Flack.

Danny rolled his eyes. "And Rora and I don't? I almost lost her hiding behind that same excuse." When Flack didn't say anything, he just shook his head. "Buddy, Aiden's not going to wait forever. She's living her life, and not going to put it on hold until you ask her out. Not to mention, I know Louie's got eyes for her." Flack looked up at Danny, and Danny knew he struck a cord. "If he were to ask Aiden out, she wouldn't say no." Flack just watched his glass of beer. Danny turned to Sheldon. "So you finally got all of us out together so you could invite Emily."

Sheldon smiled. "Yeah. I'm still trying to figure it all out. She seems interested, but a little hesitant because she wants to go slow and get to know each other. You know friends first kind of thing."

Danny nodded. "Well, just let time take its toll and see where you go from there. Plus, she's hanging out with Rora and Aiden, and knowing those girls, they'll talk you up a bit too."

Sheldon smiled. "Gotta love those girls.

(Girls)

"Why is he acting like this, Rora?" asked Aiden, referring to Flack's behavior.

"Because, sweetie, he doesn't know how to ask you out; or he's afraid of losing you as a friend if it doesn't work. Or who knows why men are jackasses sometimes." replied Rora.

"What the hell? He's had no problems with any of that in the past!"

"Then again he's never tried asking out a co-worker either. And most of his dates are about sex. I don't see him using you that way. Have you ever tried talking to him about it?" Aurora asked.

Aiden shook her head. "No. But…I don't know…I'm just going to try and forget about it-if he wants to grow a set and ask me out, great, if not, I'm not going to dilly dally around waiting for him."

Emily nodded. "Good."

Aiden turned to Rora. "So, Danny got his stitches out…" she smirked.

Aurora smiled. "Yes, he did," she replied.

"Come on, Rora…"

Aurora giggled. "I must say, it was amazing to be with him again…didn't know I could miss sex that much. Actually it was more than just sex, ya know. I missed being that close with Danny."

Aiden smiled. "Gosh, you two are so cute together, it's almost enough to make one sick."

Aurora smiled. "Speaking of cute," she said turning to Emily. "How are things with Sheldon?"

Emily smiled. "They're good."

"Good, huh?" Aurora asked. "Come on, details."

"Really good…" Emily looked down.

"Yeah?" Aiden smiled.

By this time Emily was starting to get pink in the cheeks. "Yeah."

"Come on, spill," said Aiden.

"We talk a lot on the phone and such. A couple times we've gone out to lunch…and it's totally adorable, because he'll never let me pay." The girls smiled. "And it's kinda sad that I have this…sick excitement when I get a case where the victim dies, because that means I get to go to the ME's office."

The girls laughed.

"I know exactly how you feel. When I first got a crush on Danny, I was so excited when we'd have to call the lab to come to a scene." Aurora chuckled.

"So have you guys gone out just the two of you again yet?" Aiden asked.

Emily shook her head. "No, not yet…but I'd like to. I mean, he is one of the greatest guys who have asked me out in a long time. We were together a lot when Danny was in the hospital. A whole lot."

"Aw, that is so great!" said Aurora. "I'm really hoping you two get together."

"At this point…I kind of am too," Emily said, smiling.

"It won't take long. Sheldon likes you a lot." Aiden said.

"Then after that, all we'd have to do is work on Flack," said Aurora.

"You'll need a priest for an exorcism." Aiden sighed.

"You know, we should all have a girl's night out sometime." suggested Aiden.

"We really should," said Aurora. "All three of us hang out and do something and send the guys to a strip club or something."

"I still can't believe you encourage Danny to go to see strippers." Emily chuckled.

"Sweetie, he goes and watches girls virtually naked dance; gets him all excited, and then he comes home to me." Aurora winked. "Last time he went before the accident, he actually came home used handcuffs on me."

Aiden laughed.

Emily nodded. "I'm up for a girl's night. Just call and let me know when."

Aurora nodded. "Sounds good. Alright, we should get back out there before the guys think we've abandoned them."

The three girls walked out and made their way to rejoin the guys at the table when Aurora spotted a jukebox in the corner.

"Oh my gosh, a juke box!" she gushed, going over to it. Emily and Aiden smiled as they rejoined the guys at the table. Emily snuggled up to Sheldon a bit.

Aurora fished around in her purse and got a quarter and stuck it in. She smiled and selected a song and sat back down next to Danny.

"We were beginning to think one of you three fell in or something," said Flack.

"What did you girls talk about?" asked Danny.

"Like we'd tell you," Aurora said, giving him a kiss.

"Okay, then what song did you pick?" Danny asked.

Aurora smiled bigger. "You'll see."

A news flash came on the big screen TV about the Yankees and Mets beginning their practices for the season.

"Ah, baseball season is starting up again soon," said Flack.

"You like baseball, Emily?" asked Danny.

"Who doesn't?" she replied.

"Please tell me you're a Yankee fan," said Flack.

"Sorry, but I've been told to cheer for the Red Sox when I'm with you all," she said, smiling.

"Damn, Rora, you had to get to her." Flack said.

Aurora laughed, very proud of herself.

"It's not entirely Aurora's fault—I'm not really a Yankee fan in the first place." Emily said.

"Mets?" asked Sheldon.

"No," said Emily. "I've gotta go with my Blue Crew."

"Dodgers? Why the hell would you cheer for them?" Danny asked, jokingly.

"Well, loyalties to hearth and home aren't broken easily," Emily smiled.

"You're from LA?" asked Aurora.

Emily shrugged. "More or less. Ventura's home to me, and it's only an hour or so from LA. My parents are from New York, though."

"Which is exactly why you need to cheer for the Yankees," said Flack, slapping his hand on the table.

Emily laughed. "Not a chance."

"I can live with the Dodgers." Aurora said. "Of course you know the BoSox are gonna kick ass this year."

"You're dreaming." Danny winked.

"Do I need to mention that the Yankees blew a 3-0 series lead in the ALCS?" Aurora laughed.

"She's never gonna let that die." Flack sighed.

"You two are such a baseball couple." Aiden smiled at Danny and Aurora.

Soon, the sounds of an acoustic guitar came over the speakers in the pizza parlor. "It's my song!" smiled Aurora.

"We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout," said Johnny Cash and June Carter from the juke box.

"We've been talkin' bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out…" sang along Aurora and Emily. When Aurora saw Emily singing along, she stopped.

"Wait a minute, you know this song?" asked Aurora.

"Any true country fan does," replied Emily.

Aurora turned to Sheldon and smiled. "I like her. Keep her around."

Sheldon laughed. "Well, she likes Frank Sinatra and so do I."

"Oh great, this is all we need right now," said Flack, rolling his eyes. "Another country fan."

"Oh, knock it off," said Aiden. "You know you're starting to like country."

"No," said Flack. "What I know is that Aurora always changes the station to a damn country station every time we're in my car, and won't let me change it back until she is no longer in the car."

"And you're starting to like a little bit here and there." Aurora smirked.

"No." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Even I am starting to like a few country songs." Aiden said.

Soon, "Jackson" came to an end.

"I'll be right back," said Danny, grabbing his cane. Aurora stood up to help him, but he shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

He slowly made his way to the jukebox in the corner, which had fallen silent put in his money and selected a song.

The familiar tune of "How Do I Live" filled the pizza parlor and Danny hobbled his way over to Aurora.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

"Are you sure?" asked Aurora. "With your injuries and everything?"

Danny smiled and held his hand out to her. Aurora smiled and took his hand. Danny slowly led her over to the empty floor space in front of the jukebox and they began slowly dancing to the music.

"Come vivrei senza voi?" Danny asked. Aurora smiled up at him. "How would I live without you, Rora?"

Aurora smiled and kissed him. "You never have to live without me."

"I love you so much." Danny said and nuzzled her neck.

"I love you too." Aurora said and pulled herself closer to Danny.

"This is the part where it fades to black and the credits start rolling, indicating happily ever after," said Aiden watching them dance.

"Next week, on Lifetime…" joked Flack.


	88. Poison

_Trizzy- I have everything with those two planned. Just be patient. And I am so glad you like the story so much._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Sheldon needed some lovin. I like Hawkes a lot._

_BridgetLynn- I adore that song. _

_Meadow567- Ah, I see. You'll love this one then._

_Tara6- I hope your exam went better than you thought. And Aiden and Flack have a lot coming so don't worry…or sit tight. _

_Jordayna- Mac and his dry wit…I so saw him saying that._

_Snowbear96- I like writing fluff. It's fun._

_Sarramaks- Yeah, I have a routine pretty much._

_Miss Metal- I have a pattern of crime and fluff. If I didn't it'd be all one or the other._

_Emador- What if she is pregnant by Mac? When Danny was hurt Mac tried comforting her and they got carried away. LOL_

Aurora was driving through the city in the early afternoon, headed back to the station after testifying in court that morning. She had already called Danny to see how he was doing as it was his second week back at work. He said he was doing fine and told her to quit worrying.

It was nearly St. Patrick's Day, and Danny was insisting they all go out and get drunk for the occasion. He had a bar all picked out that was having festivities and all. He even bought himself a pin that said "Kiss Me I'm Irish" which Aurora cracked up at.

Her cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Rora, I got a case here…you need to get down here." Sheldon said.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Well I was asked to do an autopsy on someone who died in Memorial Hospital. Autopsy revealed a murder." Sheldon said.

"I'll call the lab and be there as soon as I can." she said.

"Thanks." Sheldon said and hung up.

Aurora dialed Mac's number. "Taylor."

"Mac, I just pulled a case. Sheldon found foul play during an autopsy. I want CSI involved." she said.

"I'll send Aiden." Mac said.

"Have her meet me at the morgue." she said. "Thanks Mac."

I drove to the morgue and waited in the lobby for Aiden. It didn't take her long to arrive.

"What's up?" Aiden asked.

"Sheldon called me. Said he was asked to perform an autopsy on someone who died in Memorial Hospital. Autopsy revealed foul play." Aurora said.

"Let's see what's going on." Aiden said.

The two of them walked into the morgue. Sheldon was cutting the arm off a body.

"Hawkes?" Aiden asked.

"Oh, you're here. Rora, do you always dress up to visit the morgue?" Sheldon laughed.

"I had to appear in court this morning." She rolled her eyes. "Now what about this case you called me with?"

"Over here." Sheldon walked to the next table.

On the table was a man with dark hair, most of which seemed to have fallen out in clumps.

"Was he a chemotherapy patient?" Aurora asked, referring to the missing clumps of hair.

"No." Sheldon said. "This is Edward Schivone. Age 34. Married. For the past two weeks he has been in the ICU at Memorial Hospital with unexplained symptoms. He's been in a coma."

"And this is a murder?" Aiden asked.

"When he died of unexplained causes, the hospital and family asked for an autopsy looking for answers. I ran a blood tox screen. Came back with mega doses of thallium." Sheldon explained.

"He was poisoned." Aurora sighed.

Sheldon nodded. "Thallium is one of the most deadly poisons there is. A small amount can do permanent damage. Ingestion of thallium can lead to sickness in minutes. Unconsciousness in less than an hour."

"Is it possible the thallium was accidentally ingested?" Aiden asked.

"Not likely. Thallium is not a household item. And being a stock broker, Mr. Schivone's job wouldn't require he be exposed to it." Sheldon said.

"Why didn't the doctors at the hospital catch this?" Aurora asked.

"Testing for thallium poisoning is very rare. It's a rare poison. Diagnosing it can be difficult even if you suspect it." Sheldon said.

"Can you tell how he ingested the poison?" Aiden asked.

"I'd say through food or drink. All puncture wounds on the body have been accounted for as made by IV's at the hospital." Sheldon said.

"What symptoms accompany thallium poisoning?" Aurora asked.

"Immediate sickness, stomach cramps, vomiting, loss of hair, coma and sadly death." Sheldon said.

"Explains his hair falling out." Aurora said.

"Have you told the widow this yet?" Aiden asked.

"No, if she was the murderer the poison might still be in their home." Sheldon said.

"Aiden, you get a warrant to search the deceased house, it's now a crime scene. Talk to the widow. I'm going to run a background check on Edward Schivone and see what I can find. See if he has any enemies." Aurora said.

(Lab)

Aurora walked into the lab. Danny was sitting at his desk. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Still haven't changed from court?" Danny smiled.

She gave him a quick kiss. "Didn't take the time. I jumped right into the case Sheldon called me with."

"Aiden just got back from Schivone's house." Danny said. "I've been working on the guys personal files. You know cell phone and bank records and such."

"What did you find?" Aurora asked.

"All the calls on his cell phone are to and from business people and his wife, except for one number." Danny said.

"And who's that number?" Aurora asked.

"Alison Denver. I checked she has no record, but get this…she works at a chemical lab." Danny said.

"And would have access to thallium." Aurora said. "What is she to Schivone?"

"I don't know, but you need to ask her." Danny said.

"She's possibly his mistress." Aiden walked in. "When I talked to the widow she said she suspected her husband had been running around on her."

"That would explain the hotel charges on his credit cards." Danny said.

"He certainly wasn't hiding any of this if she was his mistress. Calling her on his cell phone and charging hotels to his credit card. He must not have been worried about his wife finding the bills." Aurora said.

"She did find the bills." Aiden said. "The widow told me she stopped in his office one day and found them which were a big clue that her suspicions were true."

"Did the widow ever confront her husband or Alice Denver?" Danny asked.

"Not that she is admitting to. She said she was hoping it was a phase that would pass." Aiden said.

"A man who cheats should have his balls nailed to a 2x4." Aurora said.

"Ouch, Danny keep it zipped." Aiden chuckled.

"Like I would cheat on Aurora." Danny rolled his eyes,

"What did you find at Schivone's house?" Aurora asked Aiden.

"Not much. I took some food and such to be analyzed but the wife isn't showing any symptoms of thallium poisoning." Aiden said.

"She wouldn't if she was the killer. I mean your husband cheating on you is one hell of a motive." Aurora said.

"Aiden, I want you to search Schivone's office and see what you can find. I'll go interview Alice Denver and see what she has to say." Aurora said. "Let me know if the food being analyzed shows anything."

"You got it." Aiden said.

"I'll see you later." Aurora leaned over and kissed Danny again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Danny smiled and watched her walk out.

Aurora walked out of the lab and into the break room to grab a bottle of water before heading out to interview. She opened the fridge and reached inside and stood back up. She walked over to the sink to read the announcements on the bulletin board when she heard the door close.

She turned around and saw Danny locking the door to the break room.

"Danny, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I told you paybacks can be a bitch." Danny smirked and walked towards her on his cane.

"But….I mean….oh hell." Aurora was cut off by Danny kissing her and pinning her against the counter.

"When I saw you in here alone….in a dress; I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Danny whispered and gently bit her neck.

"Danny…." Aurora whined as Danny started sliding his hand under her skirt.

"Shhhh, don't want anyone to hear you." Danny chuckled. "Thigh high nylons…easier access."

"Danny…." Aurora said, her breathing picking up.

Danny kissed her again and swallowed her moan as he pushed her panties aside, teasing her with his fingers.

"Baby." Aurora leaned her head on Danny's shoulder.

"Gatta." Danny whispered.

"Oh god…..Danny…."

"God Rory…..you know how fucking hott it is knowing no other man gets to touch you like this." Danny said and she whimpered. He smirked knowing she was getting close.

Danny intensified his ministrations and whispered in her ear. "E, con."

Aurora whimpered and bit Danny's shoulder to keep from screaming. Danny groaned and kept teasing her. Danny captured her mouth in a kiss and kept her from screaming again.

Her legs started to give so he held her tight. "I got you…..wow that was hott."

"I….oh….Danny….I love you." Aurora tried to calm down.

"I love you too." Danny smiled. "You bit hard enough to leave a mark."

"Sorry." She said.

"Don't be…I love knowing I got you that worked up." Danny said and pulled his hand out from beneath her skirt.

Aurora watched as Danny smirked at her and then licked his hand clean.

"Oh god." She groaned.

"You taste so sweet." Danny smiled.

"I can't believe I mean….wow." Aurora smiled.

"Now you know how I felt in that closet." Danny smirked. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io." Aurora said.

Someone tried opening the door. "What the hell? I wanted a cup of coffee." Vicaro's voice came through the door.

Aurora quickly adjusted her skirt. "Just a minute."

"I'll see you after work?" Danny winked.

"As soon as we close this case." Aurora kissed him quickly then hurried to open the door.

"Why the hell was the door shut and locked?" Vicaro said.

"Sorry Vicaro, Danny and I needed to discuss a case in private." Aurora said.

Vicaro raised an eyebrow. "Is there fresh coffee made?"

"I think so." Aurora said as Vicaro walked past her into the break room.

Aurora giggled nervously and hurried down the hall, dialing her cell phone.

"Flack."

"Don, I am going to change clothes and then I want you to go with me to interview a suspect. Alison Denver." Aurora said as she hurried to the locker room.

**To Be Continued……**


	89. Poison 2

_Soul Patrol- Thank you very much. I hope you keep reading and reviewing._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- It'll be okay, school should be about done. _

_Snowbear96- It was revenge but I don't think Aurora minded much._

_Jordayna- Here is the conclusion to the case for you. And paybacks can be sweet._

_Meadow567- I am on later in the evenings. And I thought you'd like Danny's revenge._

_Miss Metal- But they get the job done and that's what counts. Besides, it makes for fun to write._

_Trizzy- You might kill me for this one. And I saw Danny as stalking her with that grin on his face, cane and all._

_Oddie33352- Glad you liked it._

_Emador- You know, Vicaro has only been in one episode on the show, but we love him so much and he's mentioned often! Gotta love Kim._

Flack and I knocked on the door to Alison Denver's home. We needed to speak to her about Edward Schivone. Slowly her door opened.

"Miss Denver, NYPD. I'm Detective Flack this is my partner Detective Denton, we need to speak with you." Flack said and showed his badge.

"What about?" she asked.

"Edward Schivone." I said.

"I haven't spoken in Edward in several weeks." She said.

"That's because he was in Memorial Hospital hooked to a ventilator suffering from Thallium poisoning." I said.

"He expired this morning." Flack said.

"What does that have to do with me?" Alison asked.

"What was your relationship to Edward?" I asked.

"We were friends." She said.

"Friends? His cell phone records show 2 or more phone calls between you two every day for the past 6 months." Flack said. "Must be very close friends."

"We talked often." Alison said.

"Are you sure your friendship with Edward was platonic?" I asked.

"What are you implying?" Alison asked.

"Edward's credit card records show a lot of charges to hotels." Flack said.

"His wife suspected he was having an affair." I said.

"Not with me. We were just friends." Alison insisted.

"Since you two talked so often, why was he staying in those hotels?" Flack asked.

"I don't know, he never talked to me about it." Alison said.

"Do you have access to Thallium at work?" I asked.

"I have access to all kinds of elements at work." Alison said.

"Any idea who might want to hurt Edward?" Flack asked.

"No, he was a good man and didn't have any enemies." Alison said.

"We'll be in touch." Flack said and we turned and walked away.

"She's lying." I said.

"We don't have enough for a warrant right now." Flack said.

"Let's get back and see what Aiden found at Schivone's office." I said.

(Lab)

Flack and I walked into the lab. Danny was sitting at his desk; Aiden was bent over one of the microscopes.

"Aiden, what did you find from Edward's office?" I asked.

"Edward kept a mini fridge in his office. It held mostly drinks, water, soda and such. I sent everything down to be analyzed. Results are back on the food and drinks from his house, nothing there." Aiden said. "How did it go with Alison Denver?"

"She's not talking, and she swears they were just friends." I said.

"While you guys were all out I did some investigating." Danny said. "The chemical company Alison Denver works for reported 5 grams of Thallium unaccounted for two weeks ago. They did a full investigation but were unable to find out what happened."

"That's more than coincidence." Flack said.

"So she steals Thallium from work and somehow gets Edward to ingest it. What's her motive?" Flack asked.

"We don't have to prove motive." Aiden said.

"Maybe it's not even her. Maybe he pissed off the wrong guy." Flack said.

"Not likely. Poisoning is predominately a female crime. It's less messy and violent than a shooting, or stabbing or strangulation. It's also why there are so few female serial killers through history….before the technology to detect poison came along, deaths were ruled other things and women killers went unnoticed." I said.

"She's right. Women killers are often even today harder to detect if poison is their method of choice." Aiden said.

"I guess all we can do now is wait and see if anything turns up in the food being analyzed." Danny said.

"Oh Rory, doctor called. I can see him Friday to see if I can quit wearing the splint. And I should be able to get my cast off next week." Danny smiled.

"That's great. You're really coming along." I smiled and hugged him.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked.

I nodded and hugged him tighter. "I just thank God every day you weren't hurt worse in that hit and run."

"Hell here it comes, Lifetime movie of the week." Flack moaned. "I can just here the commercial…._after all they had been through, then he was injured in an accident._"

Aiden smacked his arm. "Will you stop? It's wonderful. In this day and age how often do we see people this in love and happy?"

"You women are all alike; Stella said the same thing the other day." Flack sighed.

"Mac says it too." Aiden countered.

"Oh I give up. It's cute." Flack said.

"You're hopeless." Aiden sighed.

(Station)

I was sitting with Flack in the station waiting for Aiden to call with test results while working on paper work.

"Rora, can I ask you a question?" Flack asked.

"Don, you could ask me anything." I looked up.

"What is a nice romantic date to take a girl on in the city? I mean….what is something you would like?" Flack asked.

I smiled. "There are lots of nice things. Sheldon is taking Emily to dinner and then they're going to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge this Friday. And for me personally….wow. Danny sometimes takes me to the cutest little Italian restaurant where we had our first date."

"So like a nice dinner and…..?" Flack asked.

"I dunno, each woman is different. Stella likes art galleries. I would be bored to tears and would rather be taken to a ball game or something. Emily likes sappy old movies. And Aiden likes clubbing and stuff." I said. "And of course there is the stuff that is romantic for any girl. Walks in Central Park. Flowers for no reason, all that mushy stuff you make fun of."

"But girls like that stuff right?" Flack asked.

"Yeah….every time Danny does something like that for me, I get weak in the knees and he gets laid." I winked.

Flack smiled. "And when you really like the girl…you don't mind doing that sappy stuff? I mean Danny says doing things like that for you is second nature."

"I guess not. Danny has never once complained about doing romantic things for me. Other guys I have dated has." I said.

Flack nodded. "Thanks. I just needed a female opinion."

"That's what I am here for. To fight crime and get my partner laid." I rolled my eyes.

Aiden walked in. "Results are in on the stuff from the mini fridge. Thallium was found in a half empty bottle of champagne. I lifted prints and got a match to Alison Denver."

"Why is she in the system?" Flack asked.

"All big chemical companies print you." Aiden explained.

"So we have a champagne bottle at his office with her prints and thallium….that's more than enough for a warrant to search her home and arrest her." I said.

"I'll call a judge." Flack said and picked up his cell phone.

"We still don't have a motive." Aiden said.

"We'll ask her why she did it when she's brought in." I said.

"We need to contact the company she works for and let them know what happened to that Thallium. It's a controlled substance and they're under tremendous pressure to account for every gram of it." Aiden said.

"Let's search her home first and see if any of the thallium is left." I said.

"She picked the perfect poison. Not only is a small amount deadly…it's tasteless." Aiden said.

"Judge is signing the warrants now." Flack said.

"Let's go bring her in. Aiden search her house with a fine tooth comb." I said and chuckled. "Mac's spirit just took over my body there for a second."

(Later)

Flack and I stood outside the interrogation watching Alison through the glass. She had lawyered up the moment we arrested her. So we had to wait for her attorney. Aiden had found traces of thallium powder in a drawer in Alison's bedroom, indicating that the substance had been there at one time.

"Think she'll talk and make it easier on herself?" Flack asked.

"Not this woman. She hasn't cooperated yet. And now she wants an attorney." I said.

"That's fine. We got the evidence we need." Flack said. "I called the DA and he was more than pleased with what he would be able to take before the grand jury."

Her attorney walked up to us. "I'm Miss Denver's legal counsel."

"Great, you're just in time." I said and opened the door and walked into the interrogation room.

Flack and the lawyer followed me in.

"Alison, you want to tell us what happened?" Flack asked.

"My client has no statement at this time." The lawyer said.

"That's okay. She can sit in silence. The evidence speaks for itself." I said. "We found traces of thallium in your home. We found your fingerprints on a champagne bottle that contained thallium. You have access to thallium at work at a company that had thallium come up missing."

"We also have evidence that you were very close to the victim. Several phone calls every day. People around his office recognize you as a visitor of his." Flack said.

"Let me tell you what happened. For whatever reason you decided to kill Edward Schivone. You stole thallium from work and mixed it in a bottle of champagne. Then you took that bottle to his office on one of your visits. Only when he made a toast, you didn't drink any, knowing the thallium was in it. And after you left, he put the rest of the champagne in his mini fridge. It was probably the last thing he did before getting extremely sick." I said.

Alison looked up at us but said nothing.

"Why'd you do it?" Flack asked. "What made you steal from your employer and kill your boyfriend?"

"He wouldn't leave his wife." She said. "He had been promising me for months that he would leave her but he never did."

"So you killed him?" I asked.

"I loved him. He was married, I knew it was wrong but we don't choose who we fall in love with." Alison sighed. "He just wouldn't leave his wife."

"Well, you loved him to the point you murdered him." Flack said. "We're done here."

I followed Flack out of the room.

"Men just don't know what they're getting into when they start cheating." I shook my head.

"And here I thought Fatal Attraction was a movie." Flack joked.

"Well we didn't find any rabbits boiling on the stove." I winked.

Aiden walked up to us. "How did it go?"

"She killed him because he wouldn't leave his wife." I said.

"Emily just called. She has this big date with Sheldon on Friday and was wondering if we could help her pick something to wear." Aiden smiled.

"Oh she's a goner if she's getting help picking out clothes." I giggled. "Wanna start a pool on when they officially hook up?"

"What is it with you women? I have a date; I pick something out and throw it on in five minutes." Flack said.

Aiden rolled her eyes. "Well while we're helping Emily find something to wear, we can find something for me too. I have a date Saturday night."

"With who? When did this happen?" I asked.

"Louie, he called me while I was finishing up in the lab. He asked if we could see a movie Saturday night." Aiden said.


	90. Friday

_Jordayna- Just wait and see what happens with Aiden and Flack and Louie. Besides imagined how outnumbered Danny would be if Aiden was dating his brother. LOL_

_Meadow567- Deep breath before you choke me. LOL I have a plan you should know that._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- You'll see what happens._

_Sarramaks- Well, now you'll find out._

_Snowbear96- Is everybody cheering for Aiden and Flack to get together?_

_Emador- love the email address. I so need to visit that website! LOL_

_Trizzy- Aiden and Vicaro? LOL That is hilarious. This is semi-fluff. Next few chappies will be intense._

"So, today you get rid of the splint?" Aiden smiled at Danny in the lab.

"Yeah, Rora should be here any minute to pick me up for the doctor's." Danny said. "So what movie are you and Louie going to see?"

"Some action flick. I let him choose." Aiden said.

"Sheldon's date with Emily is tonight. He sent her flowers this morning." Danny said.

"How is it you, Louie, Mac and Sheldon all got romantic sides and Flack is a jackass?" Aiden asked.

"How do you know Mac has a romantic side?" Danny asked.

"You can just tell. Women know these things." Aiden smiled.

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you and Rora have an anniversary coming up?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, next week makes eight months. I am taking her out to dinner." Danny smiled.

"While I am thinking about it. Sometime in April, the 80's Night is going to be all metal bands of the 80's night." Aiden smiled.

"Don't tell Rora she'll insist….." Danny trailed off. "Never mind, I know you girls you've already told her and we're all going."

"Oh we are. Even Emily is going. Apparently she like metal bands from the 80's too." Aiden smiled.

"It's a girl thing. Like you said, bad boys with a soft side. And of course all those bands had a ballad that they would sing to help them get laid." Danny said.

"Well since Emily is joining us, you know Sheldon will be there." Aiden smiled.

Aurora walked into the lab. "Ready to go Danny?"

"Yeah." He said. "Aiden, I'll see you later."

"Be a good boy at the doctor's and they'll give you a lollipop." Aiden laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes and walked slowly on his cane out of the lab.

(Manhattan)

"So how does it feel to be rid of that splint?" Aurora asked as she drove from the doctor's office.

"Great. Just take it easy on the leg and I'll be good. And next week getting this cast off my arm." Danny smiled. "I'll be good as new."

"I am so glad." She took his hand.

"You know….I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me. So many women would've ran the moment they heard possible brain damage…..instead you stayed right by me and have taken great care of me." Danny kissed her hand.

"Danny, I love you. My place is with you no matter what." She said.

Danny smiled. "So now that my splint is off I'll have a bit more mobility. And we have the rest of the afternoon off."

"You're so horny lately." Aurora laughed.

"It's getting close to spring." Danny winked. "And you're really hott."

"And you're really cute." She giggled.

Aurora pulled up in front of her building. Danny got out of the car but she kept a close eye on him just in case he needed help. They made their way up the stairs of her building and into her apartment.

Rammer jumped across the floor in front of them as they walked in.

"I think he misses that napper you put the in window at your place for him." Aurora laughed.

"I'll bring it over here for him. He really did like it." Danny said and carefully made his way over to the couch.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Aurora asked.

"No, I'm good." Danny said.

Aurora took off her jacket and then joined Danny on the couch.

"How was Flack today?" Danny asked.

"A little grouchy. And of course he tries pumping me for info thinking he's being all subtle." Aurora giggled.

Danny rolled his eyes. "And he says we're like a soap opera."

Aurora chuckled and snuggled up against Danny. "You gonna miss me now that you can stay by yourself?"

"Of course. Can't just roll over in the middle of the night, wake you up and have sex anymore." Danny winked.

"You still got righty and lefty." She giggled.

"Seriously though…..thank you for staying with me, for helping me…..you made everything so much easier." Danny kissed her.

"Danny, it was no problem. My place is with you." She said.

"You know, I'll be getting my cast off and everything soon. And I'll be in good shape." Danny said and started digging though his coat pockets where he'd flung it over the couch.

He handed her an envelope.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Just a little something I wanted to do for you." Danny smiled. "Open it."

Aurora opened the envelope. "Airline tickets to Atlanta?"

"Yeah, what are you doing the first Tuesday in April?" Danny asked and reached in his coat again and pulled out two smaller tickets. "Because I just happen to have two tickets to the Braves opening game in Turner Field."

Aurora shrieked and jumped on his lap. "You have tickets to opening day in Turner Field!" She grabbed them from his hand.

Danny chuckled. "I thought it'd be nice for us to get away. I already put in for our time off."

Aurora leaned over and kissed him. "Tickets to see the Braves on opening day in their home stadium…..this is so getting you laid."

Danny laughed. "I am glad you like it. I want us to do something special and since we're a baseball couple, I thought a nice trip to see your favorite team would be great."

"Danny this is so sweet. Thank you so much." Aurora kissed him again.

"Hey I am looking forward to it." Danny said. "And I know to bring my credit card because you're going to want everything you see in the Clubhouse shop!"

"Danny…this is so special. I mean that you planned this." Aurora said.

Danny kissed her. "I can't wait to go."

"I love you so much." She told him.

"I love you too."

(7:30PM, Morgue)

Emily walked into the morgue to find Sheldon. He had a rubber apron on over his dress clothes.

"Sheldon?" Emily called to him.

He looked up and smiled. "Oh hey Emily. I am so sorry about this. I meant to pick you up at home but last minute the call for this came in. I am almost done. It's an open and shut case."

"It's okay. We all have to do our jobs." Emily said. "What happened to this guy?"

"Suicide. He shot himself and left a big note about why." Sheldon sighed.

"Are you almost finished?" Emily asked. "I could come back later."

"No I am done. I just needed to document everything for legal purposes, you know how it is." Sheldon said. "Again, I am sorry."

"You couldn't help that last minute a case came up." Emily chuckled. "Do you know, Rora has told me that a few calls have came in and interrupted her and Danny having sex?"

Sheldon laughed. "I guess it's bound to happen."

"Thanks for the flowers. They were beautiful. Just my luck Vicaro dropped by the Narc unit today and well you know him." Emily said.

Sheldon pulled off his apron. "I am done here. Just let me scrub my hands and we can head out. I called and managed to get our reservations pushed back."

Emily nodded and watched as Sheldon went to scrub up.

(Manhattan)

Aurora was straddled Danny's lap on her couch and was busy unbuttoning his shirt.

"Condoms?" Danny asked tearing his mouth away from hers.

"Coffee table. I brought a few in when I changed." Aurora pulled his wifebeater over his head careful of his cast.

"And I love this lace." Danny said and pulled the straps of her nightgown down to her elbows one at a time with his good arm.

Just then her cell phone started ringing. Aurora groaned and climbed off Danny's lap, grabbing her phone off the table.

"Denton."

"Aurora…can you come get me?" Flack was on the other end.

"Don…you're drunk off your ass. Where are you?" she sighed pulling her straps back up, realizing sex would have to wait.

"The pub around the corner from the station. Rora, I fucked up." Don slurred.

"No, you just got drunk. We'll be there to get you." Aurora said and headed for her room to put on clothes.

"I didn't ask her. I should've." Flack said.

"Don, just relax. Don't drink anymore and we'll be there soon." She hung up.

Danny walked in, pulling his shirt on. "Is Don okay?"

"The big dummy went and got drunk." Aurora sighed.

"I was afraid that would happen." Danny sighed.

"We need to go get him." Aurora said.


	91. Infibulation

_Jordayna- Oh I am sure Aurora and Danny picked back up later. LOL_

_Feenx86- Glad you liked that joke. I just had to do it._

_Meadow567- Celebrate how? Go Carolina._

_Miss Metal- But at least they love Don enough to go help him out._

_Trizzy- All part of being in the NYPD they know that. Besides, they use the closet and break room when they have to, LOL._

_Emador- Hey I understand the cute thing, look at the stuff I swoon over. _

Flack and I walked up to the crime scene. A small black female child dressed in unusual clothes was lying in a vacant lot behind a mini mall in Queens.

"What do we have from the uniformed officers?" I asked.

"She was found this morning by a work crew coming to cut the grass and plant flowers…getting things ready for spring." Flack said. "They immediately called 911."

"It's the last week of March…weather has been warming, not surprised." I said. "You call the lab?"

"Mac and Aiden are on their way. Danny's still on desk duty." Flack said.

"He got his cast off last week. He's getting his arm moving more every day. He hates physical therapy. A few weeks and he'll be back in the field." I explained.

"And next week is the trip to Atlanta." Flack smiled.

"I've already started packing." I smiled.

"What do we have here?" Mac asked.

"African- American female child. Very young. She was found by landscape workers this morning." I said.

"Who has access to this lot?" Mac asked.

"It's vacant. Mall officials say it's not restricted. Anyone could've been back here." Flack said.

"Look at her clothes…these are pretty unusual." Aiden said.

"They look tribal. Maybe her family is discovering their African roots." Mac said.

"No obvious COD." Aiden said.

"Check the area for blood or drag marks." Mac said. "The position of her body indicates it was a dump job."

"You okay?" Aiden asked me, knowing how affected I was by child cases.

I nodded. "Let's help her now."

"No visible signs of trauma." Mac said.

"Sheldon will have to tell us a time of death." Aiden said. "I am not finding any blood around the body."

"I don't see any wounds." Mac sighed. "We'll know more after autopsy."

(Morgue)

Mac met me outside the door to the morgue.

"Sheldon said he found something unusual during autopsy and wanted us here as soon as possible." Mac said.

"Did he say what it was?" I asked.

"No. I got Aiden processing her clothes that Sheldon sent over to us." Mac said.

"Flack is looking through missing persons for anyone matching the description of the girl." I said.

Mac nodded and we walked into the morgue. Sheldon had the little girl covered up to her neck with a white sheet.

"Sheldon, why did you rush us down here?" Mac asked. "What did you find during autopsy?"

"This is a case like I have never seen, and I have been at this a long time." Sheldon said.

"Did you print her?" I asked.

"Yeah, I sent them over to Danny since he is on desk duty." Sheldon said. "I also placed time of death at around 9PM last night."

"What killed her?" Mac asked.

"Massive infection that was left untreated." Sheldon said.

"What kind of infection?" Mac asked.

"Bear with me……when I removed her clothes for autopsy I found that her legs were tied together with this." Sheldon said and held up some kind of wire. "When I started to examine her….I found that she had recently been subjected to an infibulation."

I closed my eyes and cringed.

"What is an infibulation?" Mac asked.

"Female circumcision." I said. "The most brutal kind. The clitoris and part of the labia are cut away. The remaining labia are sewn together except for a small area to allow urination and menstruation. After the procedure the girl's legs are tied together to allow everything to heal. When she is old enough to marry a female relative will cut so that the opening left for menstruation is made large enough for intercourse. It's most prevalent in Africa. Performed on little girls between 2 and 6 years old. No anesthesia, very painful."

"How do you know all that?" Sheldon asked.

"It's a huge international women's rights issue." I said. "Female circumcision is a violation of a woman's basic human rights."

"I agree. How old was she Hawkes?" Mac asked.

"Based on her teeth and fusion of bones, I'd say she was four." Sheldon said.

"Can you tell how long ago the infibulation was performed?" Mac asked.

"From the wounds and amount of infection, I'd say 5-6 days ago." Sheldon said.

"Female circumcision is illegal in the United States." I said.

"More than that….she suffered with this infection for at least three days. She most likely ran a high fever, tremors, you name it." Sheldon said.

"Which meant someone had three days to get help for her and didn't." Mac said.

"There were no antibiotics in her system." Sheldon said.

"Someone brutally mutilates this child, violating her rights. Then lets her die." I sighed.

"She was from Africa." Mac said. "That explains why her clothes were different. She was wearing clothes from her homeland. Also might explain why she was circumcised. Right now some minority groups that practice female circumcision as part of culture or religion argue that the US ban on it is unfair."

"And they'll either illegally have it done within the US or take their child to another country for the procedure." I said.

"This was done here. No one could bring a child through customs with its legs tied." Mac said.

"From the looks of the cuts and wounds….this was done with crude instruments. Not a doctor with scalpels." Sheldon said.

"Possibly a religious official of whatever religion her family practiced." I said.

"If she was from Africa, her prints will be on file with INS from when she entered the United States." Mac said.

"Chances are other little girls are being circumcised illegally. She died is why we know about her." I said.

"I'll call Danny and let him know to check with INS." Mac said.

I nodded and looked at the little girl. She was beautiful. Smooth skin and long eyelashes.

"Aurora?" Mac said.

"This baby suffered a lot. First being brutally circumcised and then dying of infection. She had a lot of pain." I said.

"You gonna be okay?" Mac asked.

I looked up at him. "I am gonna find the bastard that did this to her."

(Lab)

Sheldon walked into the lab. Danny was still working on the computer; Mac was bent over the microscope.

"Did you find anything on her clothes?" Sheldon asked.

"No, Aiden is going over the wire used to bind her legs together." Mac said. "What brings you up here?"

"I analyzed the infibulation wounds more carefully and found pieces of something. I brought it up for you to look at." Sheldon handed a small envelope to Mac.

"Mac, you've traveled the world while in the Marines; what is the point of female circumcision?" Danny asked from his desk.

"Ask Aurora, she is little Miss women's rights. I couldn't believe she knew all this stuff." Sheldon said.

"Some cultures see it as initiation, coming of age type thing. Most cultures that include female circumcision believe it will keep the woman faithful to her husband because sex will not be pleasurable. Goes back to that old belief that sex is a woman's duty." Mac said.

"I can see why Rora is upset. To do that to a child." Danny frowned.

"You know, Rora helped me see why women are getting ahead." Sheldon gave a small smile. "We have trouble getting ourselves organized to catch a ball game together. The women have themselves organized _internationally_."

Mac chuckled.

"You laugh." Sheldon smiled. "And then Danny and I wonder why we're getting dragged to 80's night. The women have banded together. Just wait Mac. You ever start dating, Rora, Aiden and Emily will befriend her and the next thing you know you'll be sitting with us watching the girls dance and sing 'Mickey'."

Mac raised an eyebrow as Danny chuckled.

"Aurora is a big advocate of human rights." Danny said. "I wouldn't want to be the people that harmed that little girl when Aurora gets a hold of them."

"I am going to see what Aiden has found." Mac said and walked out of the lab.

Sheldon turned to Danny. "So the Atlanta trip is next week."

"Yeah, Aurora is so excited. Now if I can just keep Aiden quiet. Even Stella is smiling at me like an idiot." Danny said.

"How did things go with Aiden and Louie on their date?" Sheldon asked.

"Good. It's nothing serious. I mean Louie has a small crush on her, but I think they're mostly just hanging out." Danny said. "Flack is still moping."

"Flack is not moping." Don walked into the lab.

"Yes you are. Just ask her out already." Danny said. "What brings you up here?"

"Came to see if you found anything from INS. I turned up nothing from missing persons." Flack said.

"Nothing yet, the computer is still going through possible matches." Danny said. "What is Aurora doing?"

"Going through any file she can find about illegal female circumcisions in NYC in the past 10 years." Flack said. "She is angry as hell."

Danny leaned back in his chair. "Guys, let me ask you something. From a guys standpoint….why circumcise a woman? Sex would be so boring if the woman didn't enjoy it."

"I was thinking that too. I mean if the woman has no clit and is sewn so that sex is painful…where is the enjoyment?" Flack said.

"For these men, it allows them to get off without worrying about her pleasure." Sheldon said.

Danny rolled his eyes. "That has to get boring. I wouldn't want to have sex with a woman who couldn't enjoy it."

"Me either." Sheldon said.

"I mean….it's amazing watching Rora get off." Danny said.

"Is this gonna be sappy?" Flack asked.

"No. A great part of sex is knowing that I made her feel good. And the noises she makes is so hott." Danny said.

"So does a circumcised woman just lay there and take it? No noise, no moaning, no eyes rolled back?" Sheldon asked. "That'd be like having sex with a blow up doll."

"Which you know all about." Flack smirked.

"Hey, I'm at least dating someone." Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"I got something." Danny said looking at his computer. "There she is."

(Station)

Mac walked up to my desk as I was sifting through folders and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am so angry." I gritted out. "That poor little girl. And that people still feel they have the right to force this on a woman."

Mac sat on my desk "It's a sickening practice."

I looked up at him. "My body has always been mine to decide what I do with and my sexuality has never been altered by surgery…and I use that term lightly about such a brutal act. I just can't imagine having that taken away from me as a child."

"A lot of women around the world are still mistreated and abused. It's a sad reality." Mac said.

"She was four years old Mac. She didn't understand what they were doing to her, or what it would mean when she was grown. They brutally mutilated her, taking away her rights about her body….and she wasn't even old enough to understand." I said. "I am so angry Mac."

Mac squeezed my hand. "We'll find them. We'll get her justice."

"Aurora, Mac….we got an ID on the little girl from INS." Flack walked in.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Izefia Upenda, four years old. Came to the United States from Somalia last year with her family." Flack said.

"Somalia…..practices more Infibulation than any other country in Africa." I said.

"Where does her family live?" Mac asked.

"Bronx. Her father, Jafaru Upenda is here on a work visa. He brought his entire family. His wife, son and two other daughters." Flack said.

"Let's look into what organizations the family associates with. They had to find someone to circumcise Izefia." I said.

"We should also head over to talk to that family." Mac said.

"We'll need to take someone that speaks Somali. Even if they know English, I want to know what they're saying that they don't want us to understand." Flack said.

"Let's go." I said.

**To Be continued…….**


	92. Customs Vs Law

_Trizzy- I wrote this as my chance to protest against it. Its an inhumane practice in my opinion. _

_Snowbear96- Thanks, I wanted to do a few chappies on serious issues and this was one I felt needed to be addressed._

_Meadow567- Wow, I have really outdone myself if I grossed you out!_

_Jordayna- I do as well. I am glad you thought I did this tastefully. It's a tricky subject to approach._

_Sarramaks- Glad you like the chapter. And I have a plan for Aiden just sit tight and keep reading._

_Tara6- Well I am glad you can review now. Here is the conclusion to the case. It was a sick crime._

_Miss Metal- From different classes I have taken and a tad bit of research._

_Emador- Gotta love Sheldon. He cracks me up sometimes. And I saw them as guys who would want the girl to be involved too._

I was standing with Mac and Aiden outside the apartment complex that the Upenda family lived in.

"Flack, did you find someone who speaks Somali?" I asked as he walked over to us.

"Yeah, an INS agent is on their way to meet us here." Flack said.

"Okay." I nodded.

"When we get in there keep your eyes and ears open." Mac said.

"The family is guilty. They let someone circumcise Izefia. And they didn't get her help when infection set in." I said.

"We need to find out who circumcised her." Mac said.

"And we'll need to prove that it was the family that cared for her following the circumcision." Aiden said.

"I'm INS Agent Gordon. I spoke to Detective Flack." A man approached us.

"Thanks for coming." Flack told him.

"Agent Gordon, this is what I would like you to do. Go in with us and just listen. If the Upenda family tries to hide anything by speaking in Somali, let us know." I said.

He nodded.

"Let's go talk to them." Flack said.

We all walked up to the building and knocked on the door. The Upenda apartment was on the ground floor. A man dressed in tribal clothes from Africa opened the door.

Flack flashed his badge. "NYPD. Are you Jafaru Upenda?"

"I am." He answered.

"We need to speak with you about your daughter Izefia." Mac said. "May we come in?"

Jafaru looked at us a moment then let us into his apartment. We walked around the living room. Artifacts from Africa decorated the room. Two teenage girls were sitting on the couch.

"Where is the rest of your family? We need to speak to them all." Aiden said.

Jafaru called his wife and son into the room in his native tongue. I eyed the INS agent who nodded that all was okay. The mother looked distressed when she walked into the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Upenda, do you know where your youngest daughter Izefia is?" Mac asked.

"She is away visiting family." Jafaru said.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Aiden asked.

"A few days ago." Jafaru answered.

"We're sorry to tell you this, but Izefia was found dead early this morning." Mac said.

Mrs. Upenda openly broke down. Her husband eyed her but said nothing.

"Were you aware that your daughter had recently suffered an infibulation?" I asked.

"Please, leave us to mourn the loss of our daughter." Jafaru said.

"I'm sorry but it's not that easy. Your daughter was murdered and we need to talk to you." I said.

"Murdered?" one of the daughters asked.

Jafaru said something to her in Somali.

"Did you know your daughter had been circumcised?" Mac asked.

Jafaru said something else in his native tongue.

"He's telling them to stick to the story and not answer your questions." Agent Gordon said.

I eyed Jafaru. "We came prepared. Did I not mention that Agent Gordon here speaks Somali? So don't try getting one over on us again."

"We know nothing of what happened to Izefia." Jafaru said and kept watching his wife.

"Here's how we're going to do this. Detectives Flack and Taylor are going to talk to you. Detective Burn and I will speak with your wife and children in another room where you can't intimidate them." I glared.

"You have no right….."

"Your child was brutalized and is now dead. I have every right. This is the United States, not Somalia." I glared at him.

"Mrs. Upenda, would you and your children please talk with the Detectives in the kitchen. Agent Gordon, go with them." Mac said.

Aiden and I followed them into the other room while Mac and Don stayed behind to talk to Jafaru.

"Gzifa Upenda, you came to the US with your husband last year." I said to the mother. "You brought your children. Your daughters Mutia and Takala and Izefia. And your son Raimi."

"Please, I just lost my daughter." She cried.

"I am sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child. But it is my job to ensure that whoever hurt Izefia doesn't hurt anyone else." I said.

The mother and children looked at us and said nothing.

"Did you allow someone to circumcise your daughter?" Aiden asked.

They still did not answer us.

"Izefia died because someone circumcised her and the wound got infected." I said. "Now I know in your home country of Somalia infibulation is a common practice. But in the United States female circumcision is illegal. You need to cooperate with us to make this easier on yourself."

"Please understand, it is our way." Mrs. Upenda said.

"My opinions of the procedure aside…..it's a crime in this country. And your daughter died because of it." I said.

"Mrs. Upenda, who circumcised her?" Aiden asked.

They still would not talk to us.

"Did you know that had you taken Izefia to the hospital when she started running a fever she could've been saved? Doctor's would've administered antibiotics and she'd have lived." I said.

"I tried to take her to the hospital." Mutia spoke up.

Raimi yelled at hi sister in Somali and went to strike her.

"You touch her and I'll arrest you for assault!" I snapped. "This is America, women are free to speak!"

Raimi eyed me and I glared right back.

"Go on Mutia." Aiden said.

"Father would not let us take her to the hospital." Mutia said. "Izefia was sick. Sweating a lot and convulsing."

Raimi yelled at his sister again, slapping her face.

"Alright, I warned you." I pulled out my cuffs and grabbed his wrists. "You're going downtown."

Raimi struggled against me, but I pulled hard on his wrists and he realized it was useless.

"Aiden, take him outside, read him his rights." I told her. I turned back to Mutia. "Where was Izefia while she was sick?"

"Her room." Mutia said.

"We don't have enough for a warrant." Aiden said.

"Wouldn't matter. We threw everything away." Raimi smirked.

I looked at Aiden. "Thrown away, it's now ours. Tell Mac to check the dumpster out back."

"Good thing you have a big mouth." Aiden said to Raimi as she dragged him out.

I turned back to the sisters and mother. "I need you to make statements about what happened. And I need to know who performed the infibulation."

"Can't you just allow us to grieve?" Gzifa asked.

"No, because other little girls will die if you don't tell us who circumcised your daughter." I said.

"It is our custom." Gzifa said.

"It breaks our law." I said.

Flack walked in. "Mac found sheets and children's clothes in the dumpster out back. He wants to get them to the lab."

"Take Jafaru with you. Mutia says she tried to take Izefia to the hospital when she got sick and her father wouldn't allow it." I said.

"He knew what was done to her was illegal. He was covering his ass." Flack said.

(Station)

I sat in an interrogation room with Mutia. She had come to the station with me. Her father saw her with me and caused such a problem that Mac and Flack had to restrain him.

"INS records say you're 17." I said. "Mutia….why are you willing to talk to me? Your mother won't. And your sister seems confused."

"Mother is afraid of our father." Mutia said.

"You're not?" I asked.

"I know that you won't let him hurt me. Isn't that what police here in America do?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, we protect the innocent."

"I swear I tried to help Izefia. I didn't want them to have the infibulation done." Mutia said.

"Mutia….I am going to have to ask you some very personal questions. Just relax and be honest. You can trust me and don't be embarrassed. I've seen and heard it all." I said. She nodded. "Mutia, have you been circumcised?"

"Yes, when I was five years old. Back in Somalia. I wanted better for Izefia." Mutia said.

"You don't agree with the custom?" I asked.

"I was not given a choice. I didn't understand what had been done to me. When I came to America…..I realized what happened." Mutia said. "I was able to read books and magazines and talk to American women…..I realized that a decision I did not want had been made for me. I realized that women in this country were more excited about sex….and I understood why."

"And now your little sister was at the age to be circumcised." I said.

"Father was insistent that the custom continue even though it is not allowed in this country. I tried to tell him it was wrong….he insisted it was how women were supposed to be." Mutia said.

"Who did the infibulation?" I asked.

"Some woman…she's a gedda….healer." Mutia said. "I don't know her name. Father found out about her from some other Somali's living in New York."

"Did she come to your home?" I asked.

"No, father took Izefia and went with mother to see this woman. A few hours later he returned with Izefia. She was screaming and her legs were tied up." Mutia said.

"How long after the infibulation did Izefia start getting sick?"

"Two days. It started off with a fever and got worse. I wanted to take her to the hospital. Father wouldn't allow it and locked himself in the room with Izefia to prevent us from taking her." Mutia said.

"What happened last night?" I asked.

"Izefia….she stopped breathing. Father ordered mother to change her clothes. Father then took the body and left, telling us to throw the sheets and old clothes away." Mutia said.

There was a knock at the window.

"I'll be back soon. Just stay here and relax." I said to Mutia.

I stood up and walked out of the room. Danny was standing there with a folder in his hand.

"Got some test results. Those particles that Sheldon found in the infibulation wounds were tint pieces of rock." Danny said.

"Just like in Somalia…they circumcised her with a sharp rock. Infection set in and killed her." I sighed.

"Mac examined the sheets and clothes he found in the dumpster. Blood and puss in the clothes matched Izefia. Sweat on the sheets matched her too." Danny said.

"Death was a blessing for this poor child as much as she was suffering." I sighed.

Danny took my hand. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Okay, the forensic evidence along with Mutia's statements gives us enough to arrest Jafaru Upenda. Also gives us enough for a search warrant for their apartment to look for a connection to the person who did the infibulation." I said.

"I'll call Mac; he'll want to search the place with you." Danny said. "You need anything?"

I smiled at him. "Just promise me that when this is all over you will hold me."

"You know I will." Danny said. He kissed me quickly and pulled out his cell phone.

(Bronx)

Mac and I walked into Upenda apartment. Mrs. Upenda was not happy that we were there, but we handed her the warrant and started searching the place.

"Mac, have you ever had a case like this before?" I asked.

"No." he said. "When I was in the Marines in Lebanon…many of the women there were circumcised as part of Muslim ritual. I thought it was brutal then."

"Makes me so thankful to be born in the US. To be educated and in charge of my own body." I said.

"I think I got something." Mac said.

"What is it?" I looked at Mac where he was looking through papers on a roll top desk.

"A cancelled check made out to a Dawatha Abebi. It's dated for the day Izefia was circumcised." Mac said.

"Got an address?"

"South Bronx. Let's go." Mac said. He took the cancelled check with him and we rushed out of the apartment.

Mac and I jumped in the SUV and he took off driving.

"The address is only 10 blocks from here." Mac said.

"I wonder if Abebi knows that Izefia died." I said.

"We'll soon find out." Mac said.

We hurried to the South Bronx address that was on the cancelled check. It was a small house. Mac and I walked up the front steps and knocked on the door.

A tall black woman answered the door.

"NYPD, we need to speak to you." Mac flashed his badge.

"Regarding what?" Dawatha said.

"How do you know Jafaru Upenda?" I asked.

"He's a friend of mine." Dawatha said.

"Why did he write you a check for a thousand dollars last week?" Mac asked.

"I needed a loan."

"For what?" I asked.

"Personal reasons." Dawatha glared at me.

"It wouldn't be a check to pay for circumcising his daughter, now would it?" I asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Good day." Dawatha said.

"Not so fast." Mac said. "Where were you last Saturday night?"

"Home alone." She said.

Mac looked at her. "We'll be in touch."

Dawatha shut the door. Mac and I walked back down the stairs.

"If she is circumcising children…there has to be evidence of it." I said.

"We don't have enough for a warrant." Mac said.

"Don't need a warrant to search her garbage." I pointed to two bags on the curb.

Mac walked over, put on rubber gloves and ripped open one of the bags. He started sifting through the items.

"I got what appears to be blood on a blue sheet. Some bloody gauze….." Mac started.

"What the hell? You can't go through that!" Dawatha was screaming while running down the sidewalk at us.

"Oh but we can. When you throw out your garbage, you relinquish all rights to it. And besides, these bags were sitting on a public sidewalk." I said.

"You want to tell us what all this blood is from?" Mac asked her.

"I don't have to answer any questions." Dawatha said.

"That's fine. Detective Taylor will just take these bags back to the crime lab and analyze their contents. And he's going to find Izefia Upenda's blood in bags that have your finger prints on them." I said.

"I want an attorney." She crossed her arms.

"You're going to need one." Mac said.

(Lab)

"What did you find?" I asked Mac, walking into the lab.

"Blood on the sheet and gauze in the bags did belong to Izefia Upenda. Prints on the bag match Dawatha's prints on file with INS. When Aiden searched her house, she found this." Mac held up a crude knife made of rock. "Traces of blood on it also belonged to Izefia."

"That's what she performed the circumcision with." I said. "I wonder how many other girls she's done this to that we don't know about."

"What do we know about Abebi?" Mac asked.

"INS records show she emigrated here from Sudan in 2002." I said. "She's probably been at this awhile."

"We got her now. She'll never harm another child." Mac said.

I nodded. "You talk to her. I'll talk to Jafaru."

I walked out of the lab and hurried back to the station. Flack was sitting in an interrogation room across from Jafaru Upenda.

"He talking yet?" I asked when I walked in.

"He insists he did nothing wrong." Flack answered.

"We found Dawatha Abebi." I said to Jafaru. "We found Izefia's blood on her crude knife that she used during the circumcision. We have the cancelled check where you paid her a thousand dollars to mutilate your child."

"You wouldn't understand." Jafaru said.

"I understand. I understand that you broke the law and then to save your own ass you let your youngest child die. I understand that you allowed your two older daughters to be mutilated and then paid someone to mutilate your youngest daughter." I slammed my fists off the table. "I understand that you're these girls' father. Mutia, Takala and Izefia are your daughters. You are supposed to protect them. Instead you let someone harm them, take away part of them. I understand you made decisions about their bodies that you had no right to."

"Aurora, calm down." Flack said.

I stood back up. "I'm done. He can be taken to central booking anytime. Mr. Upenda, I don't know what inmates do in Somalia…..but here in the US, they target child killers."

I walked out of the interrogation room. Aiden was standing there.

"Anything else need done?" I asked.

"No, Mutia gave her statement. Now she and Takala are being taken into custody by child services. Raimi is on his way to juvy. And Mac is talking to the DA about whether or not to press charges against Gzifa Upenda." Aiden said.

I nodded. "I'm hitting the shower. I need to relax."

I walked into the locker room and sat on the bench, taking a deep breath and letting myself start to unwind.

I took a long shower, relaxing under the hot water. When I was finished I changed into comfortable lounge pants and sweat shirt. I just wanted to be comfortable and it was late anyways.

I gathered my things and walked out to my desk. There was a large vase of tulips sitting on my desk. They were all colors. I smiled and noticed the card. I opened it.

_Aurora,  
__Thought you might be cheered up by the first tulips of spring. As pretty as they are, they're not a beautiful as you, especially not when you're smiling like I am sure you are now. I love you.  
__Ti amo,  
__Danny_

I smiled as I read his hand writing. I started to put the card back when I noticed writing on the back. It was Flack's handwriting.

_Danny is such a sap, but this will probably get him laid! - Flack_

I started laughing. That was so like Don. I gathered my things, including my flowers and headed to the lab to meet Danny.


	93. Atlanta

_Meadow567- I actually had to learn about that in a world issues class. And its so cute that you're counting down._

_Snowbear96- Funny you said that. LOL Yes, Danny is very sweet._

_Miss Metal- Quit chasing Don so he can yearn for Aiden. LOL And I am sure Danny did have fun._

_Trizzy- Well your wait is over. I hope you enjoy this. And Flack is great. So much fun to write._

_Jordayna- Thanks, I hope you enjoy this one._

_Emador- You were having a me moment there. You know how I get about things the guys do. At least it wasn't jumping on the exam table in the morgue. LOL_

"Oh my god, Aiden you should visit Atlanta sometime. This place is amazing. Danny and I have been so busy since we got here." I gushed into the phone at Aiden.

"Yeah, but how much of that was outside the hotel room?" Flack snickered and I heard Aiden smack him.

"Yesterday morning Danny and I went for a walk through Centennial Olympic Park. And then I insisted he take me to Atlanta Motor Speedway so I could shop in….."

Danny grabbed the phone. "Little did I know Atlanta had their own NASCAR track. So I got the Braves and NASCAR to deal with."

I grabbed the phone back to hear Flack cracking up. "And then yesterday afternoon Danny and me went to Zoo Atlanta….it was awesome. Of course show off scientist here had to correct my Latin when I tried reading the Latin names of the animals."

"But you were so cute trying." Danny kissed my cheek.

"And this morning Danny took me to the Georgia Aquarium This time I didn't even try the Latin names. But I had so much fun that Danny promised to take me to the Aquarium at Coney Island when we get home." I said.

"Sounds like you're having a great time." Aiden said.

"Oh the best. And tomorrow Danny is taking me to Six Flags over Georgia. It's still the off season so it's only open during the afternoon, but I can't wait." I said.

"When is the Braves game?" Aiden asked.

"Opening pitch is at 7:05. We're leaving in a bit for Turner Field. Danny knows I want to get there and explore and jump up and down and drool, you know me." I laughed.

"Oh I am so happy for you. This is so exciting." Aiden said.

"What is?" I asked.

Suddenly Mac came on the phone. "Have fun at the game call us tonight."

"Mac?" I said as the phone went dead. "That was odd."

"What's odd?" Danny asked from across the hotel room.

"I was talking to Aiden and Mac took the phone, said for us to call them later and hung up." I said.

Danny smirked. "We should probably head for the stadium."

(Turner Field)

I was walking around Turner Field, snuggling close to Danny and taking it all in. We had walked through the Braves Hall of Fame. I was having Danny take pictures of everything for me.

"Danny, this is amazing. I have been watching the Braves play for years. In Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Then in Turner Field. I've never got to see them in their home stadium before. I saw them at Three Rivers and PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Shea Stadium in NYC…but I am in Atlanta…to see the Braves." I said.

Danny smiled at me. "I'm glad you're having fun."

"This is so special…thank you." I kissed him.

"I am glad to be here with you." Danny said.

"And to see the World Series trophy…."

"Are you gonna start telling that story again about Dave Justice and Mark Wohlers?" Danny grinned.

I chuckled. "This is so exciting for me."

"For me too. It's good to get out of New York for awhile. Spend some time with my favorite woman." Danny said.

"Danny, I love you so much. This is amazing." I snuggled closer to him.

"Well I was planning on taking you somewhere before I ended up in the hospital. I told Flack and Louie that when I got better, I'd take you somewhere." Danny said.

"This has been a wonderful idea. Next time we get some time off we should go away together." I said.

"What do you think of the beach?" Danny asked.

"I haven't been to a beach just to be there, sunbathe, relax etc in so long." I said.

Danny smiled. "Let's find our seats. Promise me you won't faint when you see where we're at."

"Why? Where are we?" I asked, letting Danny lead the way around the stadium to our seats.

"You'll see. I really wanted this game to be special for you." Danny smiled.

"It's already special…I'm at Turner Field." I said. "You know, one of the best moments of my life?"

"The first time I kissed you? The first time we had sex? The first time you laid eyes on me?" Danny smirked.

"Well all those too. But last summer when you gave me Chipper Jones' grand slam ball. We weren't even together yet….but I think that made me love you even more." I smiled.

"I wanted to kiss you so bad that night." Danny said.

"Danny where are we?" I asked looking around.

"Our seats." Danny said.

"You got us field level box seats?" I was in shock.

"I told you I wanted this to be special." Danny said.

"You know this is so getting you laid later?" I sat down beside him and kissed him.

(7th Inning Stretch)

By the 7th inning the Braves were leading the San Diego Padres 4-1. I was having a great time. The seats were great; I didn't even need binoculars to see Chipper Jones or Marcus Giles.

"Are you ready to sing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'?" I asked Danny.

"Yeah, 7th inning stretch is always fun." Danny took a deep breath.

"You okay? You're arm or leg hurting?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine." Danny smiled.

We stood up with the crowd to sing. I was laughing so hard I am not sure I got the words right. I leaned against Danny and laughed at the mascots playing on the field. We finished singing and sat back down as an announcement was made that birthdays and special guests would be listed on the screen in the outfield.

An usher appeared with a basket. "Your basket, Mr. Messer."

"Thank you." Danny took the basket.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Just something that I ordered. It's a special thing the stadium offers." Danny smiled.

I peered over into the basket. "Champagne and flute glasses? His and hers tomahawks? That's kinda cute." I giggled. "Tissues?"

Danny shrugged. "You never know."

Danny pulled a disposable camera out of the basket. "Smile."

I giggled. "Danny, you're silly."

Suddenly the crowd got loud. I turned and looked around to see what was so exciting. The field was clear except for players warming up between innings.

I looked over at the screen in the outfield. The screen said 'Aurora, I love you. Will you marry me?'

I turned and looked at Danny. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue box from Tiffany's. I couldn't breathe, I was so excited.

"Danny?"

Danny took my hand and slid off his chair down to one knee. I could feel the tears before he said a word.

"Aurora Dawn Denton, mi vuoi sposare?" Danny asked.

I knew without asking what he'd said in Italian.

I took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, yes." I started crying more.

Danny smiled and leaned up and kissed me. I hugged him tight, crying more. Danny put the ring on my finger and kissed me again, getting back into his seat.

"Danny….I…." I was crying.

Danny handed me a few of those tissues. "The 'I Do Basket' comes with tissues for a reason."

"I love you so much." I said.

Danny put his arm around me and pointed in front of us. "Wave hi to all our friends back in New York. Flack has them all at his place watching the game."

I looked at where he was pointing to see a cameraman. "This is on TV?"

"You're on TBS….you've seen them show proposals at Turner Field during ball games." Danny smiled. "Wave at Flack, Mac, Aiden, Stella, Hawkes, Emily, Louie, Donald and Vicaro."

I laughed and waved at the camera, then turned my hand to show off my ring. Danny laughed and waved too.

"Danny, how did you…I mean all this?" I asked.

"Well I was planning to propose at the game. When I called about getting my message on the screen, turns out Turner Field offers an 'I Do' package for guys proposing." Danny explained.

"It's perfect. I never could've imagined something so special." I kissed him. I looked down at my ring. "Danny, the ring is beautiful. I can't believe we're getting married."

"There's no one else I want to spend my life with." Danny kissed me.

My cell phone rang.

"There is the 'family'." Danny smiled.

"Denton." I answered and leaned over so Danny could listen with me.

"Girl, you're getting married!" Aiden shrieked.

"Sweetie, I am so glad you called. I think I am still in shock." I said.

"That was obvious, wait till you see your face on the tape. Danny had us tape the game." Flack said.

"I am so happy for you." Aiden said and I could tell she was crying.

"Not again. You sappy girls." Vicaro said.

Stella grabbed the phone. "Danny Messer, if I'd known you could be so romantic I'd have asked you out." She joked.

"Aiden, wait till you see my ring. It's beautiful." I said.

"It should be. Two and a half carats and Danny made me help him shop for 'just the perfect ring'." Flack said.

"Two and a half carats!" I yelled and hugged Danny.

"She's gonna lay him in the middle of the stadium." Flack joked.

"That's one way to get on Sportscenter." Sheldon said.

Donald grabbed the phone. "I am so happy for you two. But Danny, you better never hurt her."

"I won't." Danny smiled.

"Hey little brother. Didn't you always say you'd never get married?" Louie laughed.

"Yeah Danny." Mac came on the line. "Remember that dead bride case where I asked you about falling in love and you said 'Don't even joke about that Mac. It's not funny."

I chuckled.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes Mac and you were right when you told me that someday I'd meet a woman that would change my life."

"Rora, I am so glad you're going to be my sister-in-law. Hell you're already my sister." Louie said.

"Bachelor party!" Vicaro yelled.

"The biggest moment of my life and Vicaro still manages to think of naked girls." I laughed.

"Girl, when you get back to New York, we'll start planning the wedding." Aiden said.

"I'll help. I just love weddings." Emily said.

"Danny, our lives are never gonna be the same with these women running around planning a wedding." Sheldon sighed.

"We'll be back day after tomorrow." Danny said.

"We just had to call and share this with you." Aiden said. "Danny knew we would."

"This is the greatest moment….I am just so overwhelmed with happiness." I said.

"Enjoy the rest of your trip. We'll see you when you get back." Mac said.

"I love you guys." I said.

"Yeah yeah, yeah just make sure you have hot bridesmaids." Vicaro said. "Ow."

"Pig." Stella said.

"Call you tomorrow." Danny said and hung up my phone.

I smiled. "Danny, this was perfect. We're a baseball couple….a proposal at the opening game of my favorite team….and still able to share it with our friends."

"I told you I wanted tonight to be special." Danny kissed me.

"It was perfect."

"I say we break out the champagne…toast to my future bride." Danny smiled and handed me the flute glasses.

_**Author's Note- **I do not know for sure what Turner Field offers, but I do know that PNC Park in Pittsburgh does offer an "I Do" Package complete with the basket, champagne, camera, etc. I have seen several proposals on Pirate games from this. _


	94. Planning

_BridgetLynn- Good luck with the job search. And I am glad you were able to review. _

_Tara6- Everyone is so gung ho for Don and Aiden I am starting to fear for my safety, LOL. JK I had this proposal idea since I started the story._

_Feenx86- I am glad. So much enthusiasm._

_Snowbear96- After a sweet proposal like that, we all want to marry him._

_Meadow567- Is there anything I can write that you're not predicting? What if Mac asks out Donald? JK_

_Trizzy- Deep breath. Don't cry. Forever? I am glad you're so excited about the story. How did everyone know it would be Atlanta? LOL_

_Miss Metal- Let go of Flack. We need him. Now deep breath._

_Emador- If you're done fainting….LOL. And it's still not too late for Mac to be seriously injured._

_Jordayna- Cinderella's castle? Major props to your man. That is romantic. _

Aiden and I met for lunch the first Friday I was back from Atlanta. The day had been slow and no calls had came in so we had time to enjoy and talk about a few wedding plans.

"So you're jumping right into the wedding? No long engagement?" Aiden asked.

"No, it'd be silly. We know exactly what kind of wedding we want. We want to get married." I said. "Besides, we know this is right."

"I am so happy for you both." She smiled. "I can't believe Danny is getting married. He's the last one I expected. You've so changed him for the better."

I chuckled. "I think he's pretty perfect."

"So have you set a date yet?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, on the flight back. What are you doing June 30th?" I smiled.

"June? That fast. Damn girl….."

"Well I've always wanted to be a June bride. And I am not willing to wait until next June to be Mrs. Danny Messer." I said.

"Well I guess you'll be busy planning a wedding that'll be in about 11 weeks." Aiden said.

"It'll be easy. I already know what I want…you know how girls dream of this moment." I said. "And Danny is all 'it's your day. I'll just show up.'."

Aiden smiled. "The typical guy."

I took her hand. "Aiden, you're my best friend. You're my sister in every way that matters. I want you to be my maid of honor."

"Girl, you're gonna make me cry." Aiden said. "I would love to."

"Then my bridesmaids are all set. It'll be you, Emily and Stella." I said. "Danny is asking Flack to be his best man. They've been through so much together and been close so long…..Louie understood. But Louie is going to be a groomsman too. So are Sheldon and Mac."

"Mac? How'd you manage that one?" Aiden laughed.

"Well Danny wanted Mac in the wedding. I mean he has known Mac so long and Mac has helped him out of some tight spots and all. But you know Mac…so I batted my eyes at him. And then told him in all seriousness how much it would mean to Danny and me to have him in the wedding."

"Where are you having the wedding?" Aiden asked.

"The church Danny's mother raised him and Louie in. Danny called the priest this morning and made the arrangements. And the priest is willing to work out a ceremony suitable for us since I am not Catholic." I explained.

"Wow, you really are getting things planned." Aiden said.

"But I am going to need your help…and just to annoy Don I am having a wedding planning folder at work and asking him for opinions on things when we have slow days." I giggled.

"All of us ladies have to go dress shopping sometime." Aiden said.

"Emily is already jumping up and down to do that. I said sometime next week. You ladies are gonna be wearing something in green." I said.

"What kind of tuxes are the guys getting?" Aiden asked.

"They're not getting tuxes except for Louie. All the guys are wearing their dress police uniform." I said.

"They'll look so fancy. I am so excited. And you know we're planning you a bachelorette party." Aiden said.

"The guys are planning one for Danny too. I think I should be nervous…I've heard talk of getting Mac a lap dance." I laughed.

Aiden cracked up. "If they do I want pictures."

"I am so excited. We're going to have our engagement pictures taken next week." I said.

"What kind of flowers are you having?"

"Mixed Summer flowers, because that is what Danny sent me the first time he ever sent me flowers." I smiled. "And I just want to warn you. To help make our wedding night more special….Danny is cut off from sex as of Mother's Day."

"You're gonna make him go 7 weeks without sex? I am so gonna enjoy watching him squirm." Aiden laughed.

"He's already trying to talk me down to Memorial Day as the cut off point…I ain't budging." I giggled.

"You're so happy." Aiden smiled.

"Danny makes me happy." I said.

(Brooklyn)

Danny and Louie were hanging out at Louie's apartment. They were watching a Yankees game on TV and having a few beers.

"How goes the wedding plans?" Louie asked.

"Rora is meeting with Aiden right now. She'll probably come back with everything planned and ready to go." Danny smiled.

"She's really happy." Louie said. "Have you talked to dad?"

"Not yet. I don't know if I want him at the wedding or not." Danny said.

"Mom would be so proud. She'd love Aurora." Louie said.

"I wish she could be there." Danny said.

"Remember when we were kids picking on little girls and mom would always tell us to be nice to them because we'd marry one some day?" Louie asked. "Now you really are."

"I can't see my life without her." Danny said.

"You're sure she's the one." Louie stated more than asked.

"I am. By the time I had been dating her a month I knew this was it. I'd marry her, have babies with her, and grow old with her." Danny said.

"She's quite a woman. She's got a good heart, she's funny and smart…and she's beautiful." Louie said.

"God Louie, I remember the first time I saw her. We walked to this crime scene with a body hanging from a tree. Rora was standing there with Flack. I thought she was gorgeous. Of course, I had to be an ass and get her name wrong and make fun of her initials…all in good humor though." Danny smiled.

"Don brags he kissed her." Louie laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Last summer, Don and Rora had to go under cover at a college rave and they posed as a couple. You should've seen Aurora. She had on this short little skirt, a baby tee shirt and heels. I swear if Mac and Don hadn't have been there I'd have thrown her against the nearest wall and screwed her brains out. Anyways, Don and Rora go into the rave….I don't know the details but they kissed. Guess it wasn't anything serious."

"You let Don near her when she was dressed like that?" Louie chuckled.

"We weren't dating at the time. I was crazy about her but not sure how to ask her out. Although I was so jealous of Don I could taste it." Danny said.

"What made you finally ask her out?"

"Tanglewood kidnapping her…..I realized how close I came to losing her. I have never been more scared of anything in my life than I was those three days they had her." Danny said. "I decided that if we got her back alive, I'd tell her how I felt."

"You know that I had nothing to do with that. I'd never have let them hurt you like that." Louie said.

"I knew then you weren't involved. If I had thought for one second that you were involved I'd have looked you up and killed you to get her back." Danny said.

"You're very lucky. She's a terrific girl. Where are you taking her for a honeymoon?" Louie winked.

"I don't know. I kinda hinted at the beach." Danny said.

(Queens)

I walked up the front steps of Donald's home. I had called him asking if I could stop over to talk with him for awhile. He had told me to come on over. I knocked on the door.

Donald answered. "Aurora, it's so good to see you."

I hugged him. "Thanks. It's always good to see you."

He grabbed my hand. "Donnie was right, that is some ring."

"I love it. I never in a million years dreamed I have a Tiffany's diamond engagement ring." I said.

"Come on in." Donald ushered me into his house. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks. I have to meet everyone in a bit for dinner. Stella kinda insisted we all have dinner together this weekend to celebrate." I said.

"Well have a seat. You know you never have to call and ask to visit me." Donald said.

"I know. I appreciate that too. You've been very good to me." I said.

"You're my son's partner. You're marrying my adopted son. And you're like the daughter we were trying for when we got Donnie's little brother." Donald laughed.

"Well that's kinda what I came to talk to you about." I said. "I've already started getting things together for the wedding."

"Donnie told me Danny asked him to be best man." Donald smiled.

I nodded. "And well, you know my dad passed away a few years ago. No one will ever take his place in my heart. But you've been so good to me and Danny….just like a father. I was wondering if you'd give me away at the wedding?"

"Aurora….are you sure? I don't want to take an honor belonging to another man." Donald said.

"My dad is gone…but I am sure he'll be there in spirit, same as Danny's mom. And I know he'd be happy that you're looking out for me and being someone I can depend on. He would want someone that cares about me to give me away now that he can't. There is no one else I would ask…..except maybe Mac and he's already a groomsman." I said.

"I would be honored." Donald smiled. "I never thought I'd get to do that having two boys."

I chuckled. "You catch a break. You get to be 'father of the bride' without the bill it usually costs to marry off a daughter."

"It means a lot to me that you asked me." Donald took my hand.

"You mean a lot to me. And I am so glad you accepted." I smiled. "And part of me gets a mean glimmer of satisfaction at the fact that Papa Messer's son will be marrying a girl given away by Det. Donald Flack Sr."

"That's an irony." Donald laughed.

(Manhattan)

Danny and I walked into the restaurant to meet the others. I had met him after leaving Donald's home. Mac, Flack, Aiden, Emily and Sheldon were already waiting for us.

"Hey everyone." I smiled.

"Where's Stella? This was her idea." Danny said.

"She's on her way." Aiden said.

Danny and I sat down.

"How goes the wedding plans?" Sheldon asked.

"Don't bring that up." Flack groaned. "She's already been looking at wedding gowns online and asking my opinion. How the hell am I supposed to know about wedding gowns?"

I giggled. "The wedding is still a few months away and I'm just getting started."

Aiden punched Flack in the arm. "It's the biggest time of our best friends' lives. Quit griping."

"Fine, but if she starts asking me about floral arrangements, I am transferring to the narcotics squad." Flack said.

"I'll talk about the wedding too. As a bridesmaid I have to help plan the bridal shower, bachelorette party, take care of anything Rora needs help with." Emily smiled.

"Now I know why men just say 'whatever you want, I'll just show up'." Flack sighed.

"Do you hear Sheldon complaining? He's around Emily all the time and he isn't throwing a fit." Aiden said.

Flack rolled his eyes. "Mac, you've been through a wedding before. How did you handle it?"

"It was a small wedding. But I let Claire do what she wanted. I bought a ring and showed up." Mac smirked.

Flack sighed. "Oh fine. Do you need help picking out a caterer? I could help taste foods."

"If you can't beat them join them?" Danny laughed.

"Might as well." Flack smiled. "And I get to help with the bachelor party."

Stella walked in carrying a large cake box. She sat it down on the table.

"We just had to get you two a cake." She smiled.

'Congratulations Danny and Aurora' the cake said in blue.

"Thanks Stella." I hugged her.

"While you're all here….there is something we'd like to tell you." Danny said.

"Something wrong?" Aiden asked.

"No, nothing like that. It's just…well Rora and I have talked it over…." Danny said.

"And after the wedding…we're moving outside the city. We're keeping our jobs and everything. We're just moving to a nice suburb." I said.

"We were thinking Pelham Bay area, or Scarsdale." Danny said.

"That's not so far." Mac said. "Why the move?"

"We want to buy a house. Have a place with a yard and flower beds. Somewhere where kids can play, and we can have neighbors we actually know." I said.

"Kids?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm not pregnant!" I said. "But after the wedding….Danny and I have decided we want to start a family."

"A baby? You're gonna start trying for a baby. Oh that is so exciting!" Aiden practically leaped over the table to hug me.

"Sheldon you're a doctor. You can tell them little tricks to help them conceive." Emily said.

"Oh no. Are you hearing these girls? They haven't even started trying yet and these girls are jumping up and down already." Flack sighed. "And if Aurora gets pregnant that means I'll be dealing with a partner eating everything in sight while having mood swings. No, no, no. Come on Mac, you got to do something."

"What is he supposed to do?" Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Run to their house every time their about to have sex and put a condom on Danny?"

Mac raised an eyebrow. "Leave me out of this."

"I think it's wonderful they want to have a baby." Stella smiled. "What is wrong with you Flack? You're being a big Grinch lately."

I smiled. "Besides, you get to be Uncle Donnie. If it's a boy you get to be the cool uncle that buys him his first Playboy. And if it's a girl you get to threaten her dates…or at least help Danny threaten her dates."

Flack gave a small smile. "I'll keep a jar of pickles on my desk for you."

I squeezed his hand. "I know you Flack. You're a bigger sap than you're letting on."

"A wedding…moving out of the city, trying for a baby. Our little Danny is all grown up." Stella winked.


	95. Dogs and Houses

_Tara6- Picking on Don is fun, because you know he loves those girls and gripes a lot more than it really bothers him._

_Snowbear96- LOL, puns. Just wait and see what I do with that. Danny is great to write._

_Meadow567- Now were you daydreaming about the story or just the hot guys in it? LOL_

_Jordayna- Your excitement is so cute. A lot will be happening. _

_Trizzy- You know those guys just have to pick on Mac a little bit. Just wait till those parties. And I knew for a long time now she would ask Donald to give her away. Little Messers….that sounds so cute._

_Miss Metal- Poor Don, all these women after him. And you weren't freaking out over the fact they want a baby?_

_Emador- The fact that you know that about Don scares me a bit! LOL I love writing humor. Just wait till what comes after this chappie. _

Flack and I walked up the steps of the apartment building. A neighbor had reported hearing a gunshot next door and called the police, when uniforms responded they found a man dead of a self-inflicted wound.

"What are the uniforms reporting?" I asked.

"Shotgun next to the man, a suicide note nearby. I called the lab to have them look just to be sure." Flack said.

"We have an ID on the DOA?" I asked.

"Building super said the apartment belonged to a Michael Leyfield. I ran his name, no record. 34 years old, not married." Flack said.

We walked into the apartment. Michael was lying on the couch. The shotgun was on the floor. The gun blast appeared to have been to the chest.

"This is a mess." I said.

"There's the note on the table." Flack said.

"Lab will have to go over it just to be sure it's not a forgery or has other prints on it." I said.

I walked over and looked down at the note and read it aloud.

"My dear Bernard. I am sorry but the loneliness is too much. Please forgive me. I've made arrangements for your care. Michael." I read.

"Who is Bernard?" Flack asked.

"I don't know. Small apartment and no roommate listed on the lease." I said.

Mac and Danny walked in.

"What a case to be my first back in the field." Danny sighed.

"It looks like a suicide. Let's make sure it is." Mac said. "Danny take pictures of the scene."

"Also, we need to find anything that might clue us as to who Bernard is. Michael talks about him in the suicide note." I said.

"I'll test his hands for GSR and measure the length of his arms against the length of the gun to see if he could've pulled the trigger." Mac said.

"I'll look around the apartment and see if anything sticks out." I said.

I walked into the kitchen. It was clean. Dishes were washed in the sink. I looked in the corner and saw a food and water dish.

"Flack, did uniforms mention a pet? There is food and water here for one." I called out.

"Nothing mentioned to me." Flack called back.

I frowned. If there was a pet in the apartment, it was probably hiding somewhere; scared by all the strange people walking around. I walked back through the apartment still looking for a pet. I walked into the bedroom. The room was clean and quiet.

I heard a jingling sound. I turned and whistled. I heard nothing else. Following a hunch I bent down and looked under the bed. There was a little puppy cowering under the bed.

"Hey little guy." I said and reached for him. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. I know today must be a scary day for you."

I pulled the puppy from under the bed. He was small and shaking. He looked like a Yorkshire Terrier puppy. I noticed he was wearing a collar. I checked his tags. His name tag read 'Bernard'.

"It's okay. Come on…you're safe now." I said and carried the tiny puppy back into the living room.

"Hey everyone, I found Bernard." I said.

"A dog?" Flack asked.

"His tags read Bernard." I said.

"You mean this guy wrote a suicide note to his dog?" Danny asked.

"It's well documented that people write strange things in their suicide notes. Anything from their final goodbyes to a shopping list." Mac said.

"The note said he had made arrangements for Bernard's care. We need to find out what that was. This little guy needs a home now." I said.

"Mac, what are you finding out?" Flack asked.

"GSR on his hands is minimal…consistent with a self-inflicted shotgun wound. His arms are long enough to have held the gun and still been able to pull the trigger." Mac said.

"No signs of forced entry. Nothing out of place. Everything points to a suicide." Danny said.

"Hawkes will have to examine the body. We'll look at the note back at the lab." Mac said. "I think the case is pretty open and shut."

(Men's Locker room)

"So, the guy gets lonely, kills himself and writes a note saying goodbye to his dog." Flack shook his head. "What a day."

"That's what happened. No evidence to prove otherwise." Danny sighed.

"Where is Rora?" Flack asked.

"She took Bernard to Michael's neighbors. We found a copy of his will and that's who he left the dog to. Along with money to ensure Bernard's care." Danny sighed. "I'm gonna head over to her apartment for awhile later."

"She's so excited planning this wedding." Flack smiled. "I've resigned myself to hearing about it."

"Hey, she's taking you to taste foods for the caterer. And she's taking you to sample cakes to hire a baker." Danny chuckled.

Don laughed. "Do you know how upset Chad Willingham was when he heard I got to eat free food to help with the wedding?"

"Aurora is very happy. It's nice. I am starting off my life with her." Danny said.

"You're really doing the guy 'I'll buy a ring and show up' thing." Don smiled.

"I don't care about the little things. What center pieces we have, or what flavor the wedding cake is. It's the bride's day, ya know. She's been dreaming of this to quote her 'Since Randy Savage married Miss Elizabeth at Summerslam 91' I know Aurora will plan a special day. All I care about is her being happy and spending the rest of my life with her." Danny said.

"And then you get to try for a baby." Don winked. "I am sure you'll enjoy that."

Danny chuckled. "It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it."

"You know my dad is already planning on being 'grandpa'. He also claims at the rate me and my brother are going, this could be his only chance to have grandchildren." Flack said.

Danny chuckled. "Flack, you'll meet someone. I mean you know how I used to be. But you'll meet the right woman and the next thing you know you're looking at her and picturing her in white, and showing you a positive pregnancy test and rocking a baby."

"I let her go." Flack sighed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Aiden isn't married. She and Louie are just hanging out. I think the only kissing they've done is a few quick pecks."

Flack looked at Danny. "I don't know."

"Flack, if you didn't really care about her you wouldn't act this way. And she's cares about you. Just talk to her. Ask her out. Push her against a wall and see if she has tonsils." Danny said.

"And then Louie will be pissed at me." Flack sighed.

"No he won't. Like I said, they're not serious." Danny said.

"But he has a big crush on her." Flack protested.

"Last week, Louie also told Aurora that if I ever die, he'll marry her and give her children to carry on the Messer name. It's Louie. He's Vicaro only with charm." Danny smiled.

"I'll think about it." Flack said.

(Manhattan)

I was sitting on my couch looking through the books of homes for sale our real estate agent had given us, when Danny walked in. I smiled up at him.

"The weather is really warming up out there. I don't think I wore a jacket all day." Danny smiled.

"I know what you mean. Spring is here." I said.

Danny sat down next to me. "Find anything you like?"

"There are a few here I really like." I told him. "I want something in an area with good schools, still close to the city, but has grass and trees. And I want a pool for summer get-togethers and family time."

Danny smiled and leaned back. "I've been thinking about a game room."

"Oh yeah?"

"I figure since between the two of us we have enough sport's memorabilia to start a museum…we should do a bar/game room with all our stuff in there. We'll get a big screen TV, and a few couches for one side of the room. And then we'll put in a bar, have a few beers on tap, bar stools and stuff. And all around we can decorate with our sports stuff. All the Braves and Miracle on Ice stuff. Stuff from the Yankees and my own career." Danny said. "What do you think?"

"I knew there was a reason I was marrying you. You're a genius." I kissed him. "I love that idea."

"And that way we'll have a place to watch games, and have the gang over." Danny said.

"I want a large family room. Large enough that at Christmas time we can have a huge tree." I said.

"And a master bedroom that has its own bathroom." Danny said.

"How are we ever gonna find a place?" I sighed.

"When the right one comes along we'll know it." Danny said. "And when we move in it we are so breaking in every room in the house."

I giggled and kissed Danny. "By the way, 80's night- all metal bands is this week."

"And we're going. I know. I am all ready to bang my head with Quiet Riot, get hysterical with Def Leppard, and talk dirty to you with Poison." Danny said.

"Emily and Sheldon are coming along." I said.

"Are they official yet?" Danny asked. "I asked Sheldon when I went for autopsy today, but he said they're 'dating'."

"I think they're unofficially official." I said. "When I talked to Emily she said they had been going out a lot and all that stuff. And she mentioned he's a good kisser…..don't ask."

"So Aiden is dragging Flack along too?" Danny asked.

"Flack is coming as far as I know. But Aiden is dragging Louie along. He's being a good sport. Says he wouldn't mind reliving the 80's for one night." I said.


	96. Metal Bands

_Trizzy- Don't shake my muses. And I know how you feel about getting mad at the CSI writers. I was furious when they took Aiden off the show and then killing her. And I am still pissed they killed Speed off CSI:Miami. I usually argue with the writers once a week over one of the shows! LOL_

_Tara6- Everyone is so worried about Aiden and Flack. I feel like Danny and Rora have been forgotten. LOL_

_Jordayna- Well dogs need to be let out and stuff where cats use a litter box. Cats are better for members of the NYPD with crazy hours! LOL Sad, I actually thought that out._

_Emador- I so didn't make that connection. It's a great pun for that though. Here is 80's night now breathe normal._

_Miss Metal- Glad you liked that case. And people really do write strange things in their suicide notes. I heard of a case where a guy reminded his wife to clean the bathroom sink. And your PM lost me completely._

_Meadow567- More proof how hott these boys are! LOL Hill does a sports show around here. He's pretty cool on it too._

_Snowbear96- He is so much fun to write too._

"Aurora, I can't believe you're actually going to wear that." Aiden said as the girls got dressed for 80's night- metals bands in the locker room.

"What?" Aurora looked down at the outfit she had worn to the rave the previous summer.

"Danny is going to rape you in that." Aiden chuckled.

"Well, after we hooked up last summer, he kept asking me to wear it for him sometime. I never got to. And since the weather has warmed up. I thought I'd surprise him and wear it to go clubbing." She smiled.

"You know every guy at the club is going to hit on you wearing that?" Aiden asked.

"I intend to make it very clear I am taken." Aurora said. "Where is Emily?"

"Sheldon is meeting her at Narc squad and then they're meeting us here." Aiden said.

"Oh good. I am anxious to hit the dance floor." Aurora said.

"You so have to grind against Danny wearing that." Aiden smiled.

"Oh I intend to." Aurora winked.

The girls shut their lockers and walked out of the locker room into the station. Don, Danny and Louie were sitting at Don's desk waiting for them.

"Aurora…..oh my god." Danny stared at her.

"You always said you wanted me to wear my rave outfit for you." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Weather finally warmed up."

"You look amazing." Danny said and kissed her.

"She'll be lucky if he doesn't bend her over my desk." Don said.

"You look so damn hott." Danny whispered in her ear.

She chuckled. "Oh the night is young."

Danny leaned in and nuzzled her neck.

"Get a room." Louie laughed.

"Are you looking at her? I'm not gonna be able to keep my hands off her." Danny said.

Don rolled his eyes. "Just remember, I got to have her in that outfit first."

Sheldon and Emily walked in.

"Aurora, wow….you look….wanna get married?" Sheldon joked.

"HEY!" Emily and Danny protested.

"Sorry, it's just she looks good." Sheldon smiled.

"That's the outfit she wore to that rave last summer." Aiden said.

"Why didn't Mac call me out to that case?" Sheldon said. Emily eyed him. "Sorry, it was a reflex."

Emily raised her eyebrow.

"Do you have any clothes like that?" Sheldon asked Emily.

"Well now that we're all here, can we get going?" Aurora asked. "I am anxious to get there."

"Danny is anxious to get you home." Louie said.

"Should we start a betting pool on how far into her apartment they make it?" Aiden laughed as they headed out.

(80's Night- Metal Bands)

The seven of them walked into 80's night. 'Carrie' by Europe was blasting and the place was packed.

"We'll need a booth for seven people." Aiden said.

"Try near the back." Sheldon said.

They walked along the back wall and did find a booth open. They all squeezed in and Flack pulled a chair up and sat at the end. Aurora was practically sitting on Danny's lap.

"So this is what I have been hearing about?" Louie asked.

"The girls make us come." Danny said.

"You love coming here." Aiden said.

"I like dancing with Rora." Danny said.

"You're gonna love dancing with her in that outfit." Don said. "Trust me."

"Aiden, I haven't tried dancing since before I was assaulted. You might have to be patient with me." Louie smiled and put his arm around her.

"I'm hitting the bar." Don stood up. "What does everybody want?"

"Just bring over a few pitchers of beer." Sheldon said.

Don walked over to the bar. Aurora snuggled closer to Danny. And Van Halen started playing.

"Who did you like better in Van Halen? David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar?" Louie asked.

"Sammy Hagar….just because he wasn't as big an asshole as Roth." Aurora said.

"But they had better songs with David." Sheldon said.

"Still, David Lee Roth was an ass." Aiden said. "He didn't think Van Halen could live without him."

Aurora cuddled closer to Danny and slid her hand under the table to rest on his knee.

"You know what metal band was awesome in the 80's…..Def Leppard." Emily said.

"Yes, I just love them. And their drummer that lost his arm and still plays. He's awesome." Aurora said.

"I remember when 'Pour Some Sugar on me' came out. I played that song till I wore it out." Aiden said.

Aurora slid her hand higher up Danny's leg along the inside of his thigh. He looked over at her and she just kept talking as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I liked Damn Yankees when they came out." Louie said.

"Hell no. Ted Nugent is the biggest asshole on the planet. If I could shoot him I would…with his own goddamn bow and arrow." Aurora said.

"Little Miss Animal Rights." Emily giggled.

Danny's breath hitched in his throat. He grabbed her hand and held it so she couldn't tease him anymore. She looked over at him and smiled.

Flack returned to the table with a few pitchers of beer for the group and shots of whiskey for himself.

"Geez Flack, you want us to carry you home?" Sheldon asked.

"Just feel like drinking." He answered.

Sheldon put his arm around Emily as Aiden poured beer for everyone.

"If they play enough of the Metal ballads, a lot of the guys here tonight will be getting laid." Aiden said.

"Oh I know. Those metal ballads just make you melt." Emily said.

"Not you too." Flack sighed.

"What?" Emily was confused.

"All you women get all mushy from those metal ballads." Don said. "Something about bad boys with a soft side."

"Oh that is so sexy." Emily said.

"It's official…Aiden, Aurora and Emily are a threesome." Flack sighed.

"Can I watch?" Sheldon smiled. Emily rolled her eyes at him. "It was a reflex." Sheldon smiled.

Aurora chuckled. "Face it guys. You're guaranteed getting laid if you play metal ballads. Why men haven't learned this before I don't know. I mean have you ever seen the women at metal concerts when the band plays a ballad like Warrant's 'Heaven' or Bad English's 'When I See You Smile'? The women go crazy."

"Note to self- buy some metal ballads CD's." Sheldon smiled.

(Later)

The group sat and talked for awhile, as Aurora did her level best to tease Danny. A few times the group had raised eyebrows at them but didn't say anything. Aurora had taken off her shoes and ran her foot under Danny's jeans, up his leg as far as she could; she had tickled behind his knee…..anything she could think of.

"Let's go dance everybody." Aiden said.

"I am headed back to the bar." Don said.

The other six took to the dance floor with their respective partners as Def Leppard's 'Animal' played.

Aurora pulled herself close against Danny.

"You're certainly in a mood tonight." Danny said.

"You complaining?" Aurora asked and leaned in to lick his neck.

Danny groaned. "God no."

Aurora chuckled and started grinding against Danny. Danny groaned and leaned in to kiss her. Aurora leaned into the kiss, sliding her hands down his chest. Danny threaded his fingers in her hair and held her head still. She groaned and slid her hand down to the front of his jeans.

Danny pulled back from her and grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dance floor.

"Baby, where are we going?" she asked as Danny pulled her to the back of the club.

Danny didn't answer just pulled her into a back hallway that was dimly lit. There was a payphone on the wall and doors leading to the restroom.

"Danny?" Aurora asked.

Danny pulled her into the men's room that was empty. He locked the deadbolt on the door.

"Danny?"

He pinned her against the door, kissing her hard. "That outfit…the teasing…I want you now."

Danny kissed her hard again. She moaned into his mouth as his hands found their way under her shirt pushing her bra aside. Aurora wrapped one leg around his and rubbed herself along his body.

"Condoms?" she breathed. "Danny…oh god."

Danny licked down her neck. "Pocket….figured I'd need them with metal bands playing."

Aurora reached for Danny's belt unbuckling it and reaching in his pocket to find a condom.

"Ho tanta voglia di fare l'amore con te tesoro." Danny nearly growled at her.

Danny grabbed the condom from her hand ripping it open.

"In questo momento mi ecciti da morire." Danny said.

He reached down behind her knees lifting her up and wrapping her legs around him. She braced herself on his shoulders. Danny reached under her skirt and pushed her thong aside; he plunged into her in one thrust. Kissing her to swallow her scream.

(Dance Floor)

Emily was dancing with her head on Sheldon's shoulder. Foreigner's 'I Want to Know What Love is' was playing.

"Are you having fun?" Sheldon asked her.

She smiled at him. "Yeah, it's fun hanging out with everyone."

"You know the Policeman's Ball is coming up in a few weeks. You wanna go together?" Sheldon asked.

"You know I do." Emily smiled.

Sheldon kissed her and smiled.

Aiden, who was dancing with Louie, tapped on Sheldon's shoulder.

"Have you seen Danny and Rora?" she asked.

Sheldon shook his head. "Did they go to the bar to get a drink?"

"I dunno, I just noticed they were missing." Aiden said.

"Let's head back to the table. Maybe they're there." Louie said.

The four of them headed back to the table. Flack was there, still downing shots.

"Flack, have you seen Danny and Rora?" Emily asked.

"Nope." Flack said.

"How many of those have you had?" Sheldon asked.

"A lot." Flack said.

"Slow down. You're getting drunk." Sheldon said as they sat down.

"Were Danny and Rora at the bar?" Louie asked.

"I haven't seen them." Flack snapped.

"No more." Sheldon said. "I'll get him some water."

Sheldon went to the bar to get some water.

"There they are." Aiden said.

Danny and Aurora were walking back towards the table, holding hands. They both looked flushed and slightly disheveled.

"Walking back from the bathrooms." Louie laughed. "Guess the outfit got to him."

"Hey guys." Aurora said as she sat down.

They all smirked at her.

"Did you have fun?" Emily winked.

Aurora bit her lip and looked at Danny.

Danny smirked. "Just great. Dancing to these metal bands really gave me a thirst."

Louie raised his eyebrow. "Nice try little brother."

"What? You see what she is wearing. And she was teasing me all night." Danny smiled.


	97. Digging Up the Past

_Trizzy- I still miss Speed too. And yeah they could've replaced him with worse. Heaven knows NY replaced Aiden with worse. And well Flack…..stay tuned._

_Meadow567- Well I know you enjoyed it. I figured you would. _

_Snowbear96- The official hugger is at it again. Thing will look up for Flack soon._

_Jordayna- Danny is cut off after Mother's Day. Right now it's just late April. And I agree about Roth._

_Legolasgirl- Love my BoSox and Hotlanta. I had been planning to for Rora to wear the outfit for Danny since before they hooked up. And Don…well you'll see. Thanks for the review, I love them._

_XX- Yay, because I love your reviews. I really do. Although your rant about Don scared me a bit and I am now hiding behind Mac. You should know by now that all my plots are planned out and while they might drive you crazy, everything will come out in time. So take a deep breath. And quit ignoring Danny and Rora, LOL. I am glad you liked the proposal. I had planned that for them since I started the story. It just fit the way they are about baseball. And no strangling my muses. Not even Vicaro because he is fun to write. And you're so gonna love some of the stuff after Mother's Day as Danny is cut off. Keep those reviews coming. _

_Emador- Police ball is soon. Sheldon is so much fun to write. And I love a lot of Def Leppard songs. You should hear Rascal Flatts version of Pour Some Sugar on Me. It's awesome._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Yay, you're back. I hope you enjoy this chappie._

_Alexa- I am so glad you reviewed and enjoy the story. I love writing it. Thank you for your comments. _

"Flack, we got a call in Yonkers. Somebody was digging to lay the foundation for a gazebo and found human bones. Stella and Aiden are on it. Hawkes is going straight to the site." I said.

"What a way to start the week." Flack said as we walked out of the station. "What do we know about the people that called it in?"

"Rhonda and Jim Frount. Just bought the house last year. Decided this spring they would make some home improvements like millions of families around the US. Started digging this morning and got the shock of a lifetime." I said as we climbed in an SUV.

"We'll need to research previous owners of that property." Flack said.

"Wonder how long neighbors have lived in the area. If some have lived there a long time, we can do some interviews." I said.

Flack drove us to Yonkers. Crime Lab was already on the scene. Sheldon was by the make shift grave. A skull was visible.

"What do we have?" I asked.

"So far, just a human skull. Texture tells me it's the real deal." Sheldon said. "We'll have to slowly exhume the rest of the body and process everything, including the soil."

"Can you tell how long the body has been there?" Flack asked.

"There is no oily residue left on the bones. Without seeing anything else…I'd estimate more than fifteen years." Sheldon said.

"Okay…that alibis the Frount family." I said. "So we need to find out who was living here 15 years ago…all the way back to 25 years ago."

"After the body is recovered, I'll run dental records of missing persons from the time period." Sheldon said.

"If that doesn't turn up anything, I'll do a facial reconstruction." Aiden said.

"Okay, fine tooth comb. Let's not miss anything." Stella said.

"Flack and I will check and see if anyone has lived in the neighborhood a long time and might know anything." I said.

(Later)

Flack and I returned to the scene an hour later. We'd found that two families on the block had lived in the neighborhood for more than 15 years, but didn't know who might be buried in the backyard of the Frount's home.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"More of the bones. From the pelvic bone, I can tell you that our victim was female; and she had given birth." Sheldon said.

"You can tell that from the pelvic bone?" Flack asked.

"Females pelvic bones are different than males to allow for pregnancy and child birth." Sheldon explained. "The bones then move slightly during child birth to allow the baby pass through. This woman had her baby naturally."

"Can you tell a cause of death?" Flack asked.

"I'll know more when I get her back to the lab for a more thorough exam. Right now I'd say stabbing. She has nicks on several of her ribs, her ulna, and fibula." Sheldon said.

"Did you find anything in the grave with her?" I asked Stella and Aiden.

"No, which is strange. Even after 15 years there should be fragments of clothing, a shoe or something." Stella said.

"And if she had been wearing any jewelry, it would be here. We got nothing." Aiden said.

"She was buried naked. No clothes, no jewelry…not even a clasp in her hair." Stella said.

"She wasn't buried very deep. Chances are the grave was dug quickly." Aiden said.

"If she had a child…could we run her DNA through CODIS looking for a relative?" I asked.

"We could look for a maternal match, but that's hard to get." Stella said.

"It's worth a try. Right now we don't have much to go on." Aiden said.

"After an exam, I'll let you know how tall she was, her race and more information about her." Sheldon said.

"Then let's get her downtown." Stella said.

(Morgue)

Stella and I walked into the morgue. Sheldon had the skeletal remains all laid out on a table.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

Sheldon looked up. "Cause of death was definitely stabbing. I can't tell the length of the weapon used…but most likely it punctured her lungs and severed arteries."

"What can you tell us about her?" Stella asked.

"From the structure of the skull, I can tell she was Caucasian. Bone structure suggests she was about 5' 6" tall and around 30 years old." Sheldon said.

"Narrows our search criteria. Flack has found nothing in missing persons so far." I said.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Stella asked.

"Her skeleton has no distinctive marks. No screws or rods from surgery, and no healed fractures." Sheldon said.

"Records show that 18 years ago, the house was owned by Dustin Nelson. He moved out in 1988. The house was vacant until 1990 when Thomas Sutton bought it." I said.

"We need to look up those families. See if they had female relatives or friends that went missing." Stella said.

"Aiden has already sent for the skull. She is going to reconstruct the face." Sheldon said.

"I'll get started determining what kind of weapon made those nicks in her bones." Stella said.

"Flack and I will track those families and see what we find." I said.

(Station)

"Hey Aurora, look at this." Flack handed me a file. "Turns out Dustin Nelson had a habit of domestic violence."

I opened the file. "He was married to a Tammy Nelson. She calls the police to report him hitting her 4 times from 1986 to 1988, but never followed through and pressed charges."

"Possible this guy went too far and killed her. I checked and there has been no activity on Tammy Nelson's social security number since 1988." Flack said.

"She could be our Jane Doe. I'll have her dental records checked. Was she ever reported missing?" I asked.

"No. One other thing. She has a daughter. I checked birth records and Tammy gave birth to her daughter in May of 1987. Daughter's name is Elizabeth." Flack said.

"She'd now be almost 19 years old." I said. "When Aiden gets that facial reconstruction done, let's compare that to pictures of Tammy Nelson."

"In the meantime, I could find nothing unusual about the Sutton family. Wife and both daughters of that family are accounted for." Flack said.

"We'll get to them later if we need to. They're still on our list to interview. Where is Dustin Nelson today?" I asked.

"He lives in Jersey." Flack said. "Elizabeth lives with him. No record of Tammy."

"Something is up with this even if our Jane Doe isn't Tammy." I said.

"What would be the chances or Tammy being missing and another woman being buried where they used to live?" Flack asked.

"You never know. I want to be sure before we pay a visit to Dustin Nelson." I said. "But right now this is looking good. Tammy is Caucasian and had a baby."

"And her husband liked to knock her around and she seems to be missing." Flack said.

I picked up my cell phone. "Burn."

"Aiden, listen as soon as you're done recreating the face, bring pictures down here. We have someone to compare it to." I said.

"I am almost finished." Aiden said.

"I'm calling for dental records as well. This is going to be a hard one to solve and I want every angle covered." I said.

"You sound like Mac." Aiden chuckled.

"Hey, that marine solves a lot of cases. And I adore him." I smiled.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Aiden said.

I hung up the phone and turned to Flack. "While we have a few minutes…there is something I should tell you."

"Yeah?" Flack looked at me.

"Sometime this afternoon Aiden is going to be getting flowers from you, and in the card you ask her to be your date to the policeman's ball." I said.

"What? What in the hell are you talking about?" Flack asked.

"I am sick and tired of you moping around about her. I've never seen you act this way over anything. And you really care about her…that's why you've been moping and so careful about how you approach her. You don't want to hurt her." I said. "Well I just decided to give you two a nudge."

"Aurora? Are you nuts? She's going out with Louie…."

"They are just friends. Their dates are like the ones I have with Mac….except for the grinding at 80's night last week. Trust me, even Louie knows you have a thing for her….hell Stevie Wonder could see it at this point." I said.

"But…you shouldn't have done that. You pried…."

"Okay maybe I did. But I love you both, and she really wants to go out with you. And you want to go out with her….and for you both to be such hardasses you're being silly about this." I said.

Flack looked up at me. "What did the card say?"

"That you wanted a nice way to ask her to the policeman's ball so you went with the good old standby of sending flowers. You hope she'll say yes and looking forward to spending a nice evening with her." I smiled.

Flack glared at me. "I hate you, you know that."

"You love me. And you know you want to go with her." I laughed.

Flack gave a small smile. "I'm lucky I have you. How much do I owe you for ticking your nose in?"

"It's on the house." I smiled. "One more thing. While at the ball, you will ask her to be your date for the wedding."

"What are you? NYPD matchmaker?" Flack asked.

"Either you do it, or when I do get pregnant I am going to tell you in detail every bit of it. Every day of morning sickness, every exam the doctor gives me, every detail of child birth class…..I'll even get medical journals from Sheldon and show you." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Ewwww, fine fine. I'll ask her to be my date at the wedding." Flack sighed.

I chuckled. "About time you two got it together. Even Mac was noticing."

Flack smiled. "Some days I couldn't live without you, you know?"

"Oh I know." I chuckled and hugged him. "And make sure you're more charming than ever."

"Oh yeah?" Flack smirked at me.

"Yeah. Flirt; be cocky in a sweet way. Wear blue because it shows off those beautiful eyes of yours. And give her that drop dead sexy smile. And cologne…..nothing is sexier than a good smelling man." I laughed.

"I don't need a dating coach." Flack rolled his eyes. "And it sounds like you've been checking me out."

"Well I am not made of stone. And you know only that blonde Italian has my heart." I smiled.

Flack raised an eyebrow.

"And kiss her. Your kiss is enough to make a girl's panties wet!" I winked.

"Does Danny know you think that?" Flack smirked.

I chuckled. "Yeah and every time I joke about it, he wants to know exactly what we did inside that rave!" I laughed

**To Be Continued……. **


	98. Digging Up the Past 2

_Snowbear96- Sometimes Rora just has to do things herself! _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I hope you did well on all your exams! I am sure you did._

_Meadow567- She just took the bull by the horns! LOL And how bout them Champs?_

_Miss Metal- Wow, I didn't realize it was so funny! LOL I hope you can wake up._

_Trizzy- THANK GOD, I found someone else who hates the idea of Danny and Lindsay as much as I do. I hate her. I honestly wish that sniper that was on the finale of CSI:Miami would sneak to NYC and shoot Lindsay too!_

_Emador- In this chappie, Rora so has an H moment. If she put on sunglasses at the right moment…..you'll so understand when you see._

_XX- (Slowly peeks out from behind Mac to make sure its safe to come out.) I updated as fast as I could because the site has been having some troubles. I knew you would like that Rora just had had enough and decided to take action. And I love Vicaro now too. He grows on you. I have so many plans for this story. I keep saying that even though I am at chapter 98. And I bet Flack's kisses really do have that effect! Maybe Rora should've said that to Aiden, LOL._

_Jordayna- Does your husband know that? LOL Rora is my kind of girl. Hope you enjoy. _

Aiden walked into the station. "I finished the facial reconstruction."

"How did it turn out?" I asked.

She handed me a folder. "I had to guess on the hair and eyes, but her skull was intact so the reconstruction wasn't difficult."

I opened the folder and looked at the picture of the bust Aiden had made.

"Whoa….it's Tammy Nelson. Flack look at this." I said.

"You got a possible vic?" Aiden asked.

"The Nelson family lived there 17 years ago, which fits our time frame. The husband had a habit of beating his wife." Flack said. "Wow, that is her. Looks like we located Tammy."

"Never reported missing but no activity on her social security number since 1988." I said. "Aiden you did a great job on this for us."

"So how do you want to divide up the investigating from here?" Aiden asked.

"Flack and I are headed to Jersey to speak with the husband and daughter. Why don't you and Stella talk to other members of Tammy's family? She has a sister living on Staten Island." I said.

"Sheldon is checking the dental records now just to confirm, but this is her." Flack said.

"Okay, we'll let you know what we find out." Aiden said and headed out.

I smiled. "We should be heading to Jersey. By the way, what are you going to say to Aiden after she gets her flowers?"

"I dunno. That I am looking forward to the ball, I guess. You caught me by surprise. I still can't believe you." Flack said as we headed out.

"Well, just as long as something got the ball rolling for you two." I laughed. "I wish I could see her face when she reads the card."

We knocked on the door of the house that Dustin Nelson now lived in. It took a few moments but finally a young girl answered the door.

"Elizabeth Nelson?" Flack asked.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"Elizabeth, we're from the NYPD. This is Detective Don Flack, I'm Detective Aurora Denton. We'd like to talk to you about your mother." I said.

"Mom? You've heard from my mom?" she asked.

"Elizabeth, who's at the door?" A man appeared in the doorway.

"They're police. They have news about mom." Elizabeth said.

"Are you Dustin Nelson?" Flack asked.

"I am, what is going on?" he asked.

"Mr. Nelson, we need to talk to you about your wife. May we come in?" I asked.

"You got badges?" he asked.

Flack and I both held ours up.

"Those are from New York. This is New Jersey, you got no jurisdiction." Nelson said.

"But dad, they need to talk about mom." Elizabeth said.

"Mr. Nelson, the case involving your wife is our jurisdiction. Now either you cooperate and talk to us voluntarily, or we'll come back with the local police who will drag you in for an interview." I said.

"Elizabeth, go to your room." Nelson said.

"Actually we'll need to talk to her as well." I said.

"I'm her father and I say she is not allowed to speak to you." Nelson said.

"Elizabeth is over 18 years old so you no longer have any say in whether or not police question her." Flack said.

"It's okay. I don't mind talking to them." Elizabeth said.

Nelson stared a moment longer than opened the door and allowed us to enter his house. We walked into the living room and sat down.

"Mr. Nelson, when was the last time you saw your wife Tammy?" I asked.

"It's been years. Tammy left when Elizabeth was just a baby." Nelson said.

"She left?" Flack asked.

"Yes. We didn't get along very well. One day I came home from work to find Tammy was gone, along with some of her belongings. Elizabeth was in the crib crying. We never saw her again." Nelson said.

"And you never reported her missing?" I asked.

"No, I didn't think there was a reason. She left on her own. She abandoned us." Nelson said.

"What year was that?" Flack asked.

"1988. She left in July of 1988." Nelson said.

"Are you aware that there has been no activity on Tammy's social security number since 1988?" Flack asked.

Nelson shrugged. "How would I know? I just said we haven't heard from her."

"Why did you leave NYC in 1988? Seems a little odd that your wife leaves and then suddenly you sell your house and move." Flack said.

"I never liked New York City. Tammy was the one that loved it so much. With her gone, I decided to move somewhere I liked." Nelson said. "What is this all about?"

"We found your wife's remains earlier today." I said.

"Mom is dead?" Elizabeth's eyes got wide.

"I'm sorry. Facial reconstruction and check of dental records confirm it." I said.

"Where was she?" Elizabeth asked.

"She was found in the backyard of the house you lived in while in NYC." Flack said. "The new owners were doing some home improvements that required digging and found a skeleton."

"What…what happened to her?" Elizabeth asked, visibly shaken.

"From what our ME can tell, she was stabbed repeatedly." I said.

"We had no idea." Dustin said.

"Mr. Nelson, do you have any idea who would've harmed your wife?" I asked.

"No."

"Did you kill your wife?" Flack asked.

"My father would never do such a thing." Elizabeth snapped.

"We don't mean to upset you." I told her. "But before her death, Tammy called the cops several times reporting domestic violence."

"That's not true." Elizabeth said.

Flack threw the pictures from the file down on the coffee table. "Well somebody put those bruises on her."

Elizabeth looked at the pictures, her eyes going wide. "Daddy?"

"That's enough." Nelson stood up. "It's time for you to leave."

"Not quite. See you want us to believe that someone else killed your wife and buried her in your backyard?" I asked.

"Must've been what happened. Now get out." Nelson said.

"No one else beat on her. Isn't it possible one night things went too far?" Flack asked.

"Get out before I press charges of harassment." Nelson said.

"Daddy what happened?" Elizabeth asked.

"We'd like to know the same thing." I said.

"You have no proof that I killed Tammy." Dustin said.

"But we have a history of domestic violence. And we have her body in your backyard." I said.

"I haven't lived there since 1988; anyone could've buried her there." Nelson said. "Now unless you have a warrant, get out of my house."

"We'll be in touch." I said. "Come on Flack."

(Station)

I sat at my desk and sighed. "We got nothing to get a warrant to search his place. If he would even have anything after this time."

"I don't know what more we can do." Flack sighed and slumped in his chair.

Stella walked in.

"What did you find out from Tammy's sister?" I asked.

"She said that one day Tammy just quit calling and coming around. When she went to check on her, Dustin told her that Tammy had left without a word." Stella said.

"Does she believe that?" Flack asked.

"No. She said she never believed that story. She said that Tammy was a very devoted mother to Elizabeth and would never have left her behind." Stella said.

"Why didn't she ever contact the police herself?" I asked.

"She was afraid of Dustin. She said if her sister disappeared…she might too." Stella sighed.

"We got nothing. Nothing to get a warrant. Nothing to bring Dustin Nelson in for more questioning." Flack sighed.

"Guess it's a dead end for now." Stella said.

"I'll keep a copy of the case folder on the edge of my desk to go over now and then. I'll make give Mac a copy too." I said.

"I need to get back to the lab. Sorry we couldn't find out more." Stella said.

"Can't win them all." I said and watched her walk out.

"You know Nelson did this." Flack said.

"I know he did. I feel so bad for Elizabeth. All these years she has thought her mother abandoned her. Now she finds out her mom was murdered and her dad most likely did it." I said.

Flack rubbed his eyes. "I guess we can be grateful that he never physically harmed Elizabeth."

Suddenly Aiden rushed into the station, smiling and a bunch of flowers in her arms. Aiden went straight to Flack's desk and hugged him.

"You did the most adorable thing. I can't believe it." Aiden smiled and kissed his cheek.

I smiled and winked at Flack who looked a little surprised.

"I'd love to go to the policeman's ball with you. You could've just asked, you didn't have to send flowers." Aiden smiled at him.

Flack shrugged. "I thought I'd surprise you. Maybe Danny is wearing off on me."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. This really was cute to watch.

"Well it was a nice surprise. Listen, I am free after my shift. Why don't we grab some dinner. We can talk about the ball." Aiden said.

"Fine, with me. I'll be around the lab to find you later." Don smiled.

"Great. I'll see you then." Aiden smiled and walked out.

Don looked over at me. "Wait, did she just ask me out for dinner?"

"Yep. You're having dinner with Aiden and taking her to the ball." I smiled.

"I….wow." Flack said. "Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?"

I chuckled. "You're welcome."

"Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes." Flack said.

"You can't live without me." I smirked.

"No I can't." Flack kissed my cheek. "I'll see you later."

I laughed and shook my head as he walked out.

(New Jersey)

I parked the department SUV in front of Dustin Nelson's house. He was sitting on his porch. He frowned when I stepped out of the vehicle.

"This is harassment." Nelson said.

"Write your congressmen." I said and walked towards his house.

"What do you want? You caused enough trouble here today. My daughter is suspicious of me now." Dustin said.

I stopped on the top step. "She should be. You murdered her mother."

"You have no proof of that." Dustin said.

"Not yet I don't. You were very smart. Buried her body, told everyone she left and then moved yourself. You even intimidated her sister into not calling the cops." I held his gaze. "For 18 years you've gotten away with murder. Not anymore. While I can't arrest you now…someday I'll be able to."

"Oh really?" he asked.

"Yeah….you see me and a friend of mine have this habit of keeping files on our desks. Files of cases that are unsolved but nag us. We make it a point to go through those files periodically, track new leads and such. He's the best damn forensic detective in the state of New York….if evidence is there; we'll find it." I said.

"If that is all you came to say, you can leave now." Dustin stood up.

"Just one more thing. Know that I am going to haunt you until you're behind bars. Every time you think I have forgotten about this case, there I'll be. Breathing down your neck until I get justice for Tammy." I said. "And unlike Tammy's sister…..I can't be intimidated into silence. And I'd pay money to see you try to intimidate Mac Taylor."

Dustin turned and walked into his house. I gave a small smirk and turned and walked back to the SUV.

(Lab)

I walked into the lab. Danny was sitting at his desk. I walked over and hugged him from behind.

"Ciao bella." He smiled and kissed me.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Mac is around somewhere. Aiden took off to have dinner with Flack. She can't stop smiling." Danny said.

I giggled. "About time those two make a move in the right direction."

"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" Danny asked.

"We need to finalize the guest list. And write up our engagement announcement for the newspaper." I said.

"Are we inviting your family?" Danny asked.

I sat on the edge of his desk. "Just my oldest brother."

"I thought as much." Danny took my hand.

"You know….I told mom I was getting married and all she could do was gripe about the things I want for the wedding. I don't see why she cares about my gown, the limos etc….she doesn't have a dime invested." I said.

Danny looked up at me and squeezed my hand. "That is why I am letting you have whatever you want. This is your day. I just can't wait to see you walk down that aisle on Donald's arm."

I smiled at him. "And I love you so much for it. But it's our day. And that's why I refuse to have my mom there. She'd find a way to ruin it. And I am not sharing our day with Angie in any way shape or form. I've had to share too many big days in my life with her."

"Now I just have to figure out what I want to do about my dad." Danny said.

"Well since you've struggled with this for a few weeks, maybe I have an answer for you." I said. "He is your dad…biologically. Invite him. But he won't sit in the front pew as a parent, won't light the unity candle and won't sit at the family table."

Danny nodded. "I think I could live with that."

"And we need to decide on rehearsal dinner. We need to decide where to have it." I said.

Danny took my hand. "You know you glow every time you talk about the wedding?"

I sat down in his lap and kissed him. "It's because I love you so much. And I can't wait to be your wife."


	99. NYPD Policemen's Ball

_Snowbear96- Gotta have fluff. I enjoy writing it._

_Trizzy- I am glad you're as outraged as I am. And don't worry. Flack doesn't get harmed any more in this story. Although I have toyed with the idea of doing Lindsay as a cop in a different department that gets hit by a bus and then a dog hikes it leg on the mess left behind! LOL_ _Oh, which version of the rhyme did you want to sing about Flack and Aiden. The one about kissing or the other naughtier one?_

_Emador- What can I tell you? His spirit just took over. Wait till you see the episode that dialogue was from. It's great. And Aiden is just too cute. I still miss her. (Evil glare at nitwit!)_

_Miss Metal- You just now noticed that they are getting married? LOL Flack and Aiden have one date set so far. _

_Feenx86- Just wait and see. Everyone is so excited about those two…I think they've forgotten Danny and Rora._

_Jordayna- LOL, there are times having a mafia father-in-law comes in handy. All I can say is Dustin Nelson will be back in the future._

_Dybdahl- If it makes you feel any better, I get depressed because I can't find a guy like Danny. But when I find the right guy he'll be just as sweet and well suited for me._

_Meadow567- They finally are going on a date and you're not jumping up and down? I am shocked._

Danny and I walked into the policeman's ball. It was a big stuffy event. All the brass and bigwigs get together; throw a big party; formal and all. I looked for our table. Emily was sitting next to Sheldon. She was wearing a blue gown and had her hair curled. Sheldon looked great in his tux.

We made our way over to them. Danny looked great in his tux too. I smiled at him as he pulled out my chair.

"Aurora, you snuck back and got that dress." Emily said.

"I had to. I just loved it so much." I said to her. Emily, Aiden and I had been dress shopping the week before for dresses for the ball.

"I love it." Danny smiled as he sat down beside.

"Aiden liked it too." Emily smiled.

My gown was crème colored, sleeveless, and backless. Aiden had went on and on about it when we were all shopping. Because my hair was so long I only had half of it up.

"Our ladies look great." Sheldon smiled.

"Can't argue with that. Where are Aiden and Flack?" Danny asked.

"They should be here soon. Flack called me earlier and he was fighting with his bowtie." I said.

"Wait till Flack sees Aiden. She looked fabulous in the dress she bought." Emily smiled.

"I know. That red looked so nice with her dark hair. And that split up the front." I said.

"There they are…..wow look at Aiden." Sheldon said.

Danny turned and looked. "Flack is so lucky he's her date with her wearing that."

I chuckled. Aiden did look beautiful. She had her hair done up with a few tendrils around her face. She was wearing a beautiful red evening gown. Flack had managed to get his bowtie straight and looked great.

"Hey everyone." Flack said.

"Nice bowtie." I chuckled.

"Aiden helped me get it straight. I kept tying it to my finger." Flack shrugged as he pulled Aiden's chair out for her.

"Aurora that dress….I am so glad you went with that one." Aiden said.

"Yeah me too." Danny smiled as Flack sat down.

"You gonna drag her in the bathroom again?" Flack asked.

"Not here. My luck I'd turn around and there'd be Mac walking out of a stall." Danny laughed.

Sheldon cracked up. "I'd pay for pictures of Mac's face at that moment."

"Well this is Mother's Day weekend…so starting Monday…." Aiden laughed.

"No sex until the wedding." Flack finished.

Danny sighed. "Aurora can we move the wedding up…."

"No." I giggled. "You'll be fine. Get some of your porn back from Flack."

"Where is Mac? He was griping about having to be nice to the brass." Flack said.

"He'll be around. He's sitting with us." I said.

"I am right here. Had to sneak away from the chief." Mac said as he sat down between me and Flack.

"My other date is here." I smiled.

"Aurora, you're getting married next month, how much longer can I be your 'other date'?" Mac laughed.

"Don't worry about it Mac. You're one of a select few I actually trust with her." Danny smiled.

"I already informed him that you will always be my other man." I winked at Mac.

"My dad is her 'other man' too." Flack smiled.

"Your dad is a sweetie. He can be my other man too." Aiden said.

(After Dinner)

"That dinner was great. I think I gained 10 pounds." Aiden said as she checked her lipstick in the bathroom mirror.

"How are things with Flack?" I asked. "I have been dying to know."

Aiden smiled. "Really great. He has been so sweet. He helped me in and out of the cab. And he smells so good. Some new cologne because it sure isn't what he wears at work."

I chuckled. "That is great. He seems to be happy too."

"And how are things with Sheldon?" Aiden asked Emily.

"Great. We've been going out a lot. We hang out all the time. He's a really great guy." She smiled.

"Sheldon is a sweetheart. You're a lucky girl." I smiled.

"I think so too." Emily smiled.

"Okay Aurora, what did Danny first say when he saw you in that dress?" Aiden asked.

"He asked if we could skip the ball and stay home." I laughed.

"He is going to be fun to watch after you cut him off from sex." Aiden said.

"And we have to go shopping for honeymoon lingerie." Emily said.

The guys were back at the table, waiting for the girls to come back from the restroom.

"So Danny, this is your last weekend of having sex for awhile." Flack laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "You're enjoying that a little too much."

"And you know it's getting to be summer, warmer weather and all….Rora will be wearing less clothes. Tank tops and shorts." Sheldon chuckled.

"You gonna get all you can this weekend?" Flack asked.

"I am just going to enjoy the weekend with Aurora. And then look forward to the wedding." Danny said.

Mac smiled. "Look at the bright side, the wedding is in seven weeks."

"Mac, don't encourage them." Danny protested.

"Come on Danny. You know we gotta tease you about this a little bit." Sheldon said.

"Decided on a honeymoon spot yet?" Mac asked. "I know Aurora was letting you plan the entire honeymoon."

"Motel 6 in Brooklyn, never leave the room for two weeks." Flack smirked.

"No, actually I talked to Rora about it yesterday. We're going to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week, and then to the Smokey Mountains for a week." Danny said. "I really wanted to go to the beach, so I decided to hit that. And then Rora loves the Smokey Mountains and talks about going there with her dad as a kid."

"Isn't that where Dolly Parton's theme park is?" Mac asked.

"Yeah. Aurora can't wait to go back. I know I'll be up to my neck in country music and all, but she'll be happy." Danny said.

"I wonder if they'll have one of Dolly's bras on display." Sheldon said. The other three looked at him. "Sorry, you were saying."

Flack shook his head. "Danny, I can't believe you're really going to Dolly Parton's theme park."

Danny shrugged. "It won't be so bad. Rora has talked about it before and it sounds okay. Besides, you should've seen how happy she was when I told her we were going."

"Yeah, there's nothing like when their faces light up and you know you made them that happy." Mac smiled.

The three turned and looked at him.

"What? I'm a widower not a monk. I know how Danny feels. I used to love to make Claire smile." Mac said.

"Yeah, that is a nice feeling. Emily got that look the other day when I agreed to see a chick flick." Sheldon said.

"Which one?" Flack asked.

"I don't know. I fought to stay awake through it, and Emily was sobbing hysterically at the end…you know how it is with chick movies." Sheldon said.

"So Flack…finally a date with Aiden." Danny smirked.

"Thanks to Rora. Remind me to buy her lunch this week." Flack smiled.

"Aiden looks hott." Sheldon said.

"All three girls look hott. I fought the urge to make out with Aiden all the way here in the cab." Flack said. "And if Emily and Rora didn't have dates…."

"Mac, you don't have an official date." Danny said.

"I'm fine." Mac said.

"But there are lots of pretty women here tonight." Flack said.

"And lots of nice asses." Sheldon smiled at Mac.

Mac rolled his eyes.

"Come on Mac." Flack smirked. "How about the girl in green at the bar?"

"That's Jane you idiot." Danny rolled his eyes.

"She's married, never mind." Flack said.

"How about I just let Aurora be my date like she said." Mac sighed.

"Who said I wasn't your date?" I asked walking up to the table.

"No one. We were just talking." Mac glared at the other guys who seemed to be hiding smiles.

(Later)

'The Way You Look Tonight' was playing. Danny and Flack sat at the table watching other couples dancing. Aiden had asked Chad to dance and made his day. Emily was snuggled up with Sheldon. And Aurora was dancing with Mac.

"Sheldon and Emily look happy." Flack said.

"He's crazy about her." Danny said. "And don't think I don't know how crazy you are about Aiden."

Flack looked out and saw Aiden with Chad. "She's beautiful. I think I understand why you looked so goofy faced last year when you started falling for Aurora."

Danny smiled. "I'm not one to say I told you so."

"Oh yes you are." Flack rolled his eyes. "If I don't screw this up and do everything right….we could have something special."

Danny smiled. "Now about that lap dance for Mac."

"Luscious….you know the new place….they do this thing where five strippers handcuff the guy's hands over his head while he sits on a chair. And they unzip the guy's pants and somehow pull their underwear off through the zipper opening." Flack said.

"Mac will either kill us or we'll have to get him really drunk." Danny said.

"We're so doing that. We're hitting like 10 strips clubs that night. Wait till you see what we have planned for you." Flack winked. "And Aurora has already approved of anything we want to do short of you cheating on her."

Danny groaned. "And I can't even go home and screw her brains out."

Flack smirked. "I am going to love this."

Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Oh well, I only get one bachelor party. And knowing those girls, Aurora will be naked in a tub of chocolate pudding with that Batista pro-wrestler."

"Speaking of Rora…Mac just spun her around….I bet when he tries he's got moves we'd never believe. I bet he learned great stuff in the marines." Flack said. "She just kissed him…you getting worried?"

"Nah. Rora has a soft spot for Mac." Danny smiled. "Where are Hawkes and Emily?"

"I dunno. They were right there." Flack said.

"Well excuse me; I am off to dance with my fiancée." Danny said and stood up, walking towards Mac and Aurora.

(Later)

I nuzzled against Danny as we were dancing.

"We never had a policeman's ball in Pittsburgh." I said.

"Just think, in less than two months, we'll be dancing at our wedding." Danny said.

"I can't wait." I smiled up at him. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"You can show me later….what are you wearing under there?" Danny asked.

I chuckled. "You'll have to wait and see."

I looked over to see Flack and Aiden dancing together. Both were smiling and talking and seemed to be having a great time.

"You think now Aiden and Flack will wake up and realize how much they want to be together?" Danny asked.

"I hope so. Flack should be asking Aiden to be his date to the wedding any time now." I said.

"You think he'll ask her?"

"He knows what'll happen if he doesn't." I said.

"Why don't we go get some fresh air? There is a balcony." Danny said.

"Sure, that sounds great." I said.

Danny took my hand and started walking us towards the balcony. I could see the large double doors leading outside. Danny started to reach the handle but stopped.

"What is it?" I asked.

Danny smirked and pointed out the window. I looked to see Sheldon and Emily kissing…more like making out. I giggled.

"Let's leave them alone. That is so cute." I said.

"Let's go find Flack and Aiden and get a drink." Danny said and started pulling me across the edge of the dance floor.

I spotted Aiden and Flack and motioned for them to come with us. They left the dance floor and met us at the bar.

"So Danny, this no sex thing…does that mean no sex or no sex of any kind?" Flack snickered. "Can you still get blow jobs?"

Aiden punched his arm.

"Well I want to know." Flack laughed.

"No sex of any kind." I said.

Flack started laughing more. "I can't wait for the next seven weeks. I should be really mean bring him pornos, talk about hot girls….hell I might even buy him a Playboy."

Danny rolled his eyes.

Suddenly Emily came running up to us, nearly shrieking.

"Hey we just saw you…." I started.

"We're official….I mean, well you know how Sheldon and I have been dating for awhile now. He just made us exclusive. I guess that means we're official now." Emily said all in one breath.

Sheldon walked up to the guys smiling.

"Oh my god, that is so exciting." Aiden hugged her.

"That is. Oh I knew he liked you a lot. I am so happy for you." I hugged her too.

We did a group hug and were laughing and talking.

"Stand back, we might get something on us. They're about ready to explode." Flack sighed. "Some kind of women's ritual."

"So you're official?" Danny asked Sheldon.

"Well, it's not like I gave her my high school ring. But I wanted to date exclusive, brought it up….and well you see the girls now." Sheldon said.

"Don't you just love how these girls get us wrapped around their fingers before we realize what hit us?" Danny smiled.

"Speaking of which, Aiden is my date for the wedding." Flack said.

"I knew child birth would freak you out." Danny laughed.

**Author's Note**- _A local strip club here actually does the handcuffing a guy to a pole and ripping their underwear off thing. Lots of guys at my college have had it done at parties and stuff. And yet they're stupid enough to show me the pictures of it like I want to see! _


	100. The House

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Vacation? What is that? The closest I get is my friend's wedding that I am maid of honor in._

_Meadow567- Yes, this is 100. Hope you enjoy._

_Emador- Are you still giggling? The childbirth thing. Remember Aurora threatened Don, telling him if he didn't ask Aiden to be his date for the wedding when she got pregnant she'd tell him all about it in detail and such._

_Jordayna- Wedding nothing…wait till you see the bachelor and bachelorette parties! _

_Snowbear96- You have no idea. I have seen pictures from two different birthday parties with the birthday boy being handcuffed from that club. Wait till the CSI boys take Mac there._

_Feenx86- Mac a woman? Nah, I like him as the widower._

_Miss Metal- The wedding will be soon but not this chapter. I have to write Danny being horny for 7 weeks, LOL._

_Trizzy- You just wait till the bachelor party. And Danny as the Italian sex god…hmmmm. I always joked and said 'Danny gives new meaning to Italian Stallion'. _

"Aurora…I have a surprise for you. What are you doing?" Danny asked, walking into the station.

"I am looking at the Nelson case file. Mac and I are gonna meet and talk about it tomorrow." I looked up at him.

"Well, it's the end of your shift and I thought we could go celebrate." Danny said.

"What are we celebrating? May 17th has no particular meaning to me." I said.

Danny sat down on the edge of my desk and handed me a page from our real estate book.

"Recognize that?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, it's that house we looked at over the weekend. The one that was absolutely perfect. In ground pool, brick patio, huge master bedroom with private bath….even had a bar in the basement with taps. I was drooling all over the place." I said.

"I knew you liked it. I loved it too. Think we can have it ready to move into by the wedding?" Danny smiled.

"What?"

"I made an offer on the place and I just got a call. The offer was accepted. The house is ours." Danny smiled.

"Baby…we can't afford this house. Especially if we want children." I said.

"One good thing about having a mafia father…..he set up huge trust funds for me and Louie when we were kids. He always said 'in this business, I could be killed at anytime and you boys will be cared for this way'. I never touched mine. I figured one day, I'd retire early, or travel, or buy an island." Danny took my hand. "Now it's going to buy us our dream house. Surprise….the house is ours."

"Wait…trust fund?" My head was spinning.

"We'll be able to buy the house, fix it how we want and have plenty to keep back for whatever we want in the future." Danny said. "The one good thing my dad ever gave me."

"The house is ours? We have our own home?" I started crying.

"We can sign the papers next week." Danny said.

I leaped up and hugged Danny tight. "You bought us the house. Danny I love you so much."

I kissed him, hard and long.

"I thought I was cut off from sex till after the wedding?" Danny asked.

"You are." I giggled.

"But….you can't kiss me like that and not expect to get me excited." Danny smiled.

"Baby, I can't believe the house is ours." I said.

"And it is ours. I am having the papers drawn up so that both our names are on the deed. We're in this together." Danny said.

"I love you so much." I said.

"I love you too." Danny kissed me.

"I've walked into the 'Days of Our Lives'." Flack rolled his eyes.

"We got a house!" I said and hugged Danny again.

"Really? Where?" Aiden walked in.

"Pelham Bay. It is amazing. It's the perfect house!" I smiled.

"That is the smile Flack." Danny said.

"What?"

"Nothing, why don't we take everyone and show them our new house?" Danny said.

(Pelham Bay)

"This is going to be our big family room. I am having couches and a TV in here and everything. And look with these nice high ceilings we can have a huge Christmas tree. And plenty of room to have everyone over for the holidays, even after we have kids." I said showing everyone my new house.

"Nice." Sheldon said.

"Why are we all here again?" Flack asked.

"Because Aurora and Danny just bought a new house and we're celebrating with them." Aiden said.

I opened the door to the back patio. "And this is a big patio that leads into our backyard. We'll have a backyard and need to mow grass. I am so getting a riding mower." I giggled.

"She's gonna fly right out of here." Flack laughed.

"I've never seen her so happy." Danny smiled.

I walked with everyone onto the patio. "We're getting a big grill for out here. There is the pool. Make a note everyone, Labor Day Picnic here. Bring a swimsuit and no peeing in my pool. Mac you're a master behind a grill so that will be your job."

"I'll be here…like you'd give me any other choice." Mac smiled.

"I wouldn't." I kissed him and ran back into the house.

"This is a beautiful home." Emily said.

"And it's still close to us." Aiden said.

"Rora just fell in love with this place when we looked at it. I knew it was the right one." Danny said.

Flack put an arm around Danny. "Getting married, buying a house….my little boy is growing up. I'm getting emotional."

Sheldon pretended to wipe tears. "I know, I'm so proud of how we raised him."

Danny rolled his eyes and walked into the house.

"Of course this is the kitchen. And Danny promised me he would install a radio in here." I said.

"Giving whole new meaning to country cooking." Sheldon said.

"Nice big countertops." Flack winked at Danny.

"Come on Aurora, let's show them the upstairs." Danny said

Danny and I led the group upstairs.

"This is going to be a guest room for now and the bathroom across the hall will be a guest bathroom." I said.

"And she already knows how she wants all this decorated." Danny smiled.

"Why am I not surprised?" Mac laughed.

"I've been dreaming of getting married and buying a house since….."

"Macho Man Randy Savage married Miss Elizabeth at Summerslam 91." Flack, Emily, Danny, Sheldon and Aiden all said at the same time.

I giggled.

"How much of the wedding is left to plan?" Sheldon asked.

"Nothing. Everything is booked, bought, and ready to go. All the invitations are stuffed and ready to mail next week. And my bridesmaids are helping with the RSVP's." I smiled.

"Which means now we can concentrate on having the house ready." Danny said.

"Trust me, we'll have everything painted and re-carpeted. And I am sure our wonderful friends will help us move." I winked. "We'll be ready to move here by the end of the honeymoon."

"Aurora, you've been so motivated lately, right now I'd believe you if you said you were going to build an ark because it was going to flood." Mac laughed.

I chuckled. "And this is the master bedroom, with a private bathroom."

"And whose bed are you keeping?" Aiden snickered.

"Actually, we're using our old beds in the guest rooms and buying a new one for in here." Danny said.

"And this room we have set aside for a nursery. So we're going to leave it empty and hope we can start furnishing it soon." I said.

"A little Messer…does that thought scare anyone else?" Aiden laughed.

"It'll be half of Aurora so it'll be okay." Emily said.

"Do you have the baby named yet?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, we're going to name Donald after you!" I said with sarcasm.

Don rolled his eyes.

"And after we get settled in, we're adding on a sunroom with a hot tub." Danny said.

"And of course the basement is going to be our bar/game room. Danny, take the guys shopping this week and pick out a plasma TV for down there." I said.

"Are you serious?" Danny asked.

"She actually told him that?" Sheldon asked. "I wanna marry her."

"Hey!" Emily said.

"Plasma TV….sorry it was a reflex." Sheldon smiled.

"Yeah, we got lots of games to watch. Baseball, football, hockey. NASCAR races, professional wrestling." I said. "I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time down there…..these guys will probably be with us."

"Plasma TV, pool, hot tub….I'm moving in here." Flack said.

"See what I mean." I smiled.

"I still can't believe this is Danny Messer." Aiden said. "Mr. I'm never gonna get married or settle down. And if I knock up some girl, I'll talk Flack into marrying her for me."

Danny shrugged and hugged me. "But I wouldn't trade this for anything."

"Wow, Danny's getting married….buying a house….gonna start a family." Flack said.

"I always thought Sheldon would be first." Mac said.

"Me too." Aiden said. "We just weren't expecting Pittsburgh to send us a present."

"Come on, this deserves a dinner out to celebrate. My treat." Mac said.

(Next Morning)

I knocked on the door of Leo Messer's house. It was early in the morning. Danny didn't know what I was up to.

Leo opened the door. "Aurora?"

"Good morning. Can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Is it Danny? Louie?" Leo asked.

"The boys are fine. Louie should be at therapy and Danny is at the lab. I am headed to work myself." I said.

"Come in…..is something wrong?" Leo opened the door for me.

"Thank you. I just wanted to talk to you." I said and sat down on the couch. I looked around at the pictures of Danny and Louie growing up.

"Well you're straightforward just say what you want." Leo said.

"You set up a trust fund for Danny." I said. "I didn't know it existed until yesterday."

Leo sighed. "I set up trust funds for both boys when they were children. I wanted to be sure they were cared for. Believe it or not…I do love them."

"We're using Danny's to buy us a house." I said.

"I'm glad Danny is using it. Its money I always wanted him to have. He is so happy." Leo said.

"Why? Why after he turned away from you did you let him keep the money?" I asked.

"Danny is a better man than I ever hope to be. He made something of himself; and now he is getting married and building a great life for himself. I am very proud of my son. And I regret that I didn't do better by both of the boys. Maybe if I had been different, Louie wouldn't have made so many mistakes." Leo said. "I wanted Danny to have that money. Even when he left home and didn't talk to me for years, it was his. It was my way of knowing he'd always be taken care of."

I stared at him. "The one good thing you ever gave those boys. The one thing you've given Danny that I can brag about."

"So you'll accept it…even though it's mob money?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, because after the hell you put Danny through because of the mob….it's time he gets something good out of it." I said.

"I saw the engagement announcement in the newspaper over the weekend. You two look good together. Danny's mother would be so proud." Leo said.

"Danny wishes she were here for all this. And I wish that I could've known her. I was never close to my own mother." I said and stood up. "I have to get to work. Danny doesn't know I'm here."

I walked towards the door.

"Aurora…just so you know….I kept adding to those trust funds even after the boys turned 18." Leo said. "Danny and you….and those children I hear you want to have….you'll be taken care of."

I nodded. "Thanks for speaking with me."

I walked out the front door and down the sidewalk. My cell phone rang.

"Denton."

"Aurora, you gotta come to the lab, this is too funny." Aiden was laughing.

"What?"

"Danny has been cut off from sex for 10 days. Flack decided that was enough time for Danny's hormones to start raging……Flack taped some girlie pictures to Danny's desk." Aiden was laughing.

"Girlie pictures?"

"Yeah, I think he pulled them out of a Playboy." Aiden was laughing.

"Well why doesn't Danny just take them off?" I asked.

"Rora, Flack covered the desk with them. The top, the drawers, even his chair. Flack is cracking up. Danny is trying to get them off taken off. And Mac walked in, took one look and walked back out but we could hear snickering." Aiden said.

I laughed. "Poor Danny."

"Aiden, you are not allowed to have sex with Flack." I heard Danny say in the background.

"I hadn't planned on it." Aiden said.

"Really? Not even after the great night at the ball. And you guys have been hanging out more. And you said he kisses hot enough to melt polar ice caps." I giggled.

"He does…..when he took me home from the….shut up Flack, your ego doesn't need help." Aiden said.

I giggled. "I know what you mean. When he kissed me at the rave, if I hadn't already been feeling things for Danny, I'd have pursued him….after we finished working that case of course."

"I just want to get this one right. I really like him……a lot." Aiden said.

"I know you do. Just see what happens. But I am pretty sure he is crazy about you too. Considering he is starting to get that sappy face he picks on Danny about." I giggled. "But don't tell him I said that."


	101. To Rent A Tuxedo

_Emador- Shocked and a bit jealous. They're so fun to write. I am having entirely too much fun with this story._

_Meadow567- Sounds like a fun trip. Everyone is taking exciting trips this summer but me. _

_Snowbear96- With so much wedding stuff, I need to write a crime soon._

_Miss Metal- I am glad you liked it. I can't believe I have written this much, and have so much more to go._

_Trizzy- You're so excited for little Messers, it's cute. The desk thing is just so something I could see Flack doing. Actually Flack is up to a lot of mischief these days. Italian Stallion Sex God……nice thought._

_XX- Where are you? Come back…do I have to have Flack get injured again?_

_Feenx86- Mac…one night stand, hmmmm._

"Louie, it looks great." Danny said.

"I feel out of place." Louie said.

Louie and Danny were at a tuxedo shop to get Louie fitted for a tux for the wedding. Louie was wearing one and staring in a full length mirror.

"It looks great. Besides, if you don't wear a tux Rora will beat you with her bouquet." Danny said.

"But all the other men will be in police uniforms." Louie said.

"But you'll look great. It just happens the rest of us are cops." Danny said.

"Let's have the collar loosened so I don't go crazy." Louie said.

"You'll look great. And Rora says that everyone has to smile in pictures or she'll shoot you." Danny snickered. "Knowing her she'll have her gun stuck in her garter."

"So you getting cold feet?" Louie asked.

"No, I'd marry her tonight if I could." Danny said.

"You just want laid again." Louie laughed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "It's more than that. I never thought I'd feel like this about anyone….but she just….she changed my life."

"There is that sappy look Flack makes fun of." Louie said.

"Flack has that look more and more these days." Danny said.

"Glad he finally made a move. Aiden was miserable." Louie said.

"I think Aurora made the move for him….with her, who knows." Danny said.

"How are things with the house going?" Louie asked.

"Really well. Aurora has been picking out carpet and paint and we've both started packing boxes." Danny said.

"And how are you handling no sex?" Louie snickered.

"I'll live. I waited three months after Rora and I got together before we had sex." Danny said. "If it's that important to her, I don't mind."

"I heard Flack left you a blow up doll in your locker." Louie laughed. "Does he know the story…."

"No!" Danny said.

Louie laughed. "I still say it's unfair that none of you other guys have to go through this tuxedo thing."

"Yeah, Flack is joking about how cheap it'll be for him to dress for the wedding." Danny said.

"We meeting them all after this?" Louie asked.

"Yeah, Mac was finishing up at the lab. And Sheldon was trying to bribe Rora." Danny laughed.

"About what?" Louie asked.

"We're pretty sure the girls are lingerie shopping for the honeymoon….Sheldon wants Rora to get Emily to buy some stuff too." Danny smiled. "It's nice that I ain't the only one with raging hormones that isn't getting any."

(Sports Bar)

Danny and Louie walked into the sports bar and found Flack, Sheldon and Mac waiting for them at a table.

"How did it go?" Sheldon asked.

"I hate getting that dressed up." Louie said.

"Look at the bright side, Danny is only getting married once." Flack said.

"This better only be once." Louie glared at Danny.

"Only one wedding, I promise." Danny said.

"You feeling better Danny? You were upset by the case earlier." Mac said.

"Yeah I am fine. Case just got to me." Danny said.

"What's up?" Flack asked.

"This guy murdered his wife so he could marry his mistress." Danny sighed.

"He sounds like a winner." Flack rolled his eyes.

"And from interviewing people, his wife seemed like a great woman too." Danny sighed.

"Why'd you take it so hard?" Flack asked.

"I just don't know what gets into these guys. I mean have a great wife and then harm them?" Danny said.

"There are some sick people out there Danny." Sheldon said.

"Mac, you've been married, you know what I am talking about." Danny said.

Mac nodded.

"I mean, do you know what goes through my mind every time I look at Aurora?" Danny asked.

"Damn, I'd like to screw that." Flack chuckled.

Danny rolled his eyes. "I am being serious here. I think about how much I love her. I could never hurt her….I'd die to protect her if I had to."

"That's how a married man who is in love feels." Mac said. "Unfortunately, too many people get married for the wrong reasons these days."

"That is tragic…..they don't know what they're missing." Danny said. "It's an amazing feeling when you've found that right one."

"And I'd hate to be the idiot who'd make the mistake of getting between you and Rora." Louie said.

Sheldon chuckled. "When anything upsets Aurora….Danny becomes the stereotypical Brooklyn Italian. The attitude of 'That's my woman.' comes out."

Danny smiled. "Yeah…not easy when you're marrying a cop. Witnesses, suspects both eyeing her up and seeing how far they can push her. Luckily she got a temper of her own….and she has Flack."

"Speaking of Flack…I hear you put a blow up doll in Danny's locker." Louie laughed.

"Louie!" Danny warned.

"Yeah, I thought maybe she could keep him company the next few weeks until the wedding." Flack snickered.

"Did Danny ever tell you about his first blow up doll?" Louie started laughing.

"Louis Leo Messer!" Danny glared.

"He actually had one before?" Sheldon laughed.

"Yeah…when he was about 15 or so, I got him one as a gag. You know how brothers are." Louie said.

"They don't need to hear this." Danny said.

"Oh yes we do." Flack said. "Go on Louie."

"Well, Danny had heard someone at school bragging about being able to unbutton and unzip a girl's jeans with their teeth." Louie said.

"Danny can do that. I heard from Emily that he does it for Aurora and she especially likes it when he handcuffs her and does it." Sheldon said.

Mac smirked. "I'll never look at Aurora the same."

"Oh, can we stop now?" Danny sighed.

"Well he might be able to do it now, but back then he wanted to learn how." Louie laughed. "All that practicing pay off?"

"I hate you." Danny glared.

"What happened?" Flack asked.

"Danny actually put a pair of jeans on his blow up doll, so he could practice unbuttoning and unzipping them with his teeth." Louie laughed. "Only, when he was trying it….he bit the doll and she deflated."

Danny glared at his brother while the other three laughed.

"Danny…that is hilarious. Have you ever bit Aurora?" Flack asked.

"Bit her while trying to get her jeans off that is?" Sheldon asked.

"I am not speaking to any of you." Danny rolled his eyes. "Come on, I was like 15. I thought if I could learn that it'd impress girls."

"I might have to learn this. Emily says Aurora really likes it. That and….."

"Enough Sheldon. The women's network…none of us are safe." Danny said. "And what is this, my bachelor party? Why are we telling embarrassing stories about me?"

"Because I'm a sex god that doesn't have embarrassing sex stories." Flack said.

Danny rolled his eyes. "We'll see what Aiden says in a few months."

"Hey Aurora, its Sheldon…has Danny ever bit your lower stomach?" Sheldon was on his phone, no one had paid attention as he dialed.

"Give me that!" Danny reached over and grabbed Sheldon's phone.

"Aurora, forget you heard that." Danny said.

"What the hell is going on? I thought you guys were hanging out after Louie's tux fitting?" Aurora asked.

"We are. Don't ask…and quit telling Emily and Aiden about our sex life." Danny said.

"Hey Danny, you should see what Rora bought for the honeymoon." Aiden came onto the line. "I hope you lacy crotch less panties."

Danny groaned. "Aiden, you're not helping."

"That's the point. Did I mention the sheer nightie?" Aiden giggled.

"Aiden…I am horny enough, stop and make Aurora dress like a nun the rest of the week." Danny said.

"Quit talking dirty on my phone……did Emily buy anything?" Sheldon asked.

"I am hanging up now. Tell Aurora I love her." Danny said and flipped the phone shut. "We should've eloped."

(Later)

"Dad RSVP for the wedding yet?" Louie asked as they drove home.

"Yeah, he said he'll be there. I don't know how to feel about that." Danny said.

"You can show him how a real husband should act." Louie said. "I know you'll treat Aurora a hell of a lot better than he ever treated mom.

"Mom was a great woman….the bastard didn't deserve her." Danny said. "The more I am with Aurora, the more I hate him for what he did to mom."

"What do you mean?" Louie asked.

"Because now I know how it feels to love someone so much. Mom always loved dad….but dad had his mistresses, and girlfriends. That hurt mom, but she never showed it. It must've killed her." Danny said. "I can't imagine how much it would hurt if Aurora cheated on me."

"I never understood how dad could have such a great wife and then throw her aside." Louie said.

"Louie…I look at Aurora…and I know how lucky I am. I'm a bastard, look how I used to be, I don't deserve her….but she loves me. I would never do anything to screw that up." Danny said.

"You're gonna be a great husband." Louie said. "And a good dad."

"Aurora can't wait to get pregnant. I caught her the other day looking at cribs and strollers." Danny smiled. "She's going to be such a good mom."

"And we all know you can't wait to start trying." Louie snickered.

"Good grief….I don't have sex for a few weeks and it's suddenly what everyone wants to talk about. Mac hasn't had sex in years and no one gives him crap about it." Danny said.

"No, but we are having him handcuffed to a pole while strippers pull off his underwear." Louie laughed.


	102. Hate Returns

_Jordayna- The bachelor parties and wedding will both be fun to write I think. And they will be soon. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Not a problem. Glad you're back._

_Trizzy- I have been having an argument with myself about what kind of underwear Mac wears. Boxers or briefs? LOL Every time someone mentions little Messers you get all excited._

_Kasmith101- I am so glad you caught up with the story. Loved your review and hope you keep it up._

_Miss Metal- What didn't you need to know?_

_Emador- Don't worry, you can tell me all your opinion later. The phone part was fun to write._

_Snowbear96- With bachelor party and all coming up, some embarrassing Danny stories have to be thrown in._

There was a knocking at my door. I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock. 2:25 AM. I grabbed my gun off the night stand and headed through my apartment.

There was a knock again. "Aurora, get up we have a call." Flack's voice came through the door.

I laid down my gun and opened the door. "Flack, what's going on?"

"We got a call. Big shooting at a gay bar in the Bronx. Dispatcher says three dead and 2 wounded on their way to the hospital." Flack said.

"Did it happen at closing time?" I asked as I went back into my room to pull on clothes.

"Yeah, apparently as the owner was pushing the last few patrons of the night out, the shooting started." Flack said.

"Possible hate crime. Has the lab been called?" I yelled.

"Yeah, Mac is on his way. He called Sheldon to the scene to work on the bodies without losing evidence.

"Let' try to solve this one quick. If this was a hate crime, gay rights groups are going to be all over it." I said.

"Your damn cat is rubbing against me." Flack said.

"Rammer likes you." I laughed.

"I'm allergic. And wouldn't you know now Aiden is squawking that she wants a cat." Flack said.

I chuckled and clipped on my badge. "Let's go. Make sure the uniforms have the perimeter secured and is keeping all onlookers away."

(Bronx)

We pulled up on the scene. I was expecting a gay bar….this was a gay bar that catered to the drag community.

"I've never seen so many men in stilettos." I said as we got out of the SUV.

"How do they walk in those things?" Flack asked.

"Ask them." I said.

Flack and I walked over to the scene. Lying on the sidewalk were two African-American men dressed in drag. Farther up the sidewalk a white man in a sequined gown. And in the doorway of the bar lay a white male in plain street clothes.

"Do we have ID's on the bodies?" I asked.

"Witnesses identified the African American couple as Joshua Allen and James Christopher. They were club regulars. The white man down the street was identified as John Magnone. The guy in the doorway…no one knows him." Flack said.

"This better be good, I was with Emily." Sheldon said walking up with a kit.

"Emily huh? Was she wearing the white thing?" I asked.

"There is a white thing?" Sheldon asked.

"We'll talk about it later. Right now we have four dead bodies." I said.

Sheldon looked around. "I'll take a look."

"If you find any casings, I want them." Mac said, walking up to us.

"Sorry to wake you up Mac." Flack said.

"Not a problem, what do we have?" Mac asked.

"According to witnesses, the bar owner was pushing patrons out at closing time. As the walked out to the sidewalk, suddenly gunshots rang out. Four are dead here. Two are on their way to the hospital." Flack said.

"Drive by?" Mac asked.

"No one knows for sure, just that shots rang out. Most ran for cover or hit the ground." I said.

"This bar doesn't have a history of problems." Mac said.

"Last call we got out here was three years ago and that was a fight between drunk patrons." Flack said.

"This is a gay bar for drag queens….cross dressers are not violent. Most are very passive." I said.

"Could be a hate crime." Mac said.

"That is what I am afraid of. And if it is, I want the scum that did it off the street." I said. "I hate homophobes."

"Hey Mac, I got something." Sheldon called over.

"What is it?" Mac asked.

"Look at these wounds. Bullet passed though the body on every victim." Sheldon said.

"High powered rifle." Mac said and Sheldon nodded.

"Multiple wounds on every victim except John Doe in the doorway. He caught one to the head, died instantly." Sheldon said.

"Was there any connections found between the victims?" Mac asked.

"None so far." I said.

"I am going to find the casings and run them though the system and see if we get a hit. Flack, Aurora…you'll need to call the families victims. Sheldon, I want John Doe printed, I'll have Danny run his prints though AFIS." Mac said.

(Station)

"How did it go with the families?" Flack asked me and handed me a cup of coffee.

"Joshua and James had been together for five years. Both families completely supportive of their lifestyle. Both families completely devastated." I sighed.

"Same with John Magnone's family. They are on their way to the morgue to make arrangements with Hawkes for the release of the body." Flack said.

"Lab call yet?" I asked.

"Not yet." Flack said.

"So what have you and Aiden been up to lately?" I asked.

"Just hanging out…getting to know each other better. Taking things slow." Flack smiled. "Like you don't already know. You two are so close, if I didn't know you, I'd swear you were a lesbian couple."

"No, that's just a fantasy you and Danny share." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey you and Aiden are having a threesome with me. Remember the sex party?" Danny snickered as he walked up to us.

"Danny that was a year ago." I rolled my eyes.

"John Doe has been identified." Danny handed me a file. "Lucas Jonas. 30 years old, in the system for grand theft auto. Lives a few blocks away from the club."

"You talk to his family?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, Lucas was not gay or a drag queen. But he did work in the area and his shift ended at two. He always walked home." Danny said.

"Lucas was trying to get to safety when the gun shots started by running into the club and was killed in the doorway." I sighed.

"Mac is running the ballistics now." Danny said. "Also, the two people taken to the hospital are both out of surgery and doing well."

"That's good news at least. We'll have to interview them." I said.

"My luck some guy wearing more eye shadow than Rora will burst into tears all over me." Flack sighed.

"You did great at the club. I was expecting all kinds of sarcastic comments from you but you did good." I said.

"Some of the outfits were downright shocking…..and they had been through a terrible thing, so I just stayed straight forward with the investigation." Flack said.

"Mac said one of the queens hit on him." Danny smirked.

"It was funny. Mac is all serious and collecting evidence and this drag queen, I mean dressed to the hilt; evening gown, stiletto heels and glitter make-up walks up to Mac and starts flirting. Mac looked like he didn't know what to do at first. So Aurora saved him." Flack cracked up.

"Yeah Mac said that Aurora pretended to be his girlfriend." Danny smiled. "Mac says he owes you lunch because he was at a loss for words."

I chuckled.

"Are we talking about Aurora saving me from RuPaul this morning?" Mac walked in.

"How do you know about RuPaul?" Flack asked.

"It's my job to know a little bit about everything." Mac said.

"It was no problem Mac. Technically I wasn't even lying….I always call you my other man and my other date." I winked.

"Got some news on the case…..it's not good." Mac said.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"I ran the ballistics and got a hit on a case where a farmer had complained that people target shooting was causing stray bullets to hit his horses." Mac said. "Case was investigated but nothing ever came of it."

"What's the problem?" Flack asked.

"The ones target shooting were Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus. The farmer owned the property right next to their headquarters up in Tuckahoe." Mac said.

"Them again?" I asked in disbelief.

"The same assholes that shot Flack in November?" Danny was stunned.

"Matthew and Andrew Camden are on death row and the man who shot Flack is awaiting trial…but the organization lists over 150 members." Mac sighed.

"This was obviously a hate crime which means we have to act quickly before things get out of hand." I said. "I want everything possible done. I am not giving anyone the chance to show up and say the NYPD didn't care about this case or the victims because they were drag queens, gay and two of them black."

"I am with Aurora. Flack, we have enough for warrants, call a judge and get them. If we're going out to search their headquarters I want everyone in SWAT gear. These are neo-Nazis that learn survival and prepare for the end times, nuclear war and such. They also hate any kind of authority and will not take too kindly to having their land searched." Mac said. "Call a SWAT team in….I don't want us being ambushed."

"Let's keep this as quiet as we can to avoid the media circus for now. Should the media get wind of it your only comment is to be that the NYPD is doing all it can and has the best officers on the case including the crime lab." I said.

"I am calling city records and getting lay outs of their property to see what we'll be going into." Mac said.

"How many do you think are currently on the property? I mean they don't all live there like Damek and his 'family'." I said.

"No, but enough stay there full time and train that we need to know everything. I am not losing one of these officers." Mac said.

I nodded and Danny came over and hugged me. "You okay?"

"Hate crimes get to me…..and more of this white supremacist crap. And it's the same group that shot Don." I sighed.

"We'll get through it. Right now the important thing is safely bringing in the killers." Danny said and rubbed my back.

"Problem…the KKK doesn't rat on each other. It's against the brotherhood. They pledge to die before they would betray that." I said. "And some of them are so brainwashed they don't realize that what they did was really wrong."

"We'll solve this case. They committed a hate crime." Danny said.

"Yeah…but was it a hate crime against blacks or gays?" I asked.

"We'll ask them." Danny said.

**To Be Continued...**


	103. Hate Returns Part 2

_Meadow567- Such a pessimist. Then again, you know how I love writing twists._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Been busy mostly. Hope you enjoy the chappie._

_Trizzy- I hate white supremacists too. Sadly I know a few, but I am not friends with them. I am not sure what kind of underwear Mac would wear either. I kinda saw him as a briefs guy but I don't find briefs very sexy…..I like Boxers and boxer-briefs. Maybe the strippers will unzip his pants and find he's going commando!_

_Emador- So I woke up late and then got caught up in a movie. But worked and got this finished anyway. Little joke in here for you. Have oxygen on stand-by._

_Snowbear96- Thanks, I like doing cases that are modern and about current issues and stuff._

The van pulled up to the driveway that led through the woods to the main building of the headquarters of the Aryan Brothers of a White Jesus. The group owned property in a secluded area in Tuckahoe.

"Mac, what all is there on this property?" I asked.

"There is a main building that they use as a meeting site, mess hall, chapel type thing. There are three bunk houses for those who stay here in training. They got this place set up like a military base." Mac said.

"Great…and we have no idea what kind of weapons we're up against. These organizations stockpile weapons." I sighed.

"Everyone has their Kevlar on, I checked." Mac said. "You stick close to me, Danny or Flack."

I nodded and looked in the mirror to see the van behind us that Flack was driving and Danny was in. A third van full of SWAT was with us as well.

"Mac look out!" I yelled.

In the middle of the road was someone dressed in camouflage holding a rifle that was aimed at us. Mac stopped the van and we both jumped out. Using the van doors as shields we drew our guns.

"NYPD! Drop your weapon!" I yelled.

"This is private property!" the man yelled back.

"We have a warrant to search the property and buildings!" Mac yelled.

"What are you looking for?" he yelled.

"It's all explained in the warrant." I yelled.

"Sir, right now you are threatening officers, we have the right to take you down using any means necessary. I suggest you relinquish your weapon and stand down!" Mac yelled.

The man stared at us a bit longer then laid his rifle on the ground and held his hands in the air.

"I'll check him Aurora; you stay here and cover me." Mac yelled and slowly moved out from behind his van door, slowly approaching the man.

I kept an eye on Mac and watched the surroundings looking for anyone else who might appear. A glance in the rearview mirror showed that Flack and Danny were out of their van, guns drawn as well. Mac walked up to the man and holding his gun on him, checked him for other weapons. Finding he didn't have any cuffed him for all our safety and dragged him back to the van.

"How many others are on the grounds today?" Mac asked.

"It's the middle of the week, not many. Maybe 20 people." He said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"John Thomilson…..I'm on guard duty today." He said.

"Who is in charge?" I asked.

"Grand Dragon Johnson. He's at the chapel." Thomilson said.

"What's his first name?" Mac asked.

"Steven….Steven Johnson." Thomilson said.

"Flack…come get this guy and have him checked out." Mac yelled.

Flack put his gun away and walked up to the van. "You both okay?"

"We're fine." Mac said.

Flack dragged Thomilson back to his van. Mac and I climbed back in ours and headed farther down the road.

"You okay?" Mac asked me.

"Yeah, this neo-Nazi, KKK stuff just drives me crazy." I sighed. "And this….this is all so insane, training grounds and guards."

"Chances are the high powered rifle we're looking for is here somewhere." Mac said.

We drove farther down the dirt road and came out at a large clearing. It did look like a small military base. There was a large building with a flagpole out front. On the pole was a Nazi flag, rebel flag and US flag. Off to the side there was a bunk house. Behind that we could see an extensive target practice shooting range.

Mac stopped the van and we climbed out.

"Keep your weapon drawn and stick close to me. We'll let SWAT go in first." Mac said.

"Stay close to Mac!" Danny yelled at me as he and Flack climbed out of their van, pulling Thomilson with them.

"You two think alike." I shook my head.

SWAT ran ahead and started entering the buildings. They brought people out, most of them dressed in camouflage and swastikas.

"SWAT, search the wooded area surrounding the area. Thomilson says that survival training grounds are set up in the woods." Flack said into a radio.

"Bring Steven Johnson to us." Mac said into his radio.

Mac and I moved slowly across the compound looking around at the people being lined up by SWAT.

"Weapons found in bunk houses." SWAT reported over radio.

"Danny, get in the bunk houses and start bagging all high powered rifles." Mac ordered.

"Detective Taylor, this is Steven Johnson." A SWAT presented a man to us.

"Grand Dragon Johnson." The man said.

"NYPD, we have a warrant to search this property." Mac said and handed him the warrant. "We are looking for a weapon used in the murder of four people at a club in the Bronx."

Johnson looked over the warrant then back up at us.

"Nice to see you've recovered Detective Flack." He smirked.

"Shut up, this is how it's going to be." I snapped. "You're going to tell us where your weapons stockpile is."

"Easy Aurora." Mac said.

"Where is the weapons kept?" I asked.

Johnson looked at me. "We don't have such a thing."

"Get him out of here." Flack said.

"SWAT, search for a building or anything that would hold a stockpile of weapons!" I said into my radio.

"Mac, we got 4 high powered rifles here that could be our murder weapon." Danny came over the radio. "We also have a lot of illegal weapons here."

"You get those rifles. We'll call in more officers to help with the weapons violation arrests." Flack said.

"Property is secured. Five men being brought in now that were found in the woods in tents." Came over the radio.

"Training to live off the land and such." Mac said to me. I nodded.

"I'll start questioning these people about the club murders. See if someone will talk or admit anything." Flack said.

"Denton, Taylor…we got something here you need to see. West side of the compound, about 50 yards into the woods." Came over the radio.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Weapons hold." Came back over the radio.

"They found the weapons hold. Let's go." Mac said and we took off through the compound to the woods.

Mac and I ran into the woods and saw the building in which SWAT had called in. The door was open and a SWAT member was standing outside.

"What is in there?" Mac asked him.

"More weapons than I have ever seen." He said.

Mac and I stepped into the small brick building. Lined along the wall were guns of all kinds, even a few oozies. On the floor there were a few crates of dynamite. Other crates were full of other guns, hand guns, rifles, shot guns, automatic weapons…more than I had ever seen.

"This looks just like that scene in T2 where John Connor shows the Terminator his mom's stockpile." I said looking around.

"What?" Mac asked.

"We'll watch the movie together sometime Mac." I said.

"They have been gathering weapons together for years." Mac said. "This is a major bust."

"That high powered rifle from the club shooting has to be here somewhere." I said.

"Danny, get out here to this stockpile bunker and bag all the high powered rifles out here." Mac said into his radio.

"Mac, no one is talking. They all claim to know nothing about the club shooting. Although a few are making it clear they don't care if a few gays were killed." Flack came over the radio.

"Typical of the KKK." I said. "Danny is bagging evidence, we got more officers coming. Let's get all this downtown and go from there."

(Lab)

"What do we have?" I asked walking into the lab.

"Altogether we found 23 high powered rifles that could be our murder weapon." Danny said. "Mac and Aiden ran the ballistics on every one and found our murder weapon. It was a rifle in the stockpile house."

"Usable prints on it?" I asked.

"Yes, there were prints on the stalk and barrel." Danny said and handed me a file.

"Son of a bitch. Grand Dragon Johnson." I said.

"Just one problem. That gun has been thoroughly cleaned. Johnson is going to argue his prints are on the rifle from cleaning it." Danny said.

"Can't say I am surprised. These neo-Nazi's do take excellent care of their weapons." I sighed.

"We need to get another member of this group to talk." Mac said walking in.

"Think we could get the DA to offer a deal to someone for cooperation?" I asked.

"I'll talk to them about that. Johnson had to have help." Mac said.

"In the meantime, Danny and I will talk to Johnson and see what he has to say." I said.

Danny and I started down the hall.

"Emily called me earlier." I said. "She heard we pulled a Klan case and was worried about Sheldon."

"I say we let Emily and Sheldon interrogate a few of these assholes." Danny said. "That ought to piss them off. Cute white girl dating a black guy."

I shook my head. "They wouldn't care that Sheldon is a great guy and crazy about her. Then again, to these guys, I am scum for dating a Catholic."

Danny and I walked into the interrogation room where Johnson was being held.

"Found your prints on the murder weapon." I said.

"I handle guns out there all the time. I am not surprised." Johnson said.

"Why was a gun from your organization involved in a shooting at a club in the Bronx?" Danny asked.

"How'd your family get in this country wop?" Johnson asked Danny.

"Hey, answer my question!" I snapped.

"I dunno. One of my people must've decided to take out a few fags. What do I care?" Johnson said.

"Those people that were murdered had families that cared about them. Not to mention an innocent man was killed trying to find cover when the shooting started." Danny said.

"Well I feel bad for him. But a few dead queers…that don't bother me." Johnson said.

"Is it gonna bother you when the state of New York sticks a needle in your arm?" I asked. "Maybe you can be on death row with Matthew and Andrew Camden."

"You raised by liberals?" Johnson asked me.

"I am my own person." I said.

"You know…with that sprite if you weren't so liberal, you'd make a great soldier." Johnson said.

I laughed sarcastically. "You're not a soldier. Mac Taylor is a soldier."

"So you wanna tell us what happened before one of your cronies turns over on you?" Danny asked.

"You Catholic too?" Johnson asked him.

"Enough, you're not going to preach to us. It doesn't matter what either of us are. Either you answer our questions and cooperate with us or we walk out of here and listen to whoever confesses first. Because Detective Taylor is talking to the DA now working out a deal." I said.

"Listen Detective……you're a sweet white girl. You a Protestant?" Johnson asked.

"I believe in God, one God and there is no right way to worship him." I said.

"But don't you ever get tired of defending these people. You're a cop so you have to know what I mean. The Jews controlling all the money, niggers always crying to the NAACP…."

"You don't say that word in front of her." Danny said. "And for the record, one of our best friends is black. A very good man, smart and dedicated."

"Just like some bleeding heart liberal." Johnson snapped.

Mac walked in. "Mr. Johnson….seems you wanted to set an example the other night."

"What?"

"Yeah, despite making your group pledge to die before dishonoring the dedication to a pure white protestant race…when you face them with a lethal cocktail they suddenly want to talk." Mac said.

"None of my people would talk." Johnson said.

"Well three or four have started talking and they're all telling the same story. Seems last week at a meeting you made a big hellfire and brimstone speech about getting back to when Klan terror controlled people. You wanted the blacks, gays, immigrants, Catholics, Jews and Muslims to know they were being hunted. You were hoping to start a lot of violence and chaos." Mac said.

"So what…the club shooting was your way of getting things started?" Danny asked.

"Lead by example." Mac said. "You rounded up a few of your boys and went hunting. You waited until closing time for bars and then went to a known gay club. As your second in command drove past the club, you opened fire on patrons leaving the club."

Johnson stared at Mac. "Word is, you're a marine."

I growled and started to step forward but Danny held me back.

"You're a marine and yet you stand there and ask me to be sorry for killing a couple faggots." Johnson said. "I'd do it again in a minute. Heard a couple of them were niggers….even better."

Danny squeezed my shoulder to keep me still.

"I left home and fought for those people to have the right to live as they chose." Mac said. "You had no right to judge them for their lifestyle. And now the state of New York gets to judge you. Get this guy out of here."

Uniformed officers came in to take Johnson to Central booking.

"Careful showing up to my trial….never know when another of you might get shot." Johnson smirked.

"Get him out of here!" Mac gritted out.

Johnson laughed as he was pulled out of the room.

"Mac, you okay?" Danny asked.

"I'm fine. I just don't like my officers being threatened." Mac said.

"Rory, you ready to head out?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, been a long day." I sighed.

"Well tomorrow we can start moving some boxes into our new house. The new carpet is all in." Danny smiled.

"That is good news. A nice thing to hear on a day like today." I said.

"What's this I hear about you being Mac's girlfriend?" Danny snickered.

"I was trying to save him from a RuPaul wet dream." I laughed as we walked out of the interrogation room.

(Next Morning, 9AM)

"Danny, have you guys gone shopping for the Plasma TV yet?" I asked as I carried a box down the stairs of our new house.

"Sheldon is still in shock that you told me to buy one." Danny said. "I think we're gonna pick a night and go." Danny said. "Have you heard what they are planning to do to Mac at my bachelor party?"

"No, what are they planning?" I asked and set the box down.

"You'll hear all about it I am sure." Danny laughed and opened a box.

"I have most of my knick knacks and such packed up. This stuff I brought today is a lot of my books and pictures and stuff." I said.

"I brought mostly books today too. Between the two of us, the library/study is going to be nice." Danny said.

"I can't believe the wedding is in less than 3 weeks." I said.

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora, its Emily, I just had to call you." Emily was excited on the other end.

"What's going on?" I asked and started back up the stairs for more boxes.

"Sheldon and me had sex last night. I just had to tell somebody." Emily said.

I chuckled. "That is great. How'd it happen?"

"We went out to dinner and came back to his place…it just happened. It almost happened the other night when he got called out." She said. "It was amazing."

"Okay, I gotta know…the myth about black men in the bedroom….is it true?" I asked.

Emily giggled. "Yes it's true."

I laughed. "So it's true about black men. I know it's true about Italian men. And Flack is half-Italian so Aiden will be a happy woman when they get to that point."

"What about Mac?" Emily asked.

"Hmmm…..I don't think Mac falls into any myths or sayings." I said. "No Viagra for Semper Fi!"

"Who says that?" Emily asked.

"I just made it up so Mac would have a saying." I giggled.

Emily chuckled.

"So…where is Romeo ME now?" I asked.

"In the kitchen making me breakfast in bed." Emily said.

"That is so sweet. I am so glad you guys finally took that step." I said.

"Me too. It was amazing. I'll give you all the details later. I have to call Aiden." Emily said.

"Enjoy your breakfast…and if it's pancakes…take advantage of the maple syrup!" I giggled.

"Oh I will." Emily said and hung up.

"Do I even want to know?" Danny asked behind me.

"Sheldon and Emily had sex for the first time last night." I smiled at Danny.

"Hawkes is now the only one of us getting laid." Danny said. "His ego will be unreal the next three weeks."

I chuckled. "Meanwhile, I get to sit back and enjoy watching you squirm and watching Flack torture you."


	104. One Week Left

_Feenx86- Wow, that makes Hill Harper even cuter._

_Miss Metal- Mac is just fine. And who can blame Emily for being excited? _

_Snowbear96- Lots of fluff for the next few chapters with the wedding coming up._

_Meadow567- No cheering for Sheldon?_

_Trizzy- Could you imagine the phone call from Aiden to Rora when her and Flack get there? Mac in Betty Boop, I cracked up. Sorry I made you laugh so much with the commando comment. And Danny is so sweet._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Good that your sister can help. Mine wouldn't._

_Jordayna- Well the wedding stuff is starting to take off, so read on and enjoy._

_Emador- Mac needed a saying. And Jethro can use that one too! LOL And that Lt. Dan Dance is so versatile._

_**Author's Note- **A quick but cute chappie before the wedding stuff takes off at full speed._

Danny and I were unpacking boxes in our new game room. Most of our friends were there helping us as Danny had bought pizza and beer for everyone and Emily had insisted it would be a fun wedding party activity.

"Next week is the wedding…..you'll be moved in by then." Mac said.

"Rora, do you think you're Herb Brooks or what with all this Miracle on Ice stuff?" Flack asked.

"Careful with that. If something happens to it, I will shoot you." I said.

"So is everything ready for the wedding?" Louie asked.

"Yes, rehearsal dinner is Friday night and wedding is Saturday." I said.

"And Bachelor Party is this weekend!" Sheldon said. "I already have like two hundred dollars in one dollar bills ready to go."

"And Bachelorette party this weekend too." Aiden said.

"Aurora, you have something green to wear to the rehearsal?" Danny asked.

"Yes, I made sure I bought a green dress for the occasion." I said.

"Why green?" Emily asked.

"Italian wedding tradition. The bride wearing green the night before the wedding is believed to bring good luck." Danny said.

"And Danny you are carrying a small piece of iron in your pocket at the wedding, right?" Louie asked.

"Yes, I have it." Danny said. "Before you ask, it's another Italian tradition. It's believed that the groom carrying a small piece of iron will ward off evil spirits."

"What other Italian traditions will we get to see?' Mac asked.

"At the reception, Flack as the best man will pass out liquor to all arriving guests. Sweet liquor for the ladies and strong liquor for the men. This is so everyone can toast the bride and groom." I explained.

"Also, all the men at the reception will kiss Aurora, wishing her good luck. It's a tradition that is supposed to make the groom jealous." Danny said.

"What kind of kiss are we talking here?" I asked. "I mean let's remember Vicaro is coming to this wing ding."

Danny chuckled. "A quick kiss, mostly a peck."

"What about that vase you two are breaking?" Stella asked.

"That is another Italian wedding tradition. The bride and groom break a vase before leaving the reception. The number of pieces the vase shatters into will be the number of years the couple will be married." Danny explained.

"And that ribbon I have to tie in front of the church is what again?" Aiden asked.

"The ribbon tied in front of the church where the wedding takes place symbolizes the bond between the bride and groom." I said.

"And instead of throwing rice….everyone is going to throw confetti." Emily said. "Aurora told me that confetti thrown at the couple is for fertility."

"And the wedding cake is served with coffee." I said. "Vicaro should be thrilled."

"We're also doing the traditional Italian cookie dance." Danny said.

"What the hell? And I thought Greek weddings had a lot of traditions." Stella smiled.

"Cookie dance?" Mac asked.

"There will be cookie arranged in a pile like a big cake on the dessert table. Then the bride and groom start…like a conga line almost and start leading guests around the reception area past the dessert table where guests are supposed to take cookies as they dance by." Danny explained.

I chuckled. "I keep joking and telling Danny this is 'My big, fat Italian wedding'. But I am so excited."

"I am never gonna remember all this." Sheldon said.

"Oh don't worry. We'll go over everything at the rehearsal." I smiled.

"You have the music picked?" Aiden asked.

"Yes maid of honor, sir." I joked. Aiden had been helping make sure all the details were covered; really going above and beyond bridesmaids duties.

"And you've been practicing your vows?" Danny asked.

"Yes." I said. "And not to be a nag, but guys this week make sure all of you get your dress uniforms pressed. Louie, your tux needs to be picked up no later than Thursday night in case last minute alterations are needed."

"Bridezilla is here." Louie joked.

"I am not bridezilla. I have actually stayed rather calm about everything." I said.

"And is the honeymoon planned?" Sheldon winked at Danny.

"Yes, all the reservations are made, the hotels are booked. We're set." Danny said and opened another box.

"Are you two actually gonna make it out of the hotel room?" Flack asked. "I mean seven weeks and Danny hasn't gotten laid."

"Oh yes, I can't wait to see the Outer Banks. All the lighthouses and stuff, the big one at Cape Hatteras. And Kitty Hawk and I love the beach." I said. "And heaven help me when I hit the Smokey Mountains. There is so much there I want to see and do."

"Hey is one of Dolly Parton's bras on display at her theme park?" Sheldon asked.

"What is your deal with that?" Emily asked.

"I want to see one. You can't tell me you don't wonder what a bra that big looks like." Sheldon said.

I chuckled. "Actually, Dolly doesn't wear a bra. She has constructive surgery once a year to keep her breasts lifted so she doesn't need one."

"I think I am scared that she actually knew that." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Hey, at least now Mac can add that to his trivia…you know Mr. It's my job to know a little bit about everything." I giggled.

"Yeah, because I am sure Dolly Parton's bra will show up in a case." Flack rolled his eyes again.

"Hey, you never know in New York City." Aiden said.

"Seriously, what is there for a New York born and bred boy like Danny to do in the Smokey Mountains? Sounds to me like hick capital of the world." Flack said.

"He can do Aurora." Louie snickered.

I narrowed my eyes at Flack. "For your information…..don't think I didn't notice you humming Rascal Flatts the other day."

"Really? I love Rascal Flatts, what song?" Aiden asked.

Flack glared at me.

"God Bless the Broken Road'." I smirked.

"That is my favorite country song of all." Aiden said.

"What a coincidence." I smirked and Flack glared more.

"So how much more is there to be moved in?" Flack asked, obviously changing the subject.

"The new furniture is being delivered Monday. Our old couches are going down here so that when everyone is here to watch sports, the furniture can be abused and no one cares." I said.

"The place is really looking nice." Mac said.

"Thanks, I am so excited." I said.

"Danny just wants laid again." Louie laughed.

"One week. I can't believe this is all happened so fast." Aiden said. "Danny is getting married…To Aurora."

**(And Something Special for all my Readers)**

_Aurora and Danny_

_June thirtieth at Two O'clock in the afternoon  
__Aurora Dawn Denton and Daniel Messer  
__Will be exchanging their wedding vows at  
__St. Anthony's Cathedral, 2424 85th Avenue  
__Brooklyn, NYC._

_You are invited to share in the celebration of their love and the beginning of their new life together._

_Reception and Dance immediately following ceremony at  
__Ballroom of the The Fez Hotel, Astoria Boulevard  
__Queens, NYC. _

_You work, you play and then one day……love just happens. _


	105. Bachelor Party

_LizfromItaly- I researched and found them. Glad you were able to review. How were exams?_

_Mrs.phoenix- Glad you caught up and reviewed. I hope you keep it up._

_Snowbear96- Makes me think of Ric Flair! LOL_

_Miss Metal- Let go of Danny and take a deep breath. And you get to see the strip club thing so just enjoy. Aww, I am your favorite?_

_Meadow567- That was so sarcastic, Danny or Don could've said it! LOL_

_Truebluepatfan12- Thanks for the review. I love new reviewers. Hope you keep enjoying._

_Trizzy- I worked at a Coldplay show last year. My boss was drunk as hell and hugging me. And this is the next chapter you were waiting for. I hope you like it. Mac's underwear revealed, LOL._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Yes you're invited to their wedding. Bring a date and dance with the groom._

_Emador- Only you would notice the Dolly thing, LOL. And gotta love Flack. Him humming means one thing, wink._

"Bachelor party tonight. I can't wait." Sheldon stepped into the lab.

"Why are we all meeting here?" Mac asked.

"Well Stella and Aiden work in the lab so Emily and Rora are meeting them here. And the guys decided to pick me up here." Danny shrugged.

"Where are the naked women?" Chad asked walking in.

"We're getting there soon enough." Flack smiled and shook his head. "Vicaro and Louie aren't here yet."

"What do the girls have planned for Rora?" Danny asked Aiden.

"We're not telling you. You can hear about it later." Aiden chuckled. "You nervous about it?"

"I dunno, I guess I am just a little jealous…I know you guys are gonna go see strippers." Danny sighed.

"So are you." Stella said.

"I know…and I trust Rora. It's just…it's been so long since we've had sex and……never mind." Danny said.

Mac snickered.

"I still can't believe they talked you into going to strip clubs." Aiden said to Mac.

"I am just going to be with Danny for the festivities around his wedding and it's kind of a tradition for the groomsmen to be at the bachelor party. And this way I can make sure everyone gets home safe." Mac said.

"Hey baby." Aurora walked into the lab and kissed Danny. "Ready for bachelor party?"

"Gonna be fun. Flack has been bragging for weeks about all the clubs we're gonna hit." Danny said.

"Let's get the party started." Louie walked in.

"Where is Vicaro?" Sheldon asked.

"He should be here soon." Flack said.

"I'm ready for strippers." Emily said and walked in. She kissed Sheldon.

"Me too." I said.

"There you are!" a furious looking redheaded woman burst into the room. "Danny Messer, I have been looking high and low for you."

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" Danny asked.

"Don't give me that. You know exactly who I am. And I have spent the past week trying to find you!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry. I think your confused." Danny said.

"I am not. And there she is." The redhead snarled at Aurora. "There is something you need to know honey."

"Excuse me? Is there something we can do for you?" Mac stepped up.

"Yeah….you can make sure Danny Messer shows up in court for a paternity test. I'm five weeks pregnant." She said.

"WHAT?" Danny, Aurora, Aiden and Emily all said at once.

"I never saw her before!" Danny insisted. "Rora, I swear."

"What is going on?" Aurora was confused.

"Lady you better explain yourself." Aiden growled and narrowed her eyes.

"Five weeks ago, Danny boy here picks me up in a bar. He leaves in the middle of the night, never to be seen again." The redhead sneered. "Then I find out I'm pregnant and try desperately to find Danny. But you know how it is with one night stands. And then I see his engagement announcement in the paper and came here to find him."

"You cheated on Aurora?" Aiden hissed at him. "Danny, I really thought she changed you."

"She did. I didn't. I don't know what the hell is going on." Danny said.

"Danny?" Aurora asked.

"Baby, I swear…"

"Baby nothing. He said his old lady wasn't putting out." The redhead yelled.

"Danny, I can't believe you!" Emily yelled.

"Rora doesn't want sex right before the wedding so you cheat on her?" Flack was appalled. "Couldn't you just wait a few weeks?"

"I didn't! I swear. I would never cheat on her. I couldn't. Rora, baby you gotta believe me." Danny pleaded.

"I…." Aurora looked at Danny.

"Danny, I think its best if you leave Aurora alone. You've done enough." Mac said and pulled Aurora away from Danny, getting between them.

"Mac….you know…I didn't…"

"I don't want to hear it. One week before her wedding and she hears this." Mac glared at Danny.

"I'm gonna kill him. My best friend…you don't cheat on…." Aiden was practically spitting nails.

Flack put a hand on Aiden's shoulder and held her back. "Calm down. I am pissed too, but let's remember where we are."

"But he cheated on Aurora!" Aiden yelled. "And knocked up another woman. You know how much Rora wanted to have a baby!"

"I never saw this woman. I didn't go drinking or looking for sex. I wouldn't cheat on Aurora, I love her. This has to be a mistake." Danny insisted.

"Danny…I thought you were okay with the no sex for seven weeks? If you were this upset, why didn't you talk to Rora?" Emily glared at him.

"But….listen….I didn't cheat on Aurora. I would never do that. Why doesn't anyone believe me?" Danny asked.

"I've heard enough. I am taking Aurora home." Mac said.

"No wait….." Danny said. "Rory, please?"

"Danny, after all your talk about how you hated dad for cheating on mom." Louie glared.

"I'm gonna be sick." Danny said.

"Come on Aurora. I'll go home with you." Aiden said. "And Danny, I'll kill you later. I should so beat your ass."

Danny looked around. "Who the hell are you lady? Do you realize you're ruining my life here?"

"I'm Tawnya from accounting. Flack made me do this." She said.

"What?" Danny asked.

Flack, Louie and Sheldon suddenly cracked up laughing.

"What the hell is going on here?" Danny demanded.

"Danny come on, it's your bachelor party…we wanted to pull a prank on you." Flack put his arm around Danny. "All your groomsmen were in on it…even Mac."

"What?" Aiden asked.

"It was a bachelor party prank. Flack thought it up." Louie explained.

"A prank?" Emily asked.

"Sure, guys do this stuff all the time when their buddies get married. But we wanted a really big one. Something spectacular." Sheldon said.

"So I talked to Tawnya and she agreed to help us out." Flack said.

"And Mac went along with this?" Stella asked.

"I agreed as long as it didn't go too far. If Aurora cried or a physical fight broke out, I was calling it off." Mac said.

"Thank God this was a prank." Emily said.

"I…why didn't you let the girls in on it?' Danny asked. "Aiden was gonna kill me."

"Damn right I was." Aiden said.

"Because it's the groomsmen prank. And we wanted it to be more realistic." Flack said.

"You guys deserve Oscars for that performance." Stella said.

"And poor Aurora….her face." Chad said.

"I didn't know what to think. I knew Danny wouldn't cheat on me, but…it was all so realistic." Aurora said.

"I…I am speechless and so thankful that is over." Danny sighed. Danny pulled Aurora against him. "And you did it in front of her friends…who carry guns, I might add."

"We are the masters." Flack smirked.

"I was scared shitless." Danny admitted. "Flack, you're so dead when you get married."

"Now let's get the party started." Sheldon said.

Vicaro walked in. "What'd I miss?"

(Angels Undercover Strip Club)

"Aurora would kill us if she saw this." Chad said to Flack watching a very leggy, nearly naked blonde stripper straddle and grind on Danny.

"Nah, she said it was all cool 'as long as his dick doesn't end up in another vagina'. Her exact words. Besides, the girls were going to see male strippers." Flack said.

"How you doing Danny?" Sheldon laughed.

"Fine…just fine." Danny took a deep breath and smiled at the stripper.

"I liked that stripper at the last club. The one that Danny untied her top with his teeth." Flack said.

"And she didn't deflate." Louie laughed.

"She had a clit ring. That turns me off. It just looks painful." Vicaro said.

"Wow, something that actually turns off Vicaro." Sheldon was surprised.

"What do you think Mac?" Flack smirked.

"The girls are attractive, some are way overdone." Mac said.

"But some nice asses, huh?" Sheldon winked at him.

"Danny, are your jeans too tight?" Flack yelled.

"I plead the 5th." Danny smirked.

"Mac, I can't believe you wore dress clothes to a bachelor party." Chad said.

"I came here from work. I left my jacket at the office." Mac said and drank more of his beer.

"Wow, I never saw a stripper do that." Flack said.

The stripper had wrapped her legs around Danny's neck and was hanging upside down.

"That is hott." Vicaro stared.

"I wonder if she's single." Chad said.

"Shut up Virgin." Flack rolled his eyes.

The stripper finished her dance with Danny, kissed his cheek and walked away.

"Thank god that is over." Danny sighed.

"She was hott." Flack said.

"I know…and….how soon is the wedding?" Danny asked.

The guys all chuckled.

"This is a great party though. I might marry Emily just for the bachelor party." Sheldon said.

"No more weddings for awhile. Those girls are nuts. Hott as hell but nuts." Vicaro said.

"Look she is dressed like a naughty cop!" Sheldon said as the next stripper took to the stage.

"Think we could get our girls to dress like that?" Flack asked.

"If you saw Aiden like that you'd pop wood worse than a teenager." Danny said.

"Damn right I would." Flack laughed.

(Luscious Strip Club)

"This is a fairly new club. I haven't been here before." Sheldon said.

"It just opened a few months ago." Vicaro said.

"I've seen more naked women tonight than in my whole life." Flack said. "Maybe not."

"After this we should head to get some coffee." Mac said.

"Is this the Messer bachelor party?" a waitress asked.

"Yeah, a round of drinks and anytime you're ready." Flack said.

"Ready for what?" Mac asked as she walked off.

"Just to party." Danny smiled.

"Sheldon you got the camera?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, everything is set." Sheldon smiled.

"What are they doing to Danny?" Mac asked Louie.

"It's a surprise." Louie said.

Their drinks arrived and were placed on the table.

"So Danny, you ready to get married? I mean really ready?" Flack asked.

"Yeah…the house is ready. We want a family. I feel great." Danny smiled.

Five scantily clad ladies walked up to the table.

"Which one of you is Mac Taylor?" the brunette asked.

"I am." Mac was confused. "Something wrong?"

"Oh no. Just enjoy." A very busty blonde said as two other girls grabbed his arms and pulled him out of his seat.

"Wait, I am not the groom. There is a mistake." Mac said as he was pulled away from the table.

"No mistake. You're Mac Taylor. And you're all ours." A redhead with short hair said.

"Guys?" Mac turned his head back to the table.

"Have fun Mac!" Danny yelled.

"We love you Mac!" Flack yelled and Sheldon started taking pictures.

"What the hell?" Mac asked as the five women pulled him up on stage.

Mac looked and saw a chair sitting near the pole in the center of the runway. He looked back to the table where the guys were all cheering and Sheldon was still taking pictures.

"Do something. Get me out of this!" Mac yelled at them.

"Honey, they arranged it!" A second blonde said and touched his cheek.

"They what?" Mac asked as the girls forced him to sit in the chair. 'Genie in a Bottle' started playing in the club.

"Relax baby, we don't bite. Unless you want us to." The brunette said.

"Oh no." Mac saw she had handcuffs. "Listen…."

Before he could say another word two of the girls grabbed his wrists and lifted his arms over his head, handcuffing him to the pole. Mac looked over at the table again. They were all clapping and cheering. Sheldon snapping off pictures.

"Danny, Chad you're fired when I get out of this mess." Mac yelled.

"I can just see him filling out those dismissal papers." Flack laughed.

"Yeah he'd have to write: 'Daniel Messer and Chad Willingham are being relieved of their duties because they took me to a strip club where I was handcuffed to a pole and subsequently my underwear was pulled off of me through my fly.'." Sheldon cracked.

Back on the stage the girls were dancing on and around a handcuffed Mac. Mac was blushing trying to stay calm. Mac would glare at the guys.

"This your first time sugar?" the redhead asked.

"And last." Mac said, blushing worse as she straddled him.

"We were all new once." She smiled at him.

Mac took a deep breath as one of the blondes started running her fingers through his hair. Then his eyes got wide as the redhead on his lap unzipped his dress pants.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mac asked.

She chuckled and climbed off him.

"Uhh ladies….its not that you're not all attractive but ummm can you zip me back up?" Mac blushed and looked down.

"When we're done with you honey." The brunette said and leaned down to Mac.

Mac's eyes got even wider if that were possible when she reached through his zipper opening and grabbed his underwear. She winked at him, brushed a quick kiss on his lips and gave a hard tug.

"Shit!" Mac yelled as he felt his underwear rip and then pulled out of his fly.

The brunette stood up holding Mac's grey cotton boxer-briefs. The guys jumped up cheering loudly and gave a standing ovation. Mac blushed worse than ever, his mouth open in disbelief and he kept looking down and back at the stripper.

"He's gonna kill us." Chad laughed.

"This is priceless. So much blood is in his face, he couldn't have an erection with Viagra right now." Sheldon snapped more pictures.

"I wanna know how they do that…ripping the underwear thing." Vicaro said.

"It's a trick they're trained for. I asked." Louie said.

Back on the stage, the redhead zipped up Mac, who was still blushing and speechless. The song ended.

"You okay?" a blonde asked Mac.

"I'm fine." Mac said.

"Did you enjoy that?" the other blonde asked.

"It was nice. Thank you ladies." Mac said as they uncuffed him.

"It was our pleasure." The brunette said. "Want your underwear back?"

Mac blushed. "No, just…throw them away or something."

Mac stood up and hurried off the stage back to the table where the guys were smiling and laughing.

"I don't want to hear one word!" Mac glared.

"You know that was all in fun." Flack smiled.

"This is not to get around the lab." Mac said. "Don't mention this at work."

"We won't. But we are showing the girls the pictures. Wait till you see your face." Sheldon laughed.

"Burn that roll of film." Mac said. "Whose idea was this?"

They all just smiled.

"I…you're lucky I like you all." Mac said. "But did you have to take pictures?"

"Hell yes. Wait till we tell the girls you're now going commando." Flack said.

Mac groaned. "Can we go get that coffee now?"

"Sure thing, boss. By the way, I am so jealous" Chad smiled.

**Aurora's Bachelorette Party Next Chapter**


	106. Bachelorette Party

_Miss Metal- that was quick. I expected a big review with lots of comments._

_Jordayna- I hope you laugh over this one too. Just enjoy and have fun._

_Snowbear96- Mac is just so fun to write. And I like bringing him out of his shell a bit._

_Trizzy- The prank was a bit cruel, so I tried to soften it a bit by having Mac say that he wouldn't have let it go too far. And I wish there was pictures of Mac at that moment too. I'd pay to see them. _

_Meadow567- That prank came to me a long time ago, I just had to write it. And the Mac thing…a local club here does that._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Glad you'll be there. And that prank was fun to write._

_Feenx86- Sorry you hurt yourself. Hope your parents aren't mad._

_Emador- If you can stop laughing at Danny's party, here is Rora's. And Sheldon doesn't quite do what you're thinking. But I think you'll like this._

(Ladies Night Strip Club)

"I think Danny would kill us for this." Emily giggled watching a very muscular male stripper strut around Aurora.

"I came ahead and ordered a few specific guys for her." Aiden said. "I picked this one because of his resemblance to that Batista wrestler she likes so much. I mean muscles, short dark hair, and goatee."

"Besides, Flack assured me that Danny would quote 'see so many tits, he'll think he's on a dairy farm'." Stella rolled her eyes.

The girls watched some more of Aurora getting a lap dance from the dancer Aiden had picked out. Aurora was wearing a bridal veil with horns that Emily had got her for the party.

"I'm ordering us a round of blowjob shots." Aiden said.

All evening the girls had been drinking beverages with sexual names.

"Wow, I did not realize a pelvis could do that." Emily said watching the dancer.

"If there is a wrestler that looks like that…I gotta start watching wrestling." Stella said.

"Rora, remember you love Danny. I don't want to explain to him you ran off with a dancer." Aiden said.

"Doesn't he remind you of Batista?" Aurora asked.

The other women chuckled.

When the lap dance ended and Aurora though blushing but laughing scooted back up to the table, the blowjob shots had arrived.

"How do you do these?" Emily asked looking at the shots in glasses shaped like penises.

"Hold your hands behind your back and just use your mouth. You're supposed to use just your mouth to throw it back and drink it." Aiden said.

"Watch me make a mess." Emily chuckled.

"Me too." Aiden laughed.

"Let's go on the count of three so it's less embarrassing." Aurora said.

The girls chuckled and put their hands behind their backs and leaned forward. Emily moved slow and managed not to spill anything. Stella had to grab her glass to keep from making a mess. Aurora threw hers back with no problem. And Aiden opened her mouth too far and nearly gagged.

"Easy Aiden….you know Flack is gonna be a lot bigger than that glass." Aurora laughed.

"You and Emily seemed to have no trouble." Stella smirked.

"It's because they are getting practice at blowjobs." Aiden chuckled.

Aurora rolled her eyes and ordered another drink. "Hey, you'll be getting practice soon enough."

"Flack and I are still…I am not sure what we're doing other than hanging out. Maybe this is his plan to keep another man from getting me." Aiden said.

"Still, if you fell to your knees in front of him he wouldn't object." Aurora said.

"No kidding. So….you had no trouble with that blowjob shot." Aiden winked.

"What can I say I like doing the real thing on Danny?" Aurora smiled.

"Really?" Emily asked.

"Oh yeah. Danny is very responsive, so it's great because I know he is into it." Aurora smiled.

"I was nervous the first time I tried on Sheldon." Emily said.

"Why? Honey…I heard a man once say 'blowjobs are like pizza. Even a bad one is good." Aurora said.

"It's just…Sheldon is so……"

"Well endowed?" Aurora finished.

Emily nodded. "I was afraid of choking and accidentally biting him."

Aurora's drink arrived.

"What is that?" Stella asked.

"A slow screw against the wall." Aurora smiled. "I am getting drunk tonight."

"I just ordered a 'screaming orgasm'." Emily said.

"So….hot seat time. What is Danny best at in the bedroom?" Aiden asked.

Aurora chuckled. "I'd have to say anything involving tongue. He gives new meaning to 'silver tongued devil'."

"And what was the best sex you two ever had?" Stella giggled.

"That is a hard one. I mean there is no such thing as BAD sex with Danny." Aurora said. "There was our first time, and then the first time after he was injured, and when we got engaged….."

"Is Danny the best sex you've ever had?" Stella smirked.

"Without a doubt. And Danny was the first guy to ever make me multiple." Aurora said.

"Wow, that is a talent. Some men you're lucky if they even take the time to get you off…let alone to stay with you till you multiple." Aiden said.

"Oh there has been times Danny has made my feet go numb. When I get off really hard, they do that." Aurora said.

"You really love him." Stella said.

"I do. I really can't imagine my life without him." Aurora smiled. "Now enough sappy stuff. Bring on some near-naked men and alcohol."

(Corner Café)

"How did these two get so drunk?" Stella asked as she and Aiden pulled Aurora and Emily out of a cab.

"They kept showing off how well they do blowjob shots. Danny and Sheldon must be the two most satisfied men in NYC." Aiden said pulling on Aurora.

"Wait till I tell Sheldon this." Stella said.

"Where are we?" Aurora asked.

"Getting some coffee to help sober you two up." Stella said.

"Where is the Batista guy?" Aurora asked.

"Back at the club." Aiden said and helped the girls into the café.

"Hey look there are the guys." Stella said.

"They must've stopped in for awhile in the middle of their strip club stuff." Aiden said.

"DANNY!" Aurora saw him and took off running.

"Rory?" Danny looked up from the guys table.

Aurora leaped into his arms and snuggled against him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Aiden asked as she dragged Emily up to the guys table.

"We stopped in for some coffee." Flack said.

"Sheldon." Emily said and plopped down in his lap.

"Why are these two so drunk?" Vicaro asked.

"Well Aurora was drinking a lot anyway. And then they got to doing blowjob shots. By the way Sheldon, Emily is very good at them." Aiden winked.

"That's my girl." Sheldon smiled and kissed Emily's forehead.

"So what kind of strippers did you see?" Danny asked Aurora.

"Dave Batista." She answered.

"There was a stripper that looked a lot like him." Stella clarified.

"How did you guys enjoy the strip clubs?" Aiden asked.

"Not one word." Mac glared at them.

The girls looked at each other.

"Don't worry ladies. We got pictures of the whole thing." Sheldon laughed.

Mac rolled his eyes.

"Danny...did you like the strippers?' Aurora asked him.

"They were pretty and all. But they weren't you." Danny smiled at her.

"He knows that just another few days and he'll get laid again." Flack joked.

"I've missed you so much." Aurora said and snuggled against Danny.

"Only these two would end up snuggling on their bachelor party night." Flack said.

"It's sweet." Aiden said.

"Danny…I'm horny." Aurora said and leaned in to kiss his neck.

"Aurora, remember where we are?" Danny said, pulling her away.

"And not in front of the boss." Chad said.

"The Boss?" Aurora looked wide eyed.

"The boss." Chad said and nodded his head towards Mac.

Aurora looked over at Mac. She was still very drunk and saw dark hair and a five o'clock shadow.

"Bruce Springsteen!" she shrieked and leaped out of her chair. "Why didn't you guys tell me Bruce Springsteen was having coffee with you? The Boss himself."

"What?" Danny asked.

"She's so drunk…she think Mac is…." Flack broke off laughing.

Aurora sat down on Mac's lap much to Mac's surprise. "Mr. Springsteen, can I just tell you that I have loved you for years. I remember dancing around the house to 'Dancing in the Dark'."

"I'm not…." Mac said.

"It's cool. I won't alert other people that you're here. I know you probably want some peace and quiet." Aurora said. "Emily look. It's Bruce Springsteen!"

"I just love Springsteen." Emily said and climbed over Vicaro to hug Mac.

"Gee, _boss,_ you're just a chick magnet tonight." Sheldon laughed.

"Tell them I am not….." Mac glared.

"Oh no, this is priceless." Danny chuckled.

Mac glared more, and then turned to Aurora. "Don't you think your fiancée will mind you snuggling on me like this?"

"Oh no. Danny knows that you are one of my favorite celebrities." Aurora said.

"Yeah, The Boss, and that Lt. Dan guy….what's his real name?" Emily asked.

"I dunno. Something Sinus." Aurora said.

"So Bruce…what brings you through the Lincoln Tunnels to NYC?" Emily asked.

"Listen…I am not…." Mac tried.

"You know Bruce." Aurora said. "When you told off Ronald Regan…that was great."

Aiden laughed. "As she says this to someone with a picture of Regan in their office."

"So _boss_, two girls hanging on you….and commando." Flack winked and laughed.

Mac blushed and glared at the same time.

"'Suburban Commando', that was a dumb movie. But Bruce wasn't in that." Aurora told Flack who laughed harder.

"I've never seen Aurora this drunk." Danny laughed. "It's hilarious."

"Emily, Bruce smells just like Mac. They must wear the same cologne." Aurora said.

"Mac…..our marine." Emily said.

"Tell Bruce goodbye, we need to get you ladies home." Stella said.

"Bye bye Bruce. Nice meeting you." Emily said as Stella pulled her up.

"Bye Bruce." Aurora said and gave Mac a huge kiss on the mouth.

Mac blushed as she giggled and Aiden pulled her away.

"Where is Mac?" Emily asked.

"Good question." Aurora said.

"Our marine." Emily said.

"NO VIAGRA FOR SEMPER FI!" Aurora yelled as they walked out the door.

"NO VIAGRA FOR SEMPER FI!" Emily repeated.

"What the hell are they yelling about?" Danny asked.

"I don't want to know." Chad said.

"This is it for me and bachelor parties. I am not going to another one. I don't care if I remarry and it's my own." Mac glared at them.

"Mac, you know you had fun. And if it had been any other girls we'd have pulled them off you." Sheldon said.

"But it's Danny's party. Isn't the embarrassing stuff supposed to happen to him?" Mac asked.

"Nothing is more entertaining than watching you be shocked." Danny smiled.

Mac just shook his head. "We only have to do this once right?"

"Until Flack marries Aiden, or Sheldon marries Emily." Louie said.

Meanwhile Stella and Aiden had gotten Aurora and Emily into a cab and were taking them home.

"Did you have a fun bachelorette party?" Aiden asked Aurora.

"Yes, it was great. Now we can look forward to the rehearsal dinner." Aurora smiled.


	107. Day Before The Wedding

_Trizzy- I am a Springsteen fan and when the idea hit me about someone callin Mac 'the boss' I just had to do that chappie. And I love Adam Sandler too. Writing funny drunk scenes is so much fun._

_Meadow567- You gotta love drunk insanity! LOL_

_Jordayna- Mac is so much fun to write sometimes. And I am a huge Bruce fan._

_crazygirlHaley5555- Drunk scenes in my stories tend to be favorites._

_Snowbear96- Gotta love the Boss, both of them._

_Truebluepatfan12- I hope this was soon enough. _

_Feenx86- If he is that desperate, there is a club like that where I went to college in WV. LOL it's where I got the idea from. _

_Emador- Are you done laughing? And don't worry lots of story left and Sheldon can get laid._

"Rehearsal dinner tonight. Everything is in order. I called the caterer and florist already and all the last minute details are worked out." I smiled at Aiden. "We're all go for tomorrow."

"You excited?" Aiden asked. "Never mind dumb question."

"The house is all ready. Actually I left my keys with my landlord this morning I am all moved out." I said. "And Rammer is already at Louie's, because Louie is looking after him while we are on the honeymoon. Danny has a few boxes left at his place and we'll get those after we get back from Tennessee."

"Deep breath." Aiden laughed. "Where is Flack?"

"He went to the airport to pick up my brother. He is flying in from PA." I said. "Flack volunteered to get him since I am knee deep in wedding stuff right now."

"He can fly?" Aiden asked.

"His counselor from the group home he stays in bought his ticket with the money I sent her and made sure that he got on the plane safely in Pittsburgh. We arranged for someone to keep an eye on him, like when children fly alone. Flack is meeting him at JFK." I explained.

"Okay, you're staying tonight with me. And tonight at rehearsal we're putting all the dresses in our dressing room at the church." Aiden said.

"And I called the DJ earlier and went over the song list and pronunciation of everyone's names for the introduction of the bridal party." I said.

"Now who is what with who again?" Aiden asked.

"You and Flack will walk together right before Donald gives me away. Sheldon is walking with Emily. And Louie is escorting Stella. Mac will walk down the aisle first and alone and light my side of the unity candle. Since I am so close to Mac I thought it'd be nice." I said. "And then when Louie gets to the altar, he'll light Danny's side. And….when Danny first walks out, he is lying two white roses on the altar. They are to show the remembrance of his mom and my dad."

"We're going over this tonight?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, I have a list written down." I said. "I doubt I am going to sleep tonight."

My cell phone rang. "Denton."

"Aurora…we need you up in the lab." Stella said.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Well, it's a situation. We need you up here." Stella said.

"I am on my way." I said confused. I hung up.

"What's wrong?" Aiden asked.

"Something is wrong in the lab and they need me?" I asked. "Maybe I forgot to sign papers on a case or something."

"I'll go with you. I was headed back to the lab myself." Aiden said.

Aiden and I headed to the lab. In my head I was running over things that needed to be done.

"Where is Stella?' I asked.

"She should be in the lab." Aiden said. "Maybe she is in the break room."

I shrugged and headed towards the break room. I walked in and saw the break room was full of people.

"Surprise!" they yelled.

"Didn't we do this once before?" I asked confused.

"You didn't get to have a bridal shower. So we decided to throw you one." Aiden said.

"I have no girlfriends but you, Emily and Stella." I protested.

"Pish tosh, in this day and age, men can buy the bride gifts." Emily said. "So this is your bridal shower."

"Besides, I am around you girls so much I could menstruate." Sheldon laughed.

"You sound like Flack." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"We thought this would be a nice surprise before we all head out to the rehearsal and stuff." Stella said.

"Thank you all so much. You didn't have to do this." I said.

"I go to a bridal shower and the only women there are taken and Stella." Vicaro said and Stella glared at him.

Danny walked up and hugged me. "Aiden made me do this."

"It's great. I love it." I kissed him.

"And we made sure the gifts are wrapped with lots of tight ribbons." Emily giggled.

"What does ribbons have to do with anything?" Sheldon asked.

"It's an old wives tale or tradition or whatever that however many ribbons the bride breaks while opening gifts is how many children she will have." Emily explained.

"So that's why Donald and Stella have been tying ribbons on packages for the past 15 minutes." Chad said.

I giggled. "It's okay. We want a large family."

"So let's get started." Emily said.

"Someone keep track of who got me what so I can do thank you cards." I said.

"I'm on it." Danny said.

"And who is in charge of getting this stuff from here to their new place?" Aiden asked.

"I'm gonna take it to Danny's apartment later so they can pick it up with the rest of his stuff after the honeymoon." Louie said.

"Here Aurora, sit down and start opening gifts." Mac pulled out a chair for me.

I sat down and Donald handed me a big package.

"Wait, I didn't register. How did anyone know what to get?" I asked.

Everyone turned and looked at Danny.

Danny smirked. "So I sat down with Aiden and she made a list of everything you wanted for the new house."

I giggled. "Okay, this one is from Louie."

"It isn't a blowup doll is it?" Danny snickered.

"Why would I get Rora that?" Louie rolled his eyes.

I struggled to get the ribbon off and ended up breaking it.

"There's one!" Stella smiled.

I opened the box and it was a set of floor lamps…the ones I had wanted for the living room.

"Louie, these are great." I said.

Flack stepped into the room. "Rora, there is someone here who would like to see you."

I looked up and my brother walked into the room.

"Russ!" I giggled and ran to hug him. "I am so glad you're here."

"I rode in the police car. Detective Don let me ride in the back." Russ smiled.

I chuckled. "Was it fun?"

"Yeah...he even ran the siren for a block." Russ said.

"He said he wanted to see what it was like to be a bad guy." Flack smiled.

"Any problems?" I asked.

"No, the airline says he did great. And on the way here we had a long talk about Ninja Turtles….he knows more than me." Flack smiled at Russ.

"Thank you Flack." I smiled.

"Sissy….you work with all these people?" Russ asked.

"Most of them." I smiled. "Everyone, this is my brother Russ, all the way from PA."

Everyone smiled at him.

"And Russ, you already met Detective Don. And that is Aiden and Emily. And that is Big Mac." I said using the nicknames he'd devised for my friends. "And this is Danny."

"You're marrying my sister?" Russ asked.

"Yeah. It's nice to meet you." Danny smiled and hugged him.

"And this is Sheldon the morgue guy." I said. "See he's not scary."

"Guess not." Russ smiled.

"I am so glad you came to the wedding. And tonight you to get to stay with Danny and hang out." I smiled.

(Back Room of Restaurant)

The rehearsal had gone fine. I wore my green dress just as Italian tradition held. Now we were at the dinner afterwards for the wedding party. I had gotten a ton of stuff at my shower. And ended up breaking 7 ribbons.

"I am so excited for tomorrow." Emily said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I think everything will go great." I said.

"You're gonna be such a pretty bride." Emily started getting choked up.

"Relax, we can all cry tomorrow." I chuckled.

We heard someone tapping on their glass and looked to see Mac standing up.

"Excuse me….I know it's traditional for the father of the bride to make the toast at the rehearsal dinner, but sadly Aurora's father has passed on. And I know Donald is giving her away, but I asked if I could give the toast tonight and he agreed. Now if you know me I am not one for big speeches…..but for Aurora and Danny I am tonight." Mac said. "Aurora is one of the best people I have ever met. And she has more love and compassion in her heart than anyone I know. She has shown me how easy it is to love others and let them know you care. And I know that if her dad were here tonight he would be just as proud as I am of her."

I smiled as Mac continued.

"And I have known Danny for a long time. I know how much he loves Aurora. And I know that they are going to be very happy together. And I am so glad they asked me to be a part of their special day." Mac said and raised his glass. "To Danny and Aurora."

I smiled as glasses clinked.

"I can't believe Mac made a toast." Danny said.

"After the stripper incident he probably figures a toast with clothes on and hands free is a breeze." Flack laughed.

"I am going to talk to Mac." I said and kissed Danny. "Be right back."

I walked over to where Mac was seated and sat down. I kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for the toast, it means more to me than you know." I smiled.

Mac smiled. "I wanted to do that for you. Kinda my way of showing how much I care. I know I'm not as good with expressing myself like you are…..but I do love you."

I started to cry. "I love you too Mac."

Mac hugged me. "You're very good with your brother. I admire that you love him so much. A lot of people would be ashamed of him."

"Nothing to be ashamed of. Birthing complications just happen sometimes." I said.

"How severe is his mental disability?" Mac asked.

"He has the mind of about an 8 year old. He can be taught some adult things, but mostly…he is a childlike." I said.

"He is very crazy about you. And a nice person." Mac said.

"Yeah…he's had it rough. His real mother doesn't want much to do with him and my mother…don't get me started. But he's got a great heart." I said.

"Must run in the family." Mac smiled.

"By the way, I saw the pictures form Danny's bachelor party….boxer briefs?" I giggled.

Mac groaned. "They showed you."

"The look on your face." I giggled.

"Don't tell the guys, but if there had been such a thing when I was in the marines…I'd have done it to my buddies too." Mac smiled.

"I am glad everyone had fun, Boss." I winked and walked off.

(Queens)

I was getting ready for bed at Aiden's apartment. The dinner had broken up and everyone went their separate ways.

"Rora, Danny asked me to give you this. He told me to give it to you before bed." Aiden said and handed me an envelope.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know. He just said to give it to you, it was a surprise." Aiden said.

I opened the envelope and found a letter. I unfolded it and it was in Danny's handwriting.

_My Aurora,_

_I cannot tell you how happy you have made me by agreeing to be my wife. I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love another person. Tomorrow is our wedding day. I can't wait to lift your veil and kiss you as my wife for the first time. I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't see myself with anyone else and could think of no one I'd rather have as the mother of my children._

_Words cannot express how much I love you. You make me a better man. And you have stood by me when most ran. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. You looked past everything that haunted me and loved me anyways. I don't deserve you. I am just the lucky bastard you fell in love with. We have had some hard times, but our love got us through. Most times you knew what I needed before I did._

_And now you will become my wife. We will spend our lives together. I can't wait to spend my life with you. So I will see you at the altar tomorrow. I love you more than anything._

_Ti amo,  
__Danny _


	108. Wedding

_Miss Metal- Well here is the wedding so weep away, LOL._

_Feenx86- Here is the wedding. Hope you like it._

_Meadow567- I can safely say that Mac just loves her as a very close friend. He won't interrupt the wedding._

_Trizzy- Well I hope you like the wedding. And you can get teary eyed, its cute. Besides Danny is so sweet its hard not to. I had the idea for awhile about him writing her a letter the night before the wedding._

_Jordayna- Well here is the wedding. So maybe have a box of tissues on hand. Although I don't know if I made it that bad. _

_Snowbear96- The wedding. It's fluffy and I hope you like it._

_Emador- I thought Flack would be cool with Russ, like really sweet and all. And Mac has a soft spot, beneath all that "I'm a marine you little punk…." _

"Aurora, you look positively beautiful." Aiden said. "I just finished tying the ribbon in front of the church. And the guests are arriving. The guys look so handsome in their dress police uniforms. They are seating people now."

"Sounds like everything is fine then." I smiled.

I looked at Stella, Aiden and Emily in their light green gowns. They had their hair and nails done. Their bouquets of wildflowers waiting by the door.

"Are you ready?" Emily asked. "Do you have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?"

"My something new is my earrings from Aiden." I said and squeezed her hand. "My something blue is my garter, that Stella, I still say is too high on my thigh."

Stella chuckled. "Oh come on……and Danny wants to take it off with his teeth."

"My something borrowed is a handkerchief from Mac" I giggled. "And my something old is my bracelet. It's one I have had since high school. I think I wore it to homecoming one year."

There was a knock at the door.

"It isn't time to start yet?" Aiden looked at the clock.

"Who is it?" Emily called out.

"Leo Messer." Came the reply.

All three ladies looked at me.

"Go ahead and let him in." I said.

Stella opened the door. Leo was standing on the other side, dressed in a black suit. He walked into the room.

"Is there something you needed?" I asked.

"I just wanted to speak to you for a moment." Leo said.

"We'll go check our make up one last time." Aiden said, ushering the other two out of the room.

"Go ahead." I said to Leo.

"You look beautiful." Leo smiled.

"Thank you." I said and glanced in the mirror at my dress. White and beaded with a halter type top. Belled out at the waist with a cathedral train.

"I have something I'd like to give you…..it's…well you should have it." Leo said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch and handed it to me.

I opened the pouch and a strand of pearls fell into my hands.

"They were Danny's mother's. They were given to her on our wedding day by her grandmother….who brought them to the US from the old country." Leo said.

"They're beautiful." I turned them over in my hand.

"They meant so much to my wife. She wore them only on special occasions. We never had a daughter to pass them on to. And now she's gone…..she would want you to have them." Leo said.

"Thank you….I'll always cherish them….they…this means a lot to me." I started to choke up. "I wish I could've known Danny's mom. He misses her so much."

"She was a great woman. More than I ever deserved. Danny is a lot like her." Leo said. "I am glad you're marrying him."

"I love him. He makes me very happy." I said.

"I know." Leo said. "I should get to my seat. The church was starting to get full."

I nodded and watched Leo walk out of the room. A few seconds later my bridesmaids all came back.

"Everything okay?' Aiden asked.

"Everything is fine." I smiled.

"I guess we're about ready for the wedding then. As soon as Donald comes and lets us know." Stella said.

"You girls got extra tissues. Emily was crying already." I giggled.

"Yes, we're all ready to go." Aiden said.

"Okay, then I guess this is it." I smiled.

"I am so happy for you." Emily hugged me.

"Thank you, don't cry yet." I said.

"Who'd have guessed Danny would be the first of us to take the plunge?" Stella said. "You keep him in line."

"I will." I said and hugged her.

I turned to Aiden. "Girl…this is it. You're about to become Mrs. Danny Messer."

"Yeah…..thanks for everything." I said and hugged her.

"I love you girl, you know that." Aiden said.

"I love you too." I said as there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." I called.

Donald walked in. "It's that time. Everyone is seated."

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Ladies, your bouquets."

The girls took their bouquets and stepped out of the room.

"Aurora, you look beautiful. You're just glowing." Donald said.

"Thank you." I said. "It's time to get out there."

Donald leaned down and kissed my cheek. Then lifted my veil down and covered my face. I smiled, and Donald handed me my bouquet. I took his arm and we headed out of the room.

We stopped at the back door to the church. I looked up front seeing the priest standing with Danny, who looked great in his dress uniform. A few feet away stood Mac, looking stoic as ever. My side of the unity candle was lit as Mac had done it. Two white roses laid on the altar in honor of my dad and Danny's mom. Danny had laid them there. I looked and saw the large font at the front of the church and snickered.

Soft music started. I looked at my bridal party lining up. Louie looked great in his tux. And Sheldon and Flack looked downright dashing in their dress uniforms.

Stella took Louie's arm and they started down the aisle. I could see Danny was smiling, the pews full of people. When Stella and Louie reached the front, Louie kissed her cheek and she walked over to the side opposite of Danny. Louie continued up to the stage and lit Danny's side of the unity candle before joining Mac on Danny's side of the altar.

Sheldon and Emily started down the aisle together. I could tell Emily was a little nervous because her bouquet shook a little. When they reached the front, Sheldon kissed her cheek; then Emily went to stand beside Stella and Sheldon went to stand beside Louie.

Aiden took Don's arm and they started down the aisle. I watched as they reached the front, Don kissed Aiden's cheek. Aiden went to stand beside Emily; Don went to stand between Danny and Sheldon.

Donald squeezed my hand. I smiled up at him as my music started and the entire church stood. I took Donald's arm and we started down the aisle.

On both sides me of were smiling faces….Chad, Vicaro, Jane, Leo, Thacker, other people we worked with and loved. Russ was in the front row smiling more than anyone. I looked up at Danny who was smiling. I could feel tears already. I kept smiling at Danny as we reached the front.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Daniel Messer and Aurora Dawn Denton in holy matrimony. Two people who have found each other and decided to share their lives together. Let us pray." The priest began. We all bowed our heads. "Dear Lord, we thank you for Daniel and Aurora and that they are going to share their lives. May they always love each other, support each other, and have your blessings throughout their marriage. Amen."

We all looked back up as the guests were seated.

"Daniel and Aurora have come before us today to symbolically commit themselves to one another, to be joined in the eyes of God and the eyes of the State of New York. If there is anyone here who can show just cause as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The church fell quiet as no one said a word.

"Who gives this woman in marriage?" the priest asked.

"I do." Donald said.

Donald then hugged me and placed my hand in Danny's. Danny smiled as we stepped forward closer to the priest. Aiden stepped up and adjusted my train and gave me a quick smile. Donald took his seat on the front pew. I smiled at Danny and Danny nodded for the priest to continue.

"Daniel, do you take Aurora to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and cherish her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse from this day forward, holding her unto yourself and forsaking all others till death do you part? If so say I do."

"I do." Danny smiled at me. I blinked back tears and smiled.

"And Aurora, do you take Daniel to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him and cherish him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse from this day forward, holding him unto yourself and forsaking all others till death do you part? If so say I do."

"I do." I said.

"Daniel and Aurora, as you walk life's road together, it is important to remember to be each other's best friend. Take joy in each other's uniqueness for just as two very different threads woven together make a beautiful cloth, so does your love for one another weave to bind you together. May you always find love and comfort in each other and find simple pleasures in being a family." The priest continued. "Daniel and Aurora have elected to write their own vows and will exchange them now. Please face each other and join hands."

I handed my bouquet to Aiden and turned to face Danny. We joined hands and I was smiling through tears.

Danny ran his thumbs over my hands. "Ti amo di un amore che va oltre ogni attuale e futura comprensione. Amo tutto di te. Tu mi togli il respiro, sempre. Mi sorprendi. Tu hai creduto in me quando io non credevo in me stesso. Farei qualunque cosa per essere con te adesso. Insieme siamo perfetti. Sempre nel mio cuore. Cuore mio, anima mia, vita mia. Appartieni a me, anima e corpo sei mio, anima e corpo. Sarò Suo per sempre."

_(I love you with a love that passes all understanding now and always. I love everything about you_**_You always take my breath away. You amaze me. You believed in me, when I didn't believe in myself. I would do anything just to be with you. We are perfect together. You are always in my heart. You are _**_my heart, my soul, my life. You belong to me in body and soul. And I'll be yours forever.) _

I smiled through my tears. "Io ti voglio bene con tutto del mio cuore e alma. Non mai sara' un altra persona a sostituirti nello mio cuore. Ti amerò per sempre e voglio restare insieme a te tutta la vita. Dovunque tu sia, sarai sempre nel mio cuore. Il mio cuore batte per te. Non riesco ad immaginare una vita senza di te. Ti amo per sempre e ancora di più

_I love you with all my heart and soul. There will never be another to replace you in my heart._**_I will always love you, and want to be together forever. _**_Wherever you are, you'll always be in my heart. My heart beats because of you. _**_I can't imagine my life without you. I will love you forever and then some.) _**

I wiped tears away. I had practiced for weeks to get my Italian perfect and memorized for the wedding. Danny squeezed my hands as the priest spoke again.

"The journey through life is long and often difficult, but never lose the bond that you have. The bond that you have formed over time, and the bond that you cementing by the exchange of vows and rings. Now is the time for exchanging of rings. May I have them please?"

Don placed the rings on the opened Bible in the priest's hands.

"Daniel, please take the ring and place it on Aurora's hand and repeat after me."

Danny took my ring off the Bible and took my left hand.

"With this ring, I thee wed." the priest said.

"With this ring I thee wed." Danny repeated and slid the ring on my hand.

"This ring is a symbol of my love for you, for like a circle has no beginning or end; neither does my love for you."

"This ring is a symbol of my love for you, for like a circle has no beginning or end; neither does my love for you." Danny repeated and kissed my hand.

"Aurora please take the ring and place it on Daniel's hand and repeat after me."

I took the ring from the Bible.

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." I repeated and put the ring on Danny's hand.

"This ring is a symbol of my love for you, for like a circle has no beginning or end; neither does my love for you."

"This ring is a symbol of my love for you, for like a circle has no beginning or end; neither does my love for you." I said and squeezed Danny's hand.

"Daniel and Aurora walked separate paths that led them to each other. God knew long ago that they were meant for each other and led them to find each other. They led separate lives with different families but found each other. Representatives from each have lighted their respective sides of the unity candle. For now they will become one, no longer two separate lives and families, but now they are united."

Danny and walked up to the unity candle, each taking the candle for our side and together lit the center candle.

"The lighting of the unity candle symbolizes the uniting of their lives. And now Daniel and Aurora will present roses to their loved ones that are here today that have helped shape their lives." The priest said.

Soft music started playing. Danny and I picked up a few white roses from the table with the candle and walked to the front pews. I handed a rose to Russ and hugged him tight. No one was smiling more than him. Danny and I both walked over and handed a rose to Donald, both of us hugging him. We started back up to the altar when Danny stopped. He was looking a few rows back to where Leo was seated. Finally Danny nodded and we walked back to the altar.

"As part of honoring those who have helped shape Daniel and Aurora's lives, we must remember Daniel's mother and Aurora's father. Roses on the altar have been placed there in their honor." The priest said. "Daniel and Aurora you have come together before God and your loved ones and vowed to share your lives. You've exchanged rings to symbolize your love for one another. Let us pray."

We all bowed our heads again.

"Dear Lord, Daniel and Aurora have committed their lives to one another and we pray for your blessings upon this union. It was your will that brought them together. Your plans for them to share their lives. You caused their paths to cross. Protect and guide them as they start their new lives together. Amen."

We all looked up.

"Daniel and Aurora by the statements of intent, exchange of vows and rings you are now united in love and spirit. What we have witnessed here today is one of God's most precious gifts….love. And we have witnessed Daniel and Aurora promising to love and support each other the rest of their lives. What God has brought together let no man put asunder." The priest said. "By the power invested in me by God and the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Danny smiled and turned towards me. He carefully lifted my veil and put it behind my head. Danny leaned down and kissed me as the clapping and cheering erupted throughout the church.

I smiled at Danny. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Danny said and stroked my cheek.

Aiden came over and handed me my bouquet. Danny and I joined hands and faced the crowd.

"It is my great privilege to present to you for the very first time Detective and Mrs. Daniel Messer." The priest said.

The guests rose to their feet as the music started and Danny and I walked down the aisle. The bridal party close behind us.

At the back of the church we stopped and Danny kissed me again.

"Danny we gotta do the receiving line thing." I giggled.

"But it's after the wedding." He winked.

I chuckled. "By the way…I saw your font up front."

Danny rolled his eyes as guests started coming up to us to congratulate us, hug us and such.

"That was a beautiful wedding. Why is Stella your only single bridesmaid?" Vicaro asked and Stella glared at him from down the line.

"Aurora, at the reception when you throw your bouquet, aim for Aiden so I can watch Flack sweat." Chad said as he hugged me.

"I'll do what I can." I laughed.

After we had hugged and greeted everyone, it was time for us to go outside and down the church steps and sidewalk to the limo.

"Ready?" Danny asked.

I took his hand and we walked outside where we were immediately bombarded with confetti being thrown at us. We both laughed as we walked through the guests throwing confetti at us, with Aiden behind me carrying my train to keep it clean. We reached the limo and waved at everyone as we climbed inside with the rest of the bridal party.

"We are bustling your train when we get to the reception." Aiden said.

"No problem." I said and snuggled against Danny.

"You're married!" Flack yelled and they all cheered.

"Break out the champagne and let's get the party started." Aiden said as the limo started moving forward.

I leaned over and kissed Danny as we headed towards the reception.

**Next Chapter- The Reception**


	109. Reception

_Snowbear96- Remember the story of Danny playing in the font when he was a baby? LOL This is that same church._

_Dybdahl- Yeah, and now other drama starts._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I am so glad you liked it. Here is the reception._

_Trizzy- You are so excited about little Messers. It's adorable. Lots of fun at the reception but none drunken. I hope you like it anyway. There will be a few honeymoon chapters too. I have so much to write._

_Meadow567- Who would have the nerve to object at that wedding? And I know they are both detectives, but I was trying to emphasize the changing of her name._

_Jordayna- Remember when Danny was a little boy and snuck away from his mom in church?_

_Feenx86- Here is a tissue. Enjoy the reception._

_Miss Metal- Sorry about your loss. I am so glad you liked the wedding. I wanted Papa Messer to do something nice. Glad you had so much fun reading it._

_Emador- You and your Sheldon…it's funny. Thanks for all the help with this chappie._

_**Author's Note- **I apologize that this chapter took so long to post. I had a family medical emergency that was a life and death situation. All has calmed down for now. Also, special thanks to Emador who helped out a great deal with this chapter while things were hectic. Stepping in, writing parts, brainstorming and proofreading…thanks so much. _

When the limo arrived at the reception hall, the bridal party stepped out and lined up.

"Rora, let's get that train fixed." Aiden said.

"Yeah, the bridal party will be announced in a few minutes." I said as Aiden and I worked getting my train bustled.

"After that I'll start passing out the drinks. Sweet for ladies, strong for men." Flack said.

"And all the guys will start kissing you." Danny said and kissed me.

"There you go, all bustled and ready." Stella said.

"If you and Danny can quit making out, we'll go in." Louie chuckled.

"Let's go, Mac…you get to escort Emily too since you didn't have a bridesmaid at the wedding. Emily, two guys, enjoy it." I winked at her.

We walked into the Fez hotel. Most of the guests were seated at tables. The whole place was decorated with wild flowers and candles. The DJ was set up to do introductions.

"Alright, the bridal party has arrived. Let's introduce them to you." The DJ said.

I giggled and squeezed Danny's hand as we lined up at the door.

"Brother of the groom, Louie Messer escorting Miss Stella Bonasera."

Louie and Stella walked through the arch and across the floor.

"Dr. Sheldon Hawkes and Detective Mac Taylor escorting Miss Emily Rastovich."

I chuckled watching them walk across the floor and join Louie and Stella at the head table.

"Best man Detective Don Flack escorting maid of honor Miss Aiden Burn."

Flack and Aiden made their way across the floor and I couldn't help thinking that they made a cute looking couple.

"And now for the bride and groom, please join me in welcoming the new Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Messer."

Danny and I made our way out through the arch and across the floor as everyone clapped and cheered.

"Alright the best man will be passing out some drinks for the toast. And all you fellas go smooch the bride, see how jealous we can make Danny." The DJ said.

Flack grabbed a tray of shots that were already poured and headed out to distribute them.

"Chad, why am I not surprised that you are the first one in line to kiss me?" I giggled.

Chad gave me a quick peck and shrugged. "I figured I'd beat Vicaro to you."

"I'm kissing her next." Donald insisted and kissed me.

"If one of us catches mono we'll all catch it." I said.

"Jealous yet Danny?" Louie chuckled and kissed me.

"Not really, I know she's mine and going away for two weeks with me." Danny said. "Not to mention she is my wife….and I've been seeing this at weddings since I was a baby."

As the guys at the wedding came a few at a time and kissed me, and joked with Danny about it, Flack passed out drinks.

"Come on, does Mac really have to kiss her? She kisses him all the time." Sheldon laughed. "And I still say she slipped him tongue when she thought he was Bruce Springsteen."

"Hey, Mac better kiss me on my wedding day." I chuckled as Mac gave me a quick kiss.

"Drinks are all passed out, time for Flack's toast." Stella said.

Danny and I went to stand behind the wedding party table as Flack took a mic and called for everyone's attention. The bridal party all grabbed drinks as well.

"I know that one thing I keep hearing around the station is that no one can believe Danny is getting married. I would be saying the same thing except I know how much Danny loves Aurora. He has not been the same since they started dating. Those of us who know them well, work with them everyday and love them…..we know how much they love each other and we knew this day was coming. I know they are going to be very happy together. And something tells me that before I know it, I'll be making food craving runs for her from the station." Flack smiled. "So everyone, join me in a toast to the bride and Groom, Danny and Aurora."

Everyone raised their glasses and then drank. Then they began to clink on their glasses signaling for Danny and me to kiss. Danny leaned over and gave me a quick kiss.

"Okay, everyone line up to start off dinner we're doing the cookie dance. Dance in a line behind Danny and Aurora." The DJ said.

Danny and I got to the front of the line that was forming. The DJ started playing some music I didn't recognize, but Danny took my hand and we started dancing around the floor leading our guests in a line to the cookie table. I was laughing as I looked back to see everyone following along and grabbing cookies.

As the cookie dance ended we all took our seats for dinner to start. The wedding party took their seats at the head table. I sat next to Danny but was too wound up to eat much.

"I am too excited to eat." I whispered to Danny.

"Me too." He said. "Besides, we have to do the first dance thing soon."

"Flack, are you sure you don't mind taking Russ to the airport tomorrow morning?" I asked him.

"Will you relax? I'll make sure he is safely on the plane and I have the number to call his group home to make sure he arrives okay. Besides, Russ is my buddy now; I'll make sure he is fine." Flack said.

"It's in my nature to look after him." I smiled.

"Time for the bride and groom's first dance as husband and wife." The DJ said. "Can we get Danny and Aurora on the dance floor?"

Danny smiled at me and took my hand. We walked together to the center of the dance floor.

"Danny and Aurora actually have two songs they consider 'their song' and decided to have both played." The DJ said.

Danny leaned over and kissed me softly as 'You Had Me From Hello' by Kenny Chesney started to play.

"I really did start falling for you at hello." Danny smiled at me. "I looked at you and you just took my breath away."

I nuzzled against him as we danced. "I am so happy today. You've made me the happiest woman in the world."

"You look so beautiful." Danny said and kissed me. "I saw you walking towards me in that dress and under that veil….I just couldn't believe you were mine. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"I always knew my prince charming would come sweep me off my feet." I smiled. "I love you so much."

"I love you more." Danny said. "Sweep you off your feet and lay you on your back."

"Danny!" I chuckled.

"What? I can't help it. Seven weeks, and now you're my wife. And no more birth control….which means nothing between us." Danny whispered.

My knees started to get weak so I kissed Danny again. We kept dancing as Kenny Chesney's voice gave way to Trisha Yearwood singing 'How Do I Live'.

"Aurora, I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. You've stood by me through so much." Danny said.

"It's all in the past. We have a wonderful future ahead. One full of love, and family, and babies." I smiled.

"I never thought I'd have a chance for all this. Growing up in….well I never thought I'd have the chance to be this happy." Danny said. "God I sound like such a sap."

"It's okay. You're my sap." I kissed him.

"Okay, let' get the rest of the bridal party on the floor for the wedding party dance." The DJ said.

The rest of the bridal party came onto the dance floor to dance with us. I immediately made a beeline for Mac as Stella grabbed up Danny.

"Mac, you know you wear this uniform more often you'd be prying women off you." I said, as we started dancing.

Mac smiled. "Having fun?"

"Are you kidding?" I asked. "This is the best day of my life."

"I'm glad. You know, Aurora, you're a beautiful bride, and an even more beautiful person. I'm glad you and Danny found each other. I know you'll be very happy together."

I smiled. "Thanks, Mac." I gave him a kiss. "But you know you'll always be my 'other man.'"

Mac chuckled. "I know. If I ever meet someone, I'll have to introduce you as my 'other woman'."

"Damn right. And I have to approve her. Make sure she is good enough for you." I winked.

Stella walked up to Danny and they started dancing. "Ms. Bonasera," Danny smiled.

"Hey Danny," she said.

"Having fun?" he asked.

"Oh, definitely. You know, I was thinking over there, and I remember the first day you walked into the lab." Danny smiled. "I just wanted to let you know, I am so proud of who you've become and all you've accomplished. And I'm also proud to be a friend and colleague of yours."

"Thanks, Stella," Danny said, hugging her.

"Take good care of her. You've got a great wife." Stella said.

"Don't worry, I will." Danny smiled.

The dance switched, and Louie stepped up to me. "Congratulations, Rora," he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Louie," I smiled. "I am so happy to be your new sister."

"You know, Danny being my little brother and all, I used to hate him tagging along everywhere I went, but as we got older and got reacquainted, I see he isn't as rotten as I use to be. When I see him with you…I know you're the right woman for him. You've been such a good influence on his life." Louie said. "You stuck with him despite all the crap with Tanglewood and everything."

"I love him. More than anything in the world." I said.

"Now hurry up and make me an uncle." Louie winked.

I giggled. "We're not using any birth control anymore. Not even on the honeymoon."

"Mrs. Danny Messer," said Sheldon, walking up to me.

I smiled. "Yes I am,"

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"Amazing…but I still can't believe it. The NYPD has two Detective Messer's now." I said.

"Just so I am prepared, which bridesmaid are you aiming that bouquet for later?" Sheldon asked.

I chuckled. "Donald offered me a hundred dollars to throw it to Aiden. He was hoping that'd kick Don in the ass."

"Emily," Danny said as they started dancing.

"Well, congratulations, Danny," she said.

"Thank you."

"I've only known you guys a couple months, but when you guys first met me, you immediately befriended me and made me feel welcome in the group."

Danny smiled. "Well, we all knew Sheldon was head over heels for you."

Emily chuckled. "Well, even still—I knew I had met some very special people."

Danny smiled. "That and Aurora has such a big heart. She just loves everyone."

Emily smiled. "I know….didn't take her or Aiden long to make me part of their group."

Flack walked up and took me in his arms. I chuckled and leaned against him.

"Reminds me of when I first came to New York City and you were my 'date' for things." I chuckled.

"The endless 80's nights." Flack smiled.

"We've all had some great times." I said.

"You know," said Flack. "I never thought Danny would ever get married, but now that he is, I couldn't have chosen a better woman for him, than you."

I smiled. "Thanks, Don. And I am so proud to be your partner and friend. I love you, ya know."

"Yeah I know. I love you too. And I am glad you're my partner. Makes work a little better." Flack smiled.

"And Aiden really makes work better." I winked.

"You know it." Flack smirked.

Aiden walked up to Danny and asked him to dance.

"You know Danny," said Aiden when they started dancing. "I don't have to tell you that if you break her heart, I'll break your life into pieces."

Danny smiled. "And I don't doubt it at all. But I would never hurt her."

Aiden winked. "I knew you wouldn't, but I just had to say that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sisterhood, woman code thing." Danny said.

"I think you were looking for her long before you knew it. Despite what you said about not wanting a serious relationship…..I could tell you were looking for something." Aiden said.

"My soul mate, and Aurora is it." Danny said.

"Alright, it is time for the bride and groom to cut the cake." The DJ said.

I found Danny on the dance floor and we walked over to the cake table.

"You promised not to hit me with it." I said to Danny.

"I won't." Danny said.

Danny picked up the knife that was sitting near the cake and I laid my hand over his.

"Shame to cut such a pretty cake." Aiden said.

"Took Aurora forever to pick that one." Flack said. "Do you know how many wedding toppers I had to look at in the station while Danny was all 'whatever you want sweetheart'?" Flack said.

Danny and I together cut a small piece of cake. Danny took a small chunk and held it up to my mouth. I took a bite and leaned over and kissed him.

"Come on Aurora, hit him with it. For every time I wanted to smack him." Aiden winked. "Remember the threesome he keeps bragging about?"

I chuckled, but gently fed Danny his piece of cake. The guests were clapping as Danny and I started cutting the cake and passing it out. The music started up again and some couples took to the dance floor.

Emily was standing with Stella, talking and watching people. The song had just changed when Russ came up to Emily.

He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Emily smiled and took his hand. "Of course."

Russ and Emily walked out to the dance floor.

I was talking to Sheldon when Danny tapped me on the shoulder.

"Look," he said, pointing to Emily and Russ on the dance floor. Russ was having some trouble remembering steps, but was otherwise leading Emily in the dance.

"I think you might have some competition there, Hawkes," I said, smiling.

Russ was a little slow with the steps, but Emily was patient and let him lead. "I saw this on TV once," said Russ as they danced.

"You're doing fine." Emily smiled.

After the dance, Emily and Russ walked to where I was standing with Sheldon and Danny.

"Watch out, Sheldon," said Emily. "That boy could put Fred Astaire to shame." She winked at Russ.

I chuckled and hugged Russ. "You'll be okay with Detective Don tomorrow?"

"Yeah, he said we could watch cartoons in the morning before I have to leave." Russ said.

I smiled. "You have fun with Detective Don…don't let him have any girls in his room." I giggled.

Flack rolled his eyes. "Sorry Aiden."

"Not a problem, Emily, Stella and me are crashing in the bridesmaid's suite upstairs." Aiden said.

"When did those two get so cozy?" I whispered to Danny.

"I dunno. Flack told me he was serious about her." Danny said.

"Time to throw the bouquet." Stella said. "And Danny aim the garter for Mac. He needs to see a little leg."

"Ass is more like it." Sheldon chuckled.

I walked out onto the dance floor as the DJ called all the single ladies out to the dance floor. I giggled watching them all line up behind me. Stella pushing Emily and Aiden in front.

The guests counted down and I threw the bouquet over my head. I heard cheering and turned to see Aiden holding the flowers. I ran and hugged her.

"You're next." I giggled.

"Don is probably looking for an exit as we speak." Aiden said.

"No he's not but Donald is beaming." Emily giggled.

"Okay, let's get a chair for Aurora so Danny can take off her garter." The DJ said.

Mac brought a chair out and sat on the dance floor for me. I chuckled as I sat down. The groomsmen lined up along the side. All grinning and laughing.

"Rora, how many layers are there to this thing?" Danny asked as I tried pulling my dress up some.

"Start at my ankle and work your way up." I chuckled.

"Just like later tonight." Danny winked at me.

I giggled and felt Danny's hand on my ankle. The DJ was playing some kind of stripper music and finally Danny was able to push my dress up enough to see my garter above my knee.

Danny leaned over and grabbed the garter between his teeth. I gasped in shock that he actually did it. Then laughed as he pulled it down my leg to my ankle and then pulled it off over my shoe. Flack, Sheldon and Louie were cheering their asses off while Mac just laughed at all the antics.

Danny stood up with the garter in hand as the men all took to the floor. I even saw Aiden nudging Mac out with them. And someone had dragged Donald out there too.

I joined the girls in watching as the guests counted down and Danny tossed the garter over his shoulder, somehow landing in Vicaro's hand.

"Go on Aiden, he gets to put it on you." I giggled.

Aiden shook her head but was a good sport as she headed back out to the dance floor for Vicaro to put the garter on her. Emily and I laughed as she sat down and pulled her dress up just above the knee.

Danny walked over and kissed me.

"Can we leave yet?" Danny smiled.

"You are so horny." I chuckled. "We're not leaving until time for our flight. It won't take long to fly from New York to Raleigh-Durham and then I am all yours."

"In every position I can think of." Danny kissed me again.

"How about some more dancing and greet guests before Aiden drags me off to get changed for the airport?" I smiled.

"Danny, we need to talk." Russ appeared.

"Everything okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah…well don't brothers talk to the guy who marries their sister and tell them to always be nice to her and stuff?" Russ said.

"All the time." Danny smiled. "But I promise, I'll always take care of Aurora. I really love her."

"I never been married before so I am not sure what to tell you." Russ said. "Girls like flowers so buy her flowers. And sometimes she gets the giggles so maybe you can watch funny movies with her. And give her a hug if she cries."

"You got it. I'll take care of your little sister." Danny hugged him.

"And Detective Don wanted me to tell you something…..made me remember it. No twins, those girls are crazy enough." Russ smiled, proud that he remembered.

I started laughing. "Russ, I promise when we have babies, we'll make sure you get to fly out here and see them."

"Detective Don says babies are smelly and messy." Russ said.

"Detective Don doesn't know it yet but when I have babies, he is going to child birth class with me in case Danny would be on a case or something when I go into labor." I chuckled.

"Don will love that." Danny said.

"Russ, would you like to dance? I saw you with Emily earlier and wanted to dance with you and see what the fuss is about." Aiden winked.

"Okay." Russ said and walked with Aiden out to the dance floor.

"Shall we join them?" Danny asked.

I giggled and took his hand as he led me to the dance floor.

(later)

"Come on Rora, time to get changed. Then you and Danny can break the vase and be off on your honeymoon. Danny can get laid again." Aiden smiled at me as I was talking with Donald.

"I'll be right there." I told her. "Donald, thank you for everything."

"You're my adopted daughter. I'd do anything for you." He said and hugged me.

I hurried upstairs to the bridesmaid's suite to catch up with Aiden who was going to help me change into a summer dress to wear to the airport.

"Here let's get you out of that dress. Danny is getting antsy. Not sure why, not like he can make the plane fly faster." Aiden said.

"Aiden, thanks for everything. This is the happiest day of my life and I am so glad you were here with me." I said.

"It's been great. And now I get to look forward to babies." Aiden hugged me. "And I want to know how Danny reacts to the white thing we picked out."

I chuckled. "You got it. You sure you'll be okay with Rammer?"

"He's fine. We've bonded. But Don is weary of him because of his allergies. I told him he can deal with it for two weeks." Aiden said.

"You and Don seem pretty cozy?" I smirked as she helped with buttons.

"We're getting along pretty well. I think we're pretty serious." Aiden said.

"That is great." I smiled. "Can we get this off over my head?"

"Sure, just like we got it on over your head." Aiden said.

Aiden helped me out of my dress. And then helped me take off my veil.

"I'll wait for you outside while you change." Aiden said.

"Thanks, it'll only take me a few minutes." I said. Aiden nodded and stepped out of the room.

I took a deep breath and changed into my summer dress. I brushed out my hair. I looked around the room. Flack had all our bags in his suite to be loaded into the cab when it was time to leave. I picked up my purse and headed for the door.

I opened the door to head back to the reception and saw Don and Aiden kissing…more like making out. I cleared my throat and smiled as they jumped apart.

"Rora, we uh." Flack looked startled.

"About time you two. Now let's go. I have to break a vase with Danny." I said. "Aiden, I hoped you brought extra panties."

I giggled as we walked back down to the reception. Danny was waiting for me; he had dressed in street clothes as well.

"You'll take care of Russ?" I asked Flack.

"He'll be fine. I promise." Flack said.

"And Rammer?" I asked Aiden.

"Danny go screw her already so she'll quit worrying. Everything will be fine." Aiden said.

"Guess this is it." Danny said.

I squeezed his hand. "Off to North Carolina."

"My wife." Danny kissed me.

"Oh good lord, just break your vase and go on your honeymoon." Louie said.

Mac handed Danny the vase and I put my hand with Danny's. We dropped the vase and it shattered.

"Too many pieces to count." Stella said.

"That means a very long happy marriage." Sheldon smiled.

"Guess we should go." I smiled at Danny.

"Start our long happy marriage." Danny said.

"Bye everyone, see you in two weeks." I said as we started out of the ball room.

"If she can still walk as worked up as Danny is." Sheldon snickered as we headed for the cab waiting on us.


	110. Outer Banks

_Snowbear96- Who is RL? Glad you liked the reception._

_Axellia- Wow, what a review. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. First off to explain about Lindsay, it's hard to explain. I think it's because I was so attached to Aiden and I dunno, Lindsay annoys the hell out of me. I wrote Rora as a sports fan because I am one myself so it was easy…not like I had to research teams or anything. And the guys do secretly like the 80's nights. And the reason I wrote her getting over the kidnapping so quickly was she had such support from everyone and had Danny to lean on. And never say Rora is like Lindsay…that is an insult to my muse, LOL. My original cases are based on cases I've heard or just crazy things that pop into my head. And I love Hawkes and didn't want to leave him out. And it was so frun writing the stag night. I don't know how many more chapters I will write, but I know what else will happen in this story._

_Wingsofabutterfly86- I am in a wedding this week, and all the stuff that has gone into planning it almost makes me afraid to get married._

_Trizzy- Well here is the next chapter. I can't help you with Click on DVD. And if Rora should get pregnant, please try to stay calm._

_Meadow567- Thanks for recommending my story to others. And why is your mind in the gutter? That part lost me. _

_Miss Metal- yes and now they are on their honeymoon._

_Emador- I think if you didn't review it'd be a sign of the apocalypse or something, LOL. _

(Nags Head Island, NC)

I nuzzled my cheek against Danny's stomach. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just catching my breath." Danny said and petted my hair.

"You almost ready to head to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse?" I asked and looked up at him.

"In a bit. Just enjoying our mid-morning romp." Danny smiled.

"Hey, you did it. You were the one that started whispering in Italian." I giggled.

"It's our honeymoon." Danny said. "Besides last night was so amazing."

"Watching the fireworks on the beach?" I asked.

"Coming back here and making fireworks of our own." Danny smirked.

I traced the scar on Danny's side from the hit and run back in February. I gently kissed the scar.

"I was so scared that day." I said.

"I know the feeling. I remember the feeling that went through me when I opened that package with your badge in it and realized Tanglewood had you." Danny said and pulled me up to him.

"And now we're married. All that is behind us." I kissed him.

"I love you so much." Danny said. "Sometimes I think I'll wake up and it'll all be a dream."

"My prince charming." I smiled.

"My gatta." Danny kissed me.

"Not again, I want to get going." I said and zipped Danny's jeans back up.

"Baby…." Danny pretended to whine.

I jumped off the bed. "Button your shirt back up. I'm grabbing my bag and we're going."

(Cape Hatteras)

Danny was sitting on a bench watching Aurora take pictures. The area around the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was pretty and it was a nice day.

Danny noticed his cell phone ringing. "Messer."

"You actually answered your phone. What are you doing?" Flack said on the other end.

"We're at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Aurora is taking pictures and feeding seagulls." Danny said.

"You're actually out of bed on your honeymoon?" Flack snickered.

Danny chuckled. "Yes, we spent the first day in bed. You know catching up and being newly married and all."

"Nice way of saying screwing like rabbits on Viagra." Flack said.

"But then we started seeing the sites and going out. I mean I picked this place because I knew it had stuff she liked. Hell I'd be perfectly happy spending all day in bed with her. But it's fun going out and all. I mean it's our honeymoon. And we're definitely making up for the seven weeks without sex." Danny said.

"So how is honeymoon sex compared to regular sex?" Flack chuckled.

"You know, it's like brand new. Like it's our first time or something." Danny said.

"Pregnant yet?"

"How would we know that?" Danny rolled his eyes.

"Well we know you want a baby. And Aiden I think is already planning a baby shower." Flack said.

"We're just letting nature take its course." Danny said.

"Can Aurora still walk straight?" Flack snickered. "Sheldon made me ask."

"She is walking just fine. As a matter of fact, after this she wants to visit a few museums. The Atlantic maritime museum or something. I know yesterday we went to a Civil War one." Danny smiled. "Flack you should see her, she is so happy and taking pictures."

"Yeah, just wait till you get her in the Smokey Mountains- hickville USA. All that country music and stuff." Flack said.

"I am not complaining, she'll be thrilled. One thing about Rora, when she is very happy she is very horny." Danny snickered. "I am sure it'll be fun, when I looked stuff up online, there is a lot I'll like."

"Aiden wants me to tell you that Rammer is fine. That cat is so spoiled." Flack said.

"Oh good, Rora was wondering if he missed her." Danny said. "And she is wondering how he'll adjust to a baby. You know how she is about her kitty."

"Well I'll let you get back to your honeymoon. I just wanted to check in. Have fun getting laid every five minutes." Flack said.

"Don, Rora said the girls went lingerie shopping together. If Aiden bought anything like what Rora has been wearing the past few nights…..seduce Aiden like you've never seduced a woman before. Trust me on this one." Danny said.

"Like that thought has never crossed my mind." Flack said with sarcasm. "And it explains that dopey grin on Sheldon's face the past few days."

"Tell everyone we said hi and we're having fun." Danny said.

"Yeah, take it easy." Flack said and hung up.

(Ocracoke Island)

"Can you believe that the actual Blackbeard of all those legends lived here at one time?" I asked Danny as we walked around the Ocracoke Lighthouse.

"I never realized how many legends and history and stuff were connected to these little islands." Danny said.

"There are a lot of pirate stories surrounding the Outer Banks. You can even your haunted ships and hear ghost ship legends around here somewhere." I said.

"I'd never been here before. This is a great place to visit." Danny said.

"This is great. You know when I was here when I was little we never did anything but the beach. Getting to see the lighthouses and museums and stuff has been great." I kissed Danny's cheek.

"It is nice. And having time alone, to ourselves. No crime scenes or anything." Danny squeezed my hand.

"Yeah, and it's quiet around here at night. You can just sit out on the beach and listen to the waves crash." I said.

"We should come back here on our ten year anniversary. You know how some couples do that." Danny said.

"That would be nice." I said and snuggled against Danny.

"What do you want to do tomorrow? We could take a day for shopping. We could go to that outdoor play about the lost colony." Danny said.

"We could spend the day on Roanoke Island. The North Carolina Aquarium is there. And the play you were talking about is there." I told him.

"Sounds like a plan." He said.

(Nags Head Island)

That night I was sitting on the balcony to our hotel room, looking out at the beach. The water was crashing into shore. I heard Danny inside the room moving about.

"Hey bella, what are you doing?" Danny stepped out onto the balcony with me.

"Just relaxing." I smiled up at him.

"I got something for you." Danny said and handed me a tube.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's a time capsule. I found it when I was shopping for your wedding present." Danny sat down next to me and kissed me. "It's got papers in it for newlyweds to fill out."

"Danny that is so sweet. I love you so much." I snuggled against him. "Can we do it now?"

"Sure, open it up." He said.

I opened the little silver capsule and a small scroll fell into my hands. I opened it up and read the first question.

"What were your first thoughts when you met your spouse for the first time?" I read.

"I thought you were gorgeous. And of course to cover up my crush I picked on you. Called you the wrong name all the time." Danny smiled.

"That old saying about picking on the girl you like?" I chuckled. "The first time I saw you I thought you were cute but I was a little unsure how to take you."

"But I grew on you?" Danny asked.

"I fell in love with you very fast. By the time the subway shooting happened…I was so far gone. I knew I'd do anything to help you." I smiled.

Danny leaned over and kissed me. "I think I always loved you. When I met you, something just clicked for me."

I kissed him again. "Second question. When did you know your spouse was 'the one'?"

"When I was about to be arrested for murder over that cigarette found in that grave in Giant's Stadium and you stood by me. You believed I was innocent and never asked me otherwise. And you never gave up on me. I just knew then…..no other woman would have stood by me through that." Danny said.

"I think I knew you were the one the first time you kissed me. I just realized how hard you fought to get me away from Tanglewood…..and all the sweet things you done before that. I just knew." I said.

"You know when Sonny was released from prison for the Montenassi murder….I knew that if he hurt you in any way…I'd kill him. Flack is the only thing that kept me from killing him as it was." Danny said.

"I always feel safe with you. I know you'll take care of me." I said.

"You know this newlywed thing is making us so sappy." Danny smirked.

"I know, but it's so cute." I smiled and read the next question. "What did you first notice about your spouse?"

"Well, you know guys…I gave you the once over and immediately noticed your pretty hair, pretty smile, those lively eyes……and of course it was winter at an outdoor crime scene." Danny winked.

"Danny!" I giggled.

"What? Flack looked too." Danny laughed.

"And I know that you both have checked out Aiden too." I rolled my eyes.

"What did you first notice about me?' Danny asked.

"Your smile. That cocky grin. And those blue eyes…they always could make me melt." I said.

"Really?" Danny asked.

"Yeah…before we got together, sometimes when you'd look up at me and smile...I'd get weak in the knees." I said.

"Do I still make you weak in the knees?" Danny pulled me closer to him.

"Every day." I kissed him.

Danny pulled me into his lap.

"What about the rest of the questions?" I asked.

"Later…I got other plans." Danny nuzzled my neck.

"Danny…."

"You're so beautiful….I'm still amazed every time we do this." Danny whispered reaching for the hem of my shirt.

"Don't you want to go in?" I asked.

"No, right here in the night air…hearing the ocean." Danny said.


	111. Smokies

_Axellia- I am hoping to write several more chappies to this story. I know mostly how I want the rest of the story to play out. I don't know if the newlywed time capsule thing is real or not. I got the idea from a Christmas time capsule I saw for couples on their first married Christmas. _

_Meadow567- Everyone is on a Flack kick lately. Must be something in the water. And the fact that Danny and Rora are trying for a baby should keep your mind in the gutter._

_Snowbear96- With me who knows?_

_Trizzy- Danny is on his honeymoon so of course he is naughty. And I am so glad you got Click to work. And if Rora gets pregnant we'll have to call someone to do CPR on you. You'll be a crazy person with excitement. All I'll say is I have something planned and hope no one kills me._

_Manhattan SVU- Thank you for reviewing and reading the story. And I love all reviews no matter how many I get so review any time you want to. And I am such an Aiden fan I just had to put her in the story. And I appreciate your comments because I work very hard to make the characters realistic and develop the chemistry between them. _

_Emador- Love the name and email, LOL. You're like on a Sheldon high over there. And leave it to you to do a history lesson with my chappie._

_Stargazr- I have been to Nags Head too and loved it._

_Miss Metal- It's his honeymoon and they want a baby…of course he is horny._

(Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)

Danny picked up the hotel phone and dialed Flack's cell phone number.

"Flack."

"Hey, how's New York City?" Danny asked.

"You gotta bring Aurora back here. Vicaro is driving me crazy. And forget getting her pregnant. I ain't putting up with him while she is on maternity leave." Flack said.

Danny laughed. "Glad you miss us."

"So how is hickville?" Don asked.

"It's really not so bad. I admit I have seen more NASCAR stuff in the past few days than ever before, but Aurora is in all her glory. She has bought so much Jeff Gordon stuff." Danny said. "That's part of why I am calling."

"Do I want to know?"

"Well, she bought so much stuff we were afraid we wouldn't be able to bring it on the plane….she boxed it up and mailed it to you to hold for her." Danny said.

Don laughed. "I am not surprised. Not a problem, I'll keep an eye out for it."

"You'll probably be getting more than one. She is so happy here. And she keeps talking about things she did with her dad." Danny said.

"So what all has the NYC boy been doing to keep himself occupied in the country town?" Flack asked.

"Honestly, it's not bad. We spent a day in the national park, hiked to a waterfall. I was nervous about that one because they have signs warning about bears." Danny said. "Luckily all we saw were some deer and a squirrel."

"Sheldon wants to know….."

"No, there are no Dolly Parton sized bras around." Danny finished. "And if there were, I'd give one to Mac just to see the look on his face."

"You been to her theme park yet?" Don asked.

"That is where we are headed today. Aurora is so excited." Danny smiled towards the shower where he could hear water running.

"Wait, Emily is screaming in my ear about Bo and Luke…what? Emily wants to know about something with the Dukes of Hazzard." Flack said.

Danny chuckled. "Gatlinburg has a 'Cooter's Place'. It's a Dukes of Hazzard store/museum type thing. We went there yesterday."

"You really are in hickville." Don laughed. "Was Daisy around?"

"Nah, but Rora and me got to sit in the General Lee, we have pictures of that. And she bought all the DVD's she could find of them." Danny said.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, she said she enjoyed watching the Dukes growing up and she wants the same for our kids." Danny said.

"Even I'll admit to watching the Dukes of Hazzard when I was a kid. And my little brother used to walk around laughing like Roscoe." Don chuckled.

Emily grabbed the phone. "Was Bo and Luke there?"

"No, and trust me Aurora looked, claiming that one of them is getting better with age." Danny chuckled.

Aiden grabbed the phone. "Is she pregnant yet? Any signs? Morning sickness or anything?"

"Not that I know of." Danny said.

"What the hell is this? Danny calls me and you all come out of the woodwork." Don complained.

"We miss them." Aiden said.

"And we want to know the minute Rora gets pregnant." Emily said.

"I certainly hope Danny is the only one around at the minute she gets pregnant." Don grabbed his phone back.

"You smartass, you know what we mean." Aiden said.

"I'm gonna go. Rora should be done with her shower soon and we can head to the theme park." Danny said.

"You have fun. And hurry up with that baby." Aiden said.

"This is my phone you know." Don sighed. "Danny hurry back. The girls are ganging up on me without you here."

(Dollywood)

"Danny, this place is as wonderful as I remember. Thank you so much for bringing me here." I said as we walked through Craftsman's Valley in Dollywood.

Danny smiled. "I am glad you're having fun. Truth is I like it too. It's different than what I thought. I guess I was expecting….."

"Flack's image of the place?" I giggled.

"Sort of. I dunno, I was never a Dolly Parton fan and I thought it was going to be all about her." Danny said.

"Oh no. Nothing like that. Wait till you see the bald eagle aviary. They take bald eagles that are have been injured and can no longer survive in the wild but can survive in a safe environment and raise them." I explained. "Remind me I want to get Mac something from the Eagle shop. You know something marine-like."

"I think they really miss us at home." Danny said.

"I miss them too. But I am going to enjoy every minute of my honeymoon." I smiled. "And we have to ride the train later."

"Where does it take us?"

"Up the mountain. They stop and put on a skit and then you come back. My dad loved the train. Every time we were here he rode it." I said.

"Sounds fun. And I want to eat at that….Granny's Kitchen…whatever that was that smelled so good when we walked past." Danny said.

"Oh the food there is the best. And just wait till we get on that roller coaster up here."

"What else in the park do you want to see?' Danny asked.

"Well we haven't hit the country fair section yet." I said. "And I wanted to get Aiden one of those hand made candles from the candle making shop."

Danny smiled. "I am so glad I brought you here. I can see how happy you are."

(Alabama Grill)

That night Danny took me to dinner at the Alabama Grill, knowing that I wanted to look through their gift shop. He ordered himself a rack of ribs that was bigger than my head.

"What was your favorite part of the wedding?" Danny asked.

"I can't pick a favorite part. I mean I think it was all good. And we all had so much fun because the entire wedding party got along." I said. "Why? What was your favorite moment?"

"I can't pick one either. But the part that sticks out in my mind the most is when I looked down the aisle and saw you walking with Donald. It just hit me that I would be with you the rest of my life." Danny said.

"You know….I miss Aiden and Don and Emily and Sheldon and Mac." I said.

"I do too. We're so close to them and we see them so much. And Aiden is so gung ho for you to get pregnant." Danny laughed.

"I miss her. I wonder what she and Don have been up to while we have been gone?" I asked.

"Well they haven't had sex yet or Don would've told me. But I think he is going slow so he doesn't mess this up. He really seems to care about her." Danny said.

"Well I know she is crazy about him. I hope things work out for them." I said.

"Speaking of pregnant….have you thought of names?" Danny asked.

"Danny, we just started trying and you're asking me about names?" I laughed.

"I know…I just wondered if you had any ideas." Danny said.

"Well…for a little girl I was thinking Taylor after Mac." I said.

"Really? I was thinking Zoey. I thought it was a cute name."

"Zoey Messer?" I shook my head. "Any other ideas?"

"It was just a thought…but Stella made that same face when I told her." Danny chuckled. "Vicaro's idea was to name a baby girl after whoever is playmate of the month the month it's born."

"That sounds like him." I rolled my eyes.

"I also like the name Gianna." Danny said.

"That is very Italian." I winked. "I didn't realize you had been thinking so much about this."

"I knew for a long time you'd be the mother of my children…I dunno, just something that I thought about." Danny said.

"Gianna is a pretty name. We have plenty of time to think about it. Maybe she can be Taylor Gianna or something." I said.

"Gianna Taylor." Danny said.

"I am the one going to carry her." I said.

"What if it's a boy?" Danny asked.

"Donald Sheldon Mac Messer." I laughed.

Danny laughed. "I guess we do have awhile to think about it."

"You know I am kinda looking forward to going home. Settling in the new house." I smiled.

"Screwing in every room to break the house in." Danny agreed.

"Yes looking forward to that too. But what else do you want to do while we are here in the Smokies?" I asked.

"I dunno, why don't we just set out tomorrow morning and stop and see whatever the mood strikes us?" Danny asked.

"Sounds good to me." I smiled.


	112. Back to Work

_Meadow567- It's already on my shopping list. LOL. _

_Snowbear96- I know I wouldn't mind a trip with Danny, LOL._

_Manhattan SVU- Everyone is commenting on the baby names, LOL. Sorry this update took so long. I hope you enjoy it._

_Stargazr- I am a huge NASCAR fan and will always have a place in my heart for #2 so I enjoy the billboards._

_Kasmith101- Gianna seems to be the popular choice._

_Emador- You should watch the Dukes. But can I keep Bo and Vance?_

_Trizzy- Maybe the conception problems lay with Danny so they ask Mac for his little swimmers, LOL. Couldn't you just see that scene? Sorry this update took so long. And you didn't say which name you liked better. Not a problem it just seemed everyone was telling me their opinion, LOL. Hopefully future updates will be at the regular pace._

_**Author's Note- **I apologize that this update took so long. I had a death in the family. Now that life is semi-back to normal, I will be updating at my regular pace. Thanks for understanding. _

Danny and I walked back into the station. It was our first day back from out honeymoon.

"Nice of you two to drag yourselves out of bed." Flack said.

"We were on our honeymoon. Besides, we got in town yesterday and just spent the day unpacking and settling in. Aiden saw us." I said.

"Yeah because you stopped at her house to pick up Rammer." Flack said.

"Well everyone is invited over this weekend. We'll have beer and pizza and show our honeymoon pictures and we have presents for everyone." I said.

"By pictures you mean out and about…not the late night Polaroid's?" Flack winked.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes we mean the ones of us out and about."

"I'm so glad Rora is back. Vicaro was driving me crazy." Flack smiled.

"Any big cases while I was gone?" I asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. We had a home invasion gone wrong. A rape/homicide but the perp was in CODIS." Flack said.

"Sounds odd for summer. It usually brings out all the crazies. Remember last year?" Danny asked.

"Speaking of Harold Genott…while you guys were gone he had a competency hearing. He was once again declared mentally unfit to stand trial." Flack said.

"Of course he was. It took years before Ed Gein was rehabbed enough that he could stand trial in Wisconsin." I said.

"Baby, I got to get to the lab. See what Mac has going for me." Danny said. "I'll see you later today."

"Okay, I love you." I kissed him.

"Love you too." He kissed me again.

Flack groaned. "Newlyweds AND trying for a baby. And we thought you two were bad before."

I rolled my eyes and kissed Danny again as he headed for the lab.

"So are you pregnant yet?" Flack asked. "Don't see anything."

"Don, we just threw away the birth control two weeks ago. Even if I conceived on our wedding night I wouldn't know yet." I said and sat down at my desk.

"So when is your period due? I mean pregnancy tests now days can tell just days after missing your period." Don said.

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know all this?"

Don shrugged. "I asked Aiden. I mean you're my partner, I need to know what to expect."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you're excited for me to have a baby?" I winked.

"That and he plans on taking care of you when you get pregnant." Aiden said walking in. "Just the other night he was over at my place talking about as he calls it 'life when your partner is knocked up'."

I giggled. "He knows I'd take care of him if he were the one pregnant."

"Man, five minutes back and you girls on ganging up on me." Flack joked.

"I just stopped in to get that file on the Stevenson case." Aiden said.

"What? No good morning kiss?" Flack pretended to whine.

"And you pick on me and Danny." I rolled my eyes as Aiden gave him a quick kiss. "While I am thinking about it…Danny and I are working this week on getting my name changed at the bank, at work, the social security office and so on."

"Another Detective Messer." Aiden said. "Can NYC take it?"

"Got no choice." I giggled.

"I need to get to the lab. If we don't get a heavy caseload this week, Mac is making noise about wanting to reorganize and get ready for fall." Aiden sighed.

"Gotta love that marine." I chuckled.

"I'll see you later. Rora, I want to know details about that beach blanket." Aiden winked as she walked out.

"Beach blanket…..did you get sand in your ass?" Flack asked.

I started to make a remark but looked up and saw Elizabeth Nelson walking towards our desks.

"Flack." I nodded towards her with my head.

"She have an appointment with you?" Flack asked.

"No." I stood up.

"Detectives…you're the ones that were at my house a few weeks back." Elizabeth said. "You were looking into the death of my mother." Elizabeth said.

"The Tammy Nelson case. What brings you to New York City?" I asked.

"Can I talk to you? I've been thinking about some things you said and some things that dad has said over the years. I want to help." Elizabeth said.

"You realize this could mean going against your father?" Flack asked.

"Yes….but I need to know the truth." She said.

"Have a seat." I told her.

"Is it true? Those pictures you showed me of my mom with the bruises….was my dad beating her?" Elizabeth asked as she sat down.

I nodded. "I'm sorry. It's probably such a shock after all these years. But several times the year before your mom disappeared, she called the cops reporting your dad was abusing her."

"Why did she never press charges?" Elizabeth asked.

"Most likely out of fear. The same reason your aunt never reported her missing…fear of your dad." Flack said.

"Is your dad a violent person?" I asked.

"No…not with me. I've never….I don't know. I've heard stories but I never believed them." Elizabeth said.

"What kind of stories?" I asked.

"Some guys my dad used to work with said dad has a bad temper. That they quit inviting him to go drinking because he'd get mean and violent." Elizabeth said.

"Do you remember any of these guys so we can interview them?" Flack asked.

"There was a Fred….Fred Baldwin. And Michael Hayes. I remember them. They worked with my dad at a chemical plant." Elizabeth said.

"What made you come to us today?" I asked.

"After your visit, I started doing a lot of thinking. And some things from when I was growing up started to nag at me." She said.

"Like what?" Flack asked.

"I was never allowed to visit my mom's family. We never had contact with any of them. And when I would ask about them I was always quickly told to drop the subject." Elizabeth said. "I always thought it was because my dad was hurt at mom leaving…but now…."

"What has your dad said about the case since our visit?" I asked.

"He won't talk about it. Every time I bring it up he gets angry." Elizabeth said.

"That is usually a sign of guilt." Flack said.

"Elizabeth…has your dad ever said anything to you that would implicate he was guilty?" I asked.

"No…and since your visit I have tried to trip him up." Elizabeth said.

"Have you talked with your mom's sister? She is still alive." I said.

"I plan on going to visit her soon." Elizabeth said. "Pretty much everything I have ever been told about my mother is a lie and I want to know the truth."

"I need you to think…..is there anything left that could be considered evidence? Our crime lab is the best…if you can think of anything, let us know." Flack said.

"I can't think of anything off hand….I'll let you know." Elizabeth said.

"In the meantime….is there anything we can do for you?" I asked.

"Just find out what happened to my mom." Elizabeth said.

"We will. Me and the lab supervisor keep her case file on our desks." I said.

(Lab)

"Hey Mac, you got a minute?" I asked walking into his office.

"Sure Mrs. Messer, what's up?" Mac smiled.

"Elizabeth Nelson came to visit me today." I said.

"Tammy Nelson's daughter?" Mac asked.

"Yeah…she is starting to suspect her father and wants to know the truth." I said.

"She give us anything new to work with?" Mac asked.

"She gave us the names of some men Dustin used to work with. Apparently these guys quit inviting Dustin to go drinking with them because he would get violent. Flack and I are making appointments for interviews with them." I said. "Isn't there more forensics-wise we can do for this case?"

"Soil samples showed nothing useful. And with just the bones….its very difficult to tell the type of weapon used. We don't know the depth of the wounds or shape…we only got marks on her bones to indicate she was stabbed." Mac said.

"Can't you at least use that to give us a range of possible weapons? Something to at least start at?" I asked.

Mac sighed. "I can try….I'll get Aiden to help."

"I want to get this guy Mac. All these years he has lied to his daughter. She grew up thinking her mother abandoned her. In reality her mother loved her more than anything." I said.

"We'll get him Aurora." Mac said.

"By the way, everyone is coming to our house this weekend for beer and pizza. We're going to show the honeymoon pictures, and we have presents for everyone. Bring your swim trunks, we got the pool ready. We're all just hanging out." I said.

"No beer for you." Mac said.

"What?"

"You might be pregnant and not know it yet. You don't want to take any chances." Mac smiled.

I chuckled. "I'm not even pregnant yet and…..you men are so cute. Flack and you. Next thing I know Sheldon will be up to something."

"Just want the baby to be healthy." Mac said.

I smiled. "I'll see you later Mac. Let me know if you find anything about the weapon. I'll let you know what Flack and me find out in the interviews."

(New Jersey)

Flack and I walked up the stairs of Michael Hayes' home. We were hoping he might be able to shed light on the case for us. Flack knocked on the door. After a few moments a younger looking guy answered the door.

"Mr. Hayes, NYPD…we called you earlier." I said showing my badge.

"About Dustin Nelson, yes come in." he opened the door for us to enter his home.

We all walked into his living room and sat down.

"I admit I was surprised by your call. I have not seen Dustin in a few years since he left the plant." Michael said.

"Thank you for seeing us. We know this is a case from New York and appreciate your cooperation." I said.

"How long did you know Dustin?" Flack asked.

"We worked the same shift at the plant for a few years. Then he transferred to a different shift." Hayes said.

"Did he ever mention his family? Specifically a wife?" I asked.

"Dustin talked about his daughter Elizabeth. He said his wife had left him and moved away with another man." Hayes said.

"Did he ever say anything else about his wife?" Flack asked.

"Well it was a thing for the guys on our shift to go out drinking…..and one night he was drunk, really drunk. He kept saying that put her in her place when she was out of line. We weren't sure how to take it because he was so drunk and he always acted out when drunk." Hayes said.

"We heard that you stopped inviting Dustin to go drinking?" I asked.

"Dustin when sober was an okay guy. Never any problems at work. But when he was drunk…he became violent…belligerent. He wanted to pick fights. Finally the guys from our shift just decided it'd be better if he didn't drink with us anymore." Hayes explained.

"Did Dustin ever have any girlfriends that you can remember?" I asked.

"He dated a girl from the plant for awhile. I don't know what ever happened there." Hayes said.

"Do you remember her name?" I asked.

"No…..I never was close to her." Hayes said.

"If you think of anything else…please call Detective Messer or myself." Flack said as we stood up.

"Did he kill his wife?" Hayes asked.

"We cannot comment on an open investigation." I said.

"I've seen his violent streak. I think he definitely had it in him." Hayes said.

"Thank you for seeing us." I said.

(Station)

"What do you think?" Flack asked me.

"We'll interview Fred Baldwin tomorrow. We need to find the name of that girlfriend. We'll see what Mac says about the weapon used." I said. "Nelson is our guy, no doubt."

"We'll get him Rora." Flack said. "Might take awhile, but we'll get him."

"Well I should be heading home. It's my first night coking dinner as a wife." I smiled.

"What are you fixing? Meatloaf? Mashed Potatoes? Something all domestic?" Flack chuckled.

"Lasagna…I married an Italian." I winked.

"And you're dessert?" Flack asked.

"Not quite." I rolled my eyes.

"Have you been taking your temperature?" Flack asked.

"What?"

"Well…you're trying for a baby. And you can track your ovulation by watching your temperature. Emily was talking about it the other day because Sheldon was going to suggest it." Flack said.

I started laughing. "You're so cute. I got to get home. Go buy Aiden flowers or something."


	113. The Weekend Starts

_Jordayna- Thank you. A lot will happen with this case. I hope you enjoy it._

_Trizzy- I think a baby Mac would be cute, although I can so see his embarrassment if they actually asked for that. Meanwhile, I hope you keep enjoying the story. I have ideas for it, now I hope things stay calm enough for me to write it. I hope to have everything posted by late September but that might be wishful thinking._

_XX- You still out there somewhere?_

_Snowbear96- You are so the official hugger. And I just think guys being all cute about babies is adorable._

_Manhattan SVU- Everybody is such Flack fans. Sometimes I wonder if I should've hooked Rora up with him, LOL._

_Meadow567- Well she is a Messer now. Don't worry that name thing comes into play some later. _

_Kasmith101- Maybe Aiden will get pregnant. I could just see the look on his face, LOL._

_Emador- Those guys are cute. And I love writing them because they are so cute. And wait till you see what all Flack gets into. Hope you're enjoying your trip._

_Ilovemygelding- Thank you, it has been rough. And I am so glad you still love the story. It is so much fun to write._

Danny jumped in the pool causing water to splash everywhere. Louie jumped in right behind him. I laughed and carried a few more sodas out of the house and sat on the table on the patio.

"Aurora, you've really got the house looking great. You and Danny did a great job." Mac said.

"Thanks. We're so excited to have everyone here to see the place now that we are all settled in." I said.

"The new paint job and new carpet…can I move in here with you?" Aiden joked.

"Oh Louie saw our game room and bar and asked the same thing." I laughed.

"And the size of that new bed in the master bedroom." Flack winked.

"Danny wanted a king size but for the life of me I have no clue why. As big as that bed is, we still snuggle to sleep." I said. "Which is good because I sleep better with him."

"Oh you're so sappy." Flack rolled his eyes.

"And I love having a private bathroom right off our bedroom. That way I can have all my hair stuff and make-up in there. Danny can have his things in there…it can be all cluttered, and no one sees it but us. The main bathroom is nice and neat." I giggled.

"Yeah and we saw that large shower and whirlpool tub in there. That is like a dream bathroom." Aiden said.

"Construction starts next week on the sunroom room where we'll be putting the hot tub." I said.

Sheldon and Emily walked around the house and into the backyard to join us.

"Hey, what took you guys so long?" Flack asked.

"We had to stop off and get something for Rora. Sheldon insisted." Emily said.

Sheldon sat a paper bag down in front of me.

"It's orange juice. Drink a few glasses everyday. It's high in folic acid which helps prevent birth defects." Sheldon said.

"Are you her doctor now?" Flack joked.

"Unofficially, yes. And when she gets pregnant I am going to be checking her in between her doctor's appointments and keeping an eye on everything." Sheldon said.

"I'm not even pregnant yet." I said.

"But you need to start getting lots of folic acid now." Sheldon said.

"Well at least everyone is excited about us trying for a baby." Danny said, walking towards us towel drying his hair.

"Are you kidding? A mini-Aurora…she'll be gorgeous." Aiden said.

"Little Gianna." Danny said.

"Little Taylor you mean." I told him.

"They sound like an old married couple already." Louie rolled his eyes as he walked over to join us.

"What if it's a boy?" Emily asked.

"Donald Sheldon Mac Messer." I said.

"Do we need anything from inside the house?" I asked. "I'm gonna bring the pizza out."

"Bring out some more to drink." Danny said.

"I'll help you." Emily jumped up to walk in with me.

I walked into the kitchen where the pizza boxes were sitting. Emily busied herself digging through the fridge for beers.

"What would you like to drink? I know that Mac gave you orders to have no more alcoholic beverages." Emily said, her head still in the fridge.

"There is iced tea in there." I chuckled.

"So how is married life?' Emily asked.

"It's great. And the house is already home. It took no time for us to settle right in and feel comfortable. How are things with Sheldon?" I asked.

"Good, I told my mom about him. Of course as soon as she heard Harvard and doctor she started planning a wedding and grandchildren." Emily rolled her eyes.

I laughed. "The old saying about every mom wants her daughter to marry a doctor."

"I don't think Sheldon and I are ready to start talking marriage, but at the same time I know he isn't going anywhere." Emily said.

"And we know the same rings true for Flack when it comes to Aiden. Although I think Donald is already planning a wedding and grandchildren…he just loves Aiden." I chuckled as we headed back out to the patio.

"….So the interview with Fred Baldwin turned up the name of Nelson's girlfriend from the plant. Her name was April Kasinski. Now we're trying to find her for an interview." Flack said to Mac.

"Sheldon has been helping me with testing weapons to see what might have been used to kill Tammy." Mac said.

I set the pizza on the table. "I have a rule, work stays at work. It's easier on cop families if work truly doesn't come home. So Uncle Mac and Uncle Don will just have to get used to it."

"Some work has to come home with you." Mac said.

"But we're gonna try to keep it to a minimum. Rory and me want lives away from work." Danny said.

"And while you're all here, Labor Day…party here." I said. "Everyone bring swim suits, we'll have the grill going…the whole bit."

"Free food, I'm here." Sheldon smiled.

"Mac…." I started.

"I know, I'm behind the grill." Mac smiled.

"And with football season starting soon…the game room is all ready to go." Danny smiled. "Plasma TV, the bar is stocked."

"I know where I am spending my free Saturdays and Sundays." Flack said.

"World Series in another month or so." Mac said.

"And how about them Red Sox?" Aiden smiled.

"Aurora, I blame you." Flack said.

"And I very proudly take that blame." I chuckled.

"God, I am not going to be able to stand her. Last year she put Braves decorations around her desk." Flack groaned.

"What's wrong with you Danny? Marrying a Boston fan?" Louie joked.

"What? She's hott." Danny kissed me.

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"I still can't get used to her as Aurora Messer." Sheldon said.

I listened to the call and took down the information.

"Sorry to break up the party. We got a call. Homicide in Brooklyn. 124 West Street. Uniforms on scene say the deceased is…." I started.

"Angelo Montenero." Danny and Louie finished.

"How did you know?" I asked them.

"He was dad's bodyguard for years." Louie said.

"Sometimes he'd pick us up from school." Danny said.

I shook my head, still not used to the mob. I wondered how Danny had turned out so great coming from such an environment; and said a quick prayer of thanks that Louie was healing from his mob scars.

"Why doesn't he work for your father anymore?" I asked.

"As dad got older and was less involved in….business, he didn't need a bodyguard anymore." Louie explained.

"Flack, let's head to the scene." I said. "This is possibly mob related so I want no screw ups."

"Aiden, come with me to process the scene. Sheldon, I want you handling autopsy." Mac said. "Danny, head to the lab and get ready to process evidence as it comes in."

"Rora, call and have Papa Messer brought in for an interview, just so we have a starting place." Flack said.

"Nothing like interrogating the in-laws." I mumbled.

**To Be Continued……**


	114. The Messer Name

_I Heart Tinkerbell- Thank you so much for reviewing and reading my story. I love all reviews. I have no idea who the girls would look like. I mean I know how they look in my head, but now matching that image up with an actress….I'll get back to you._

_Emador- Just keep thinking about the marine…helps me and it'll help me like the story more…of course I'll probably need CPR, but I digress._

_Manhattan SVU- Never apologize for rambling. I enjoy it. And seems everyone is on baby watch right now. And Aiden and Flack……you'll see._

_Trizzy- I hope you are feeling better. And your review cracked me up. Danny is hot, sometimes I envy Rora and then remember…duh I invented her. LOL. And don't worry, I always love your reviews. The long funny ones are my favorite._

_Snowbear96- They're the Messer's, LOL. Sounds like a bad sitcom._

_Meadow567- I think I abandoned them not meaning to. I got to get back to that story, I know how it'll go, but with all that's been going on…..poor Rizzo._

(Station)

I sat at my desk waiting for Papa Messer to arrive at the station. When I called, he had willingly agreed to come in for an interview. I wasn't sure how to approach this interview.

Mac walked in.

"What do we have?" I asked him.

"This was definitely a mob hit. Montenero was shot execution style, point blank range. The casings had been purposely scratched and damaged prior to being fired to make tracing ballistics impossible." Mac said.

"Anything else from the scene or autopsy?" I asked.

"There were no signs of forced entry, but Montenero was killed in his bedroom. So either the killer was someone he trusted and allowed into the house, or the killer found a way of accessing the house without leaving a trace behind." Mac said.

"Where is Danny?" I asked.

"Back at the lab going over the blood spatter to help reconstruct the scene." Mac said. "How are you?"

"Honestly…I can't say I am surprised. The mob just has a way of popping up in our lives every now and then." I said.

"You gonna be okay to do this interview?" Mac asked.

"I'll be fine. I'll have Flack with me." I said.

"But you're Papa Messer's daughter-in-law now." Mac said.

"I know, but I'm still an NYPD detective investigating a murder." I said.

"If you need anything…"

"I know Mac. Thanks." I smiled at him.

"Detective….Leo Messer is in interview room 2. Detective Flack is already with him." The receptionist said.

"Thank you. Well I guess I should get in there." I said. "Let me know if the lab finds anything."

"Aurora…chances are this case will go cold. Mob hits are rarely solved. I haven't been able to close one since I got to New York." Mac said.

"How did Danny grow up in that and come out normal?" I asked.

"I've asked myself that same question more than once." Mac nodded and walked away.

I took a deep breath and headed for the interview room. When I arrived Leo was sitting composed as ever. Flack was sitting across from him. Flack's expression made it clear he was not impressed with Papa Messer.

"Good morning, Mr. Messer. Thank you for coming to speak with us." I said.

"Aurora, you don't have to be…." Leo started.

"This is a formal investigation, I am doing my job." I said, keeping everything professional.

"Mr. Messer, what was your relationship with Angelo Montenero?" Flack asked.

"He was a former employee of mine." Leo said.

"He was your bodyguard." I said.

"You've talked to the boys." Leo looked at me. "Yes, Angelo was my bodyguard for a number of years. I knew him well and obviously trusted him with my life."

"At the time you released him from service…what were your parting terms? Pleasant? Hostile?" I asked.

"Good terms. He knew that I was releasing him because I no longer needed him. He had not dissatisfied me." Leo said.

"Do you know of any reason someone might have to kill Angelo?" Flack asked.

Leo looked at Don. "No."

"Would anyone have a reason to shut him up? Did he know something he shouldn't have?" Flack asked.

Leo stared at Flack who didn't back down. "No."

"Did you have anything to do with the death of Angelo Montenero?" I asked.\

"No, of course not." Leo said.

"Do you know who is responsible for his death?" I asked.

Leo looked at me. "It wasn't me."

"Look cut this bullshit." I said. "Do you know who killed Angelo? Tell us."

Leo looked at me then looked down.

"Damn it! Tell us; don't you realize other lives could be in danger here? What if these people decide to come after Louie or Danny or me, or even you for that matter?" I yelled.

"Aurora." Flack said.

"Don't even." I snapped at Flack. "Listen to me Papa Messer, Danny and I just got married. We've moved into our dream house and want a baby. Everyone says that he has never been happier. I am not letting you or anyone else take that from him."

"You're not in any danger." Leo said.

I was nearly shaking in anger. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Mac. I gently pulled me from the room.

"You okay?" he asked me once we were in the hall.

"Yeah…..I am just so angry. How can he not care about the danger he is putting others lives in? How could anyone do the things……no wonder Danny hated him for so long." I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you'd need some help. I know how Papa Messer has a way of getting to people. So I came back to check on you." Mac said.

"Mac he knows…..he knows something about this case." I said.

"I know he does, but we have no proof and nothing to charge him with." Mac said.

"I hate this. And more than that…I hate what this is doing to Danny." I said. "It hurts him more than he lets on that his dad is involved in another case."

"You'll help him through that." Mac said.

"Mac do you think someone would come after Danny or Louie to get at Papa Messer?" I asked.

"I don't understand the mob. And Tanglewood kidnapped you to try to force Danny to cooperate." Mac said.

I sighed. "I am going to take a shower to help me relax."

(Later)

Danny stood outside the station waiting for Leo to walk out. Flack had called him following Leo's interview and told him what happened. Leo stepped out of the building.

"Danny?" he asked a bit shocked.

"We need to talk." Danny said.

"Danny….."

"No, I am talking. You upset my wife." Danny said.

"I didn't mean to. Man she is something else in interrogation. But she wants information I can't give her." Leo said.

"Why not? Why after all these years, all the shit, and all the pain can't you give it up and do the right thing?" Danny asked.

"You wouldn't understand." Leo sighed.

"You're right, I wouldn't. I have never understood you or your life." Danny glared at his dad. "Listen to me, I've put up with your shit for years, but I have a family to protect now. I'd do anything to protect Aurora."

"I know that. But Danny, I would never let someone harm you or Louie and Aurora is my daughter now." Leo said.

Danny snorted. "I gave Aurora my last name, and she was proud to take it despite the stigma that comes along with it. Don't ever make me sorry I made her a Messer."

Leo stared at his youngest son. "You really love each other. She's in there trying to protect you. You're out here trying to protect her."

"Aurora has been through enough because of the mob. Tanglewood kidnapped her and almost killed her. She's had to deal with a lot of whispers behind her back because she stood by me. And now she deals with odd looks and suspicions because she's a Messer." Danny said, his voice even and cold.

"Danny, what do you want from me?" Leo asked.

"I want my family to be safe. My wife, my brother and you too." Danny said.

"Everything will be fine. I've never let anyone harm my family yet, and when they do…they pay." Leo said.

"FUCK! Same old….forget it!" Danny walked on into the station.

(Pelham Bay)

I was sitting on the couch in the living room when Danny walked through the front door. I had put on my favorite pair of pajamas and was relaxing. I smiled up at him.

"You okay?" Danny asked. "Flack said you lost your temper with my father."

"I'm fine. I took a shower and then came home." I said.

Danny sat down next to me and kissed me. "I'm sorry he upset you."

"It's not your fault." I said and snuggled into his arms. "What's the latest on the case?"

"No work talk at home." Danny said.

"Sorry, I just wondered." I said.

"Mac said we'd look at it again tomorrow but not to expect anything, just to keep our eyes open for similar cases in the future in case this is some kind of vendetta." Danny sighed.

"I didn't make any dinner. I couldn't decide what I wanted. Want me to fix you something?" I asked.

"No, I'll find something later." Danny said. He kissed the top of my head. "Baby…do you ever worry about being a Messer?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"I mean there is a lot of history with that name. And…well…I don't want you to ever be sorry you married me." Danny sighed.

I looked up at him then crawled into his lap and kissed him. "I will never regret marrying you. I married you, not your dad or any of his past. Don't let this case get to you that much. Our marriage is separate from any of that stuff with your dad. That is in the past. And we can't help that his name pops up in cases sometimes. We just have to accept it as best we can."

"I don't want his past catching up with him and harming us." Danny said.

"I don't either. But I think it's pretty well known that we hate the mob, have little association with your dad and managed to get Sonny Sassone put away." I said. "I won't live in fear Danny."

"You're always so brave and strong. It's part of why I love you so much." Danny smiled.

"No more talk about work or your dad." I smiled. "Want me to fix you some dinner?"

"I got a better idea." Danny winked.

"Don't you ever stop?" I giggled. "What are you? Making up for those 6 weeks after the baby that I can't have sex?"

"Honestly…after everything that happened today. I just want to be close to you." Danny said and kissed me.

"Sweetie, you gotta eat." I said as Danny nuzzled my neck.

"Don't worry, I'll eat. Just as soon as I can get your panties off." Danny whispered against my skin.

I groaned and leaned into Danny's touch. He pushed me back down on the couch and took off his own t-shirt. He kissed me again when our house phone rang.

"Let it ring." Danny said pushing up the hem of my shirt.

"NYPD can't do that." I sighed.

"NYPD would call our cell phones." Danny leaned down to kiss my sternum.

"Still might be important." I said and reached behind me to answer the phone. "Hello?"

There was no reply.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I asked again.

Still silence.

"Hello?" I tried again.

Danny took the phone from me and clicked it off. "Must have been a wrong number."

"Must have been." I said.

"No more phone." Danny smiled and pulled my shirt the rest of the way off.


	115. Almost An Ordinary Day

_Trizzy- ROTFL, that was hilarious. Yes, it is also one of my pet peeves when the phone rings as I am about to get it on with an Italian Sex God. LOL (I just wish I knew one!) And your cat sounds as zany as mine. Your pox thing makes me think of my great-grandma…it sounds just like her._

_Manhattan SVU- I am updating as fast as I can with all that is going on. Work and such. I hope you enjoy this chappie. Everything will happen in time, there is a method to the madness._

_Kasmith101- Glad you liked it._

_Truebluepatfan12- I hope this update was soon enough. Loved your review._

_Jordayna- LOL, that almost makes him sound like a ghost. You'll see how it all plays out._

_Meadow567- Oh yeah, I have been so rattled lately that I forgot Ralph…which is actually funny because I was looking through some of my dad's papers and turns out he worked with a Ralph Cox, LOL. It wasn't our Coxie. _

_Dybdahl- Well I am glad you're back. Hope you were able to catch up on everything._

_Emador- I am not sure. I mean Sonny was beating that kid for selling drugs, but I think he was pissed because he was selling drugs in his dad's territory. And do you really want Papa Messer's enemies coming after Sheldon and Emily? LOL And remember what I said to think about when you read this chapter…how my mind works._

I walked into the lab. Mac was at one of the microscopes.

"Anymore on the Montenero case?" I asked him.

"No, we've exhausted every lead over the past few days." Mac said. "For now it'll have to be classified a cold case."

I sighed. "Well, if no other cases pop up I am gonna work some more on the Nelson case."

"The interviews with Papa Messer's known associates didn't turn up anything?" Mac asked.

"Nothing. And a few of them were quite nasty." I said.

"Anyone threaten you?" Mac asked.

"No…I think a lot of them realize that Papa Messer wouldn't tolerate anyone harming his family. Odd sense of security." I said.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked. "I know you took this case hard."

"I'm fine. For me, it was just empathy for Danny." I said.

"If either of you need anything." Mac said.

"We know. Thanks. Actually, Flack even went as far as to talk to his dad and see if Donald could remember anything that would help us. Nothing. I guess it's just gonna be a cold case." I said.

Mac gave me that look of knowing.

"Well I am headed back to the station. I am having lunch with Aiden and Emily today." I said.

I walked out of the lab and back to the station. Flack was at his desk.

"Aurora, can I ask your advice?" Flack asked.

"About?"

"Well, I want to do something nice for Aiden." Flack said.

"You are unbelievably cute sometimes." I said.

"We've been dating and hanging out since the policeman's ball. And we've never had a big special all out kind of date." Flack said.

"Isn't this stuff you picked on Danny for?" I giggled.

"Yeah, I know. But I want to do something special for her." Flack said.

"You just want to get laid." I chuckled.

"No…don't get me wrong it'd be nice, but I really want to surprise her with a nice date." Flack said.

"Well have you thought about asking her to go away for the weekend? It's a bit more than just a date, but it'd give you two time alone. You could take her somewhere romantic. Might help you on that getting laid part." I winked.

"You think she'd go for it?" Flack asked. "I mean we could sneak in a late summer trip."

"There you go Romeo." I said. "And you know what else impresses girls…..gifts for no reason. Just because."

"That's not a bad idea either." Flack said.

"You'd be lost without me." I giggled.

"So…I hear Danny got to see some strip aerobics last night?" Flack smirked.

"I knew he'd tell you that." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just so thankful Aiden is in that class with you." Flack said. "By the way, Sheldon also heard……can you talk Emily into joining?"

I rolled my eyes again. "That is her decision."

(Lunch)

"So what is good here?" I asked as I sat with Aiden and Emily.

"I like the chicken salad." Aiden said.

"I'll try that." I said.

"How's things with our favorite ME?" Aiden asked Emily.

"Great. He is taking me to see the Mets play the Dodgers……he doesn't want me to get homesick." Emily said.

"Awww, that is sweet. I love going to ballgames with Danny." I said. "Of course the last one I was at, he proposed to me."

"And of course we see that goofy grin you got some days so things between the sheets must be good." Aiden winked.

Emily blushed. "Yeah, that part is great too."

"So…when you guys stay the weekend with us, should I stock your guest room with Trojan Magnums?" I giggled.

"We can bring our own." Emily smiled.

"We should get all the guys together and go out sometime." Aiden said.

"We should. Danny has actually been making noise about wanting to play mini-golf. Not sure why, but he does." I giggled. "So, how are things with Don?"

"Really good. I think he is really serious about me." Aiden smiled.

"I knew a sweetie was under that asshole exterior." I said. "Kinda like Danny."

"And how is the hubby?" Emily asked.

"Good." I said.

"You like being married?" Emily asked.

"I love it. I mean Danny and I were really close before we got married, but it is awesome. I am able to sleep in his arms every night. I get to be with him all the time. It's just wonderful." I said.

"You two were so made for each other." Aiden said.

"So…Aiden, any thoughts of taking a step in the physical direction with Don?" I asked.

"Well of course I have thought about it. I mean look at him. The man is gorgeous." Aiden said.

"Those pretty blue eyes. I swear they were the first thing I noticed on him when I first met him. Then again I like pretty eyes. It was what I first noticed on Danny." I smiled.

"Flack's smile is what gets me." Emily said.

"And he's so sweet and caring. I mean…yeah it has crossed my mind. Especially when I am alone with him…and he is wearing his 'date cologne'." Aiden said.

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"When you and Danny started dating…well you were already in love and were serious from the start." Aiden said to me. Then turned to Emily. "And then Sheldon actually asked you to be exclusive and such and you guys were all official."

"I thought you just said Don was serious about you?" Emily said.

"Well I think he is, but….well I have been burned so many times before, I'd just like something more concrete before jumping in. I just want to know that he is in it as much as I am." Aiden said.

"I can understand that." Emily said.

"Aurora who is that guy?" Aiden pointed to the front of the diner.

"What guy?" I turned and looked.

"He was…..he was standing there and he kept staring at us." Aiden said.

"Probably some guy checking out a table that had 3 women at it. In New York City we're lucky he didn't masturbate on us." I shrugged.

(Station)

I walked into the station. I had been at the lab to give the last of my files to Mac about the Montenero case. When I got to the station, Flack was at his desk.

"I think I know how to help you get laid." I said.

Flack raised an eyebrow.

"But I am only going to tell you this if you are serious about Aiden. If you really care about her and want something long-term with her. Because if you hurt her by law I am required to castrate you with my service weapon." I said.

"I won't hurt her….I really care about her." Flack said.

"Does she know that? Have you tried telling her how you feel?" I asked.

"Is this some Lifetime movie of the week thing?" Flack asked.

"I am being serious. Maybe you should try telling Aiden how you feel about her. So she knows exactly where she stands with you." I said. "Aiden in the past has dated a lot of assholes that have hurt her and no one enjoys getting hurt."

"So you think I should talk to her?" Flack asked.

"For starters. And if you really want a serious relationship with her….you need to do something to make it all more official." I said. "You know how Sheldon asked Emily to be exclusive…something like that."

"Digging for info at lunch with her today?" Flack smirked.

"It's good to be partner's with your girlfriend's best friend." I winked. "You're just lucky I love you."

"It is…and on that note best friend of my girlfriend….what's her favorite flower?" Flack asked.

"Orchids." I said.

"What's the name of that florist you used for the wedding again?" Flack asked.

I giggled and kissed his cheek. "The Flower Specialists. And you are just too cute."

"Where are you going?" Flack asked.

"Home. I wanna see how he work crew is doing on our sunroom. I need to fix dinner for Danny." I said.

"Gonna play some more Rob Thomas for him?" Flack smirked.

"He even told you….oh I knew that was coming." I sighed. "I'll see you later."

I picked up my things and walked out the door.

(Pelham Bay)

I walked into the kitchen and looked out back to see how the sunroom was going. The foundation was done and some of the beams were up. I smiled.

"Looks like they are doing a nice job out there." Danny said.

"What are you doing home so early?" I asked.

"It was a slow day so Mac sent us all home." Danny said and kissed me. "How was lunch with the ladies?"

"Good, we talked about you guys. And we all want to get together and go out sometime." I said.

"Think our new room will be done by the end of the month?" Danny asked.

"Our contract says that weather permitting it will be done by August 31st." I said.

"It's looking nice. By the way, Sheldon and Mac are stopping over later tonight to watch the ballgame." Danny said.

"Okay, I'll make you guys some sandwiches and you know the bar downstairs is stocked." I said. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Surprise me. I'm gonna go take a shower before dinner." Danny kissed me again.

I smiled as he headed up the stairs. I began digging through the fridge looking for something to fix for dinner. Rammer rubbed at my feet, letting me know that he was hungry. I patted his head and pulled out some vegetables. Maybe a stir fry would be good.

I put everything on the counter and pulled out the wok Aiden had bought me for my wedding shower.

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Aurora…..95."

"Mac? Mac, what's wrong?" I asked. Mac sounded like he could barely talk on the other end.

"Blue…..two-door sedan….Ford." Mac then groaned.

"Mac, what's going on? Mac? Mac you're scaring me." I nearly yelled into my phone.

"95….95." Mac groaned again and then I heard a thump.

"Mac? Mac answer me. Mac?" I yelled.

**To Be Continued……..**


	116. Getting Answers

_Ilovemygelding- LOL, Mac is in crisis and people are still looking for a baby Messer._

_Meadow567- Aiden has not been in an accident. Neither has Sheldon, Emily, Donald, Stella or Vicaro! LOL And calling Mac the boss man…why do I find that adorable?_

_Truebluepatfan12- Mac is very lovable. I hope this update was fast enough for you._

_Manhattan SVU- I have the feeling that if right now Aurora said she was pregnant, everyone would forget Mac is in trouble. LOL Cliffhangers are fun to write, except sometimes the readers get anxious and make 'threats'. LOL _

_Emador- Mac is in trouble but you're all excited over girl talk, LOL. Only you. _

_Kasmith101- Life is always jumping when you're in the NYPD and married to the son of a mob boss. LOL_

_Jordayna- You'll just have to wait and see what happens. Don't mean to be cruel. LOL_

_Trizzy- Everything will be explained just take a deep breath and calm down. I think you caught more details of last chapter than anyone, and that is great. And don't feel awkward that you reminded me of my great-grandma, it was cute. I hope you enjoy the update._

_Snowbear96- Seems everyone has a soft spot for Mac. _

Danny came running down the stairs. "Rora, what's wrong?"

"It's Mac. He's in some kind of trouble." I was shaking. "He called and sounded like he could barely breathe. He kept repeating 95, and gave me the description of a car." I said.

"95?" Danny said. "Shit, he must mean highway 95. It leads right into Pelham Bay. Something must have happened to him on his way here."

"Let's go." I said, grabbing my gun and badge by the door as we ran out.

We hopped in one of the department SUV's that Mac had been letting us 'borrow' until we actually bought family vehicles now that we no longer took the subway everywhere. Danny pulled down the driveway and hurried down the street.

"Baby, tell me everything Mac said to you." Danny said as he drove.

"He said my name and told me 95. Then he said two-door blue sedan, ford. And then repeated 95 a few more times." I said. I took a deep breath. "Danny….Mac…."

"Just try to stay calm. Mac means a lot to me too." Danny reached for my hand.

I squeezed his hand and kept a close eye out as we turned onto highway 95. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I hadn't been this upset since Danny's accident.

"Look ahead, ambulance and police. Looks like an accident." Danny said.

I looked and saw the flashing lights. Danny pulled the SUV to the site and I jumped out before he even fully stopped. I started to run to see what was going on.

"Mam, you need…." An officer stopped me.

"Aurora Messer, NYPD!" I yelled and flashed my badge. "What is going on?"

"Car accident. Car went over the embankment. The driver is being brought up now." He said.

"Who is the driver? Can you ID him?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was Detective Taylor from the crime lab….."

I didn't listen as he finished, I took off running with Danny close behind me. When I reached the edge of the embankment I could see the car Mac often drove wedged between a couple of trees. Mac was being loaded onto a stretcher. I took off down the embankment.

"Mac? Mac?" I kept calling as I hurried towards him.

"Mam, he's unconscious." An EMT grabbed me.

"How is he? How bad is he hurt?" I asked.

"Are you his next of kin?" the EMT asked.

"He has no family in NYC. I work with him and damn well consider him family." I showed my badge. "Now tell me."

"His vitals seem strong but he is unconscious and seemed to have taken a bad blow to the head. He had crawled out of the car by the time we arrived." EMT said.

"Danny, look over his car. Look for signs of tampering or anything that would cause him to wreck." I said. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Flack.

"Flack."

"Don, Mac's been in an accident on highway 95. He called me….I think there is foul play. You call Stella and have her get the lab down here looking around now. Then you get down here and see what you can find out. I want to know who called in the accident, interview anyone who might know something. If this is mob related I want their balls in a blender." I said.

"You got it. I'm on my way." Flack said.

"Rora, we got blue paint chips." Danny called. "Looks like someone hit Mac's car."

"Ran him off the road. Fuck!" I said. "This is now a crime scene. If you don't need to be here get the hell out!"

"When you're upset, you sound like a sailor." Danny gave a small laugh.

"We're taking him to the hospital now." EMT said.

"I'm going with him. I don't want him to be alone." I said.

"But you're not….."

"As an officer, I have the right to interview a witness as soon as they become available." I glared at him.

"I wouldn't argue with her." Danny said.

"Danny, Flack and Stella are on their way. I want everything checked twice and then checked again. Someone tried to kill Mac and I want to know who and why so I can nail their coffin." I said.

"You take care of him. I'll meet you at the hospital." Danny said and kissed me quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too." I said and took off up the hill behind the EMT's.

When they loaded Mac into the ambulance I finally took a good look at him. He was scratched and bruised. I could see some dried blood on his forehead. His clothes were dirty. I bit back a sob knowing that I needed to be strong for Mac.

I climbed in beside him and reached down for his hand. A paramedic climbed in on the other side of him and I felt the ambulance take off sirens blaring.

"Mac, listen to me. You hang in there. I am right here with you. And everyone else is working to find out what happened to you. We'll get this figured out I promise. You just concentrate on getting better." I said.

I reached up and gently brushed some hair off his forehead avoiding the blood. "Mac, you were so strong and brave to get yourself out of that car and then call me. You gave a description of the car that caused the wreck. I am so proud of you."

"Mam, we don't know if he can hear you." The Medic said.

"Trust me, he hears me." I said and I squeezed Mac's hand. "Those fighting marine instincts are still there. You kept presence of mind to try to get to safety and still give a description. You keep fighting like a marine, you hear me Taylor!"

Mac gave a small groan.

"Mac?" I asked. "Is he alright?"

"He might be coming to. We're here." The EMT said.

We stopped and they hurried to unload Mac. I watched as they rushed him into the ER and into the back. I stood in the hallway and watched the doors shut. I stared a moment before going to sit down, trying hard to stay calm.

I pulled out my cell phone and called Flack again.

"Flack."

"Danny found blue paint chips on Mac's car. I want an APB put out to all body shops to be looking for a Ford, two door blue sedan coming in with damage, especially if they have paint transfer." I said. "And especially look at any known enemies of Papa Messer that might not want us investigating the Montenero case."

"I'm on it. How is Mac?" he asked.

"The doctors are with him now but they said his vitals were strong." I said.

"Mac is tough, you know that. Just try to stay calm." Flack said.

"I know. But it's Mac." I said.

"We all love him." Flack said.

"You hang in there, keep us updated on Mac." Flack said.

I nodded and hung up and sat down to wait for word on Mac's condition.

(Later)

"Aurora Messer?" a doctor walked out.

"Yes, how is Mac?" I rushed towards him.

"He is very lucky. He has a concussion. He also has some bruising from the seatbelt, his ribs are bruised. He had a gash in his leg that we have sewn up. But with some rest he'll be fine. He is very lucky, from what I hear it was a serious accident." The doctor said.

"Is he awake?" I asked.

"Yes, he is alert but in pain. We'll be keeping him at least overnight for observation." The doctor said.

"When can I see him?" I asked.

"We're moving him now, and then you can see him. But he really needs to rest." The doctor said.

"Thank you, doctor." I said and fell in a nearby chair, limp with relief.

I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself down. Mac was going to be okay. Now I had to find the bastard that hurt him.

When Mac was moved I went upstairs to his room. I walked in. Mac was lying in bed, dressed in one of those gowns. His head bandaged and he'd been cleaned up.

"Mac?" I asked softly.

"Aurora." Mac slowly opened his eyes.

I hurried over and hugged him. "I was so sacred. Thank god you're alright."

"I'm okay. I feel like someone is playing the drums in my head, but that's to be expected." Mac said. "Don't cry."

"I can't help it. The thought that I could lose you and to those mob assholes….I was just beside myself." I said.

"I'm going to be fine. A few days rest and I'll be good as new." Mac said.

"I'm so glad. You know how attached to you I am." I chuckled nervously. "Where would I be without my other man?"

"Takes more than a car accident to kill me." Mac said.

"Do you remember what happened? What can you tell me?" I asked.

"I was driving to your place. Danny and I were supposed to watch the Yankees game with Sheldon. Suddenly this blue sedan pulls up behind me, riding my bumper and blaring its horn." Mac said.

"Could you see who was driving?" I asked.

"No, he windows were tinted," Mac said. "I motioned for him to pass but he didn't. The next thing I know he has pulled up beside me and is bumping into the driver's side door. The third time he hit me hard and I lost control and went over the hill."

"Did you see any plates?" I asked.

"No, I never saw the back of the car." Mac said. "When I hit the trees, I struggled to get out of the car…so I struggled and crawled out a few feet. I was so dizzy and wanted to vomit. I knew it was deliberate so I called you with a description of the car. I remember talking to you and you were screaming. Next thing I remember is waking up here."

"Everyone is working on the case. We have an APB out; Stella has the team working on collecting evidence. We'll find them Mac." I said.

"Thank you for being here…staying with me and all." Mac said.

"You know I'd do it again." I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "I love you Mac."

"You know I feel the same way." Mac said.

"Now you stay here and get some rest and listen to he doctors. I'll be back in the morning to take you home." I said.

"But…"

"No buts. You'll be off work a few days and need rest, and I won't have you all alone in your apartment while you heal. You'll stay in one of our guest rooms, eat home cooked meals and have company…even if it's just Rammer." I said.

"Arguing with you never gets me anywhere. Fine, you win. Just let me stop by my place to pick up a few things." Mac said.

"Of course. Now rest. I'll see you in the morning." I said and walked out of his room into the hall.

I walked through the hall and dialed my cell phone.

"Messer."

"Hey, tell everyone Mac is gonna be fine. He has some bruises and a concussion. They are keeping him overnight just to be safe." I said.

"That is great news. We're processing evidence at the lab now. Flack is interviewing people." Danny said.

"I'll be down to the station soon. I have to stop off somewhere first. I'll see you in a little bit." I said.

"Okay, love you." Danny said.

"Love you too." I said and walked out of the hospital.

(Brooklyn)

I pounded on the door to Leo Messer's house. It was nearly midnight but I didn't care.

"Open this door or so help me I'll kick it in!" I yelled and pounded on the door again.

I heard movement in the house. I pounded on the door more. Finally Leo answered the door.

"Aurora…what the…."

I stormed past him and into the house. "Enough! I want answers. I have had enough."

"What is going on?" Leo asked and turned towards me.

"I want answers. No more playing games. No more dancing around the truth. No more mafia shit. I want the truth." I yelled.

"Aurora calm…."

"Who went after Mac Taylor?" I asked.

"I don't know…."

"Don't give me that. Someone tried to kill him tonight. Mac is like family to me! And if they would go after Mac, who's next?" I yelled.

"I don't know anything about an attack on Detective Taylor." Leo started towards me.

I pulled my service weapon and clicked off the safety. "No more games. I told you I wouldn't let anybody hurt Danny. Now you tell me the truth. I am not letting anyone come after Danny. If they came after Mac, they could come after Danny, you think about that."

"Put your gun down." Leo said.

"No, you tell me who is behind this or I shoot you. I'm done playing your petty games. I'd do anything to keep Danny safe." I said and held my gun even.

"Aurora, I don't know!" Leo protested.

"You tell me by the count of three." I said.

"Aurora, I really don't know. I haven't heard anything about an attack on Detective Taylor!" Leo yelled.

"One…."

"Come on, you got a gun on me, don't you think I'd tell the truth?" Leo yelled.

"Two…."

"You know I'd tell you if it meant protecting my son. I wouldn't let anyone hurt Danny or you!" Leo screamed.

I lowered my gun, knowing that Leo was telling the truth. I stared at him a moment longer than put the safety back on and put my gun in its holster. Leo visibly relaxed.

I pulled my cell phone out and dialed Flack.

"Flack."

"Don, forget the mafia angle. I don't think this is connected to the Montenero case. Which means whoever tried to kill Mac is out there and we have to find them." I said.

"Where are you?" Flack asked.

"I'm on my way to the station. We need to figure out who is after Mac and why. And in the meantime, I want a protective detail on Mac. Someone tried to kill him and didn't succeed." I said. "See you in 20 minutes."

**To Be Continued……**


	117. A First

_Trizzy- Well Aurora as probably trying to show a small bit of patience since Papa Messer is her father-in-law but at the same time she wasn't going to let anyone hurt Danny. You sound like quite the Mac fan. I adore Mac. I promise that this whole case will be revealed in time. I have a plan. Remember there is a method to the madness. _

_Truebluepatfan12- Everything will happen in time. Mac is too loveable to die. I just love him._

_Emador- I told you that I have a twisted mind. LOL. Of course Hawkes could still get drunk and accidentally sleep with Stella, JK._

_Meadow567- Or I could just save time and have them all hurt at once…like a lab explosion or something, LOL. _

_Jordayna- I wanted that to come off as she had had enough and was going to protect Danny. And we all know she has a soft spot for Mac._

_Snowbear96- I don't think Aurora cares. Besides, Papa Messer had it coming. And how many people wish they could pull a gun on their in-laws?_

_Kasmith101- They hurt her friend and she is defending her family. But I wouldn't make her mad right now, LOL._

_Ilovemygelding- I think a baby Flack would be cute. How about a baby Hawkes? LOL _

_Manhattan SVU- She was going to make sure that Danny was safe. I can understand, I'd be worried about protecting a husband that hott too, LOL. _

I walked into the station. It was late and a few of us were yawning. Flack was at his desk and Aiden was talking with him.

"Aurora, how are you so sure this isn't mob related?" Aiden asked me.

"I talked with Papa Messer…I believe him. He was genuinely surprised that Mac had been attacked and was now concerned for Danny and Louie's safety." I said.

"You talked to Papa Messer?" Flack asked.

"Yes, I had to be sure Danny was safe. I thought this might involve the Montenero case." I said.

"Right now we are looking through some of Mac's old cases trying to find anyone who might have a grudge against Mac." Aiden said.

"Anyone that Mac has testified against could hold a grudge. Or a family member of someone Mac put away. This could take awhile." I said.

"Danny is analyzing the paint chips right now, looking to see if he can identify the type of car that shade and chemical composition is used on." Aiden said.

"Stella is looking through the database of recently paroled felons that might have a bone to pick with Mac." Flack said.

"I don't understand wanting to hurt Mac. He is the sweetest, most wonderful man." I sighed.

"To us he is. But to someone who sees him as the reason they went to prison….." Aiden said.

"Mac is under protection now. I have a uniformed officer outside his room at all times, allowing only hospital staff in. When Mac is released in the morning there will be a patrol for your home to watch over Mac." Flack said.

"You okay? How are you holding up?" Aiden asked.

"I'm fine. Now that I know Mac is going to be okay, I'm fine. But I want who hurt him." I growled.

"We'll find them. In the meantime, how many other cops might be in danger? I mean was this a vendetta against Mac or something more?" Aiden asked.

"And until we know more, Aiden, you're staying with me. I don't want to hear any arguments." Flack said.

Aiden nodded. "I'd feel better. I'll talk to Emily and tell her it might not be a bad idea to stay with Sheldon for awhile."

"Aurora, stick close to Danny, Mac, me or someone you trust and always keep your gun on you." Flack said.

I nodded. "But let's not spread undo panic either."

Danny walked into the station, his expression unreadable.

"Danny, what did you find on those paint chips?" I asked.

"The color is called Cobalt #27. Used on 2000 Ford Taurus's." Danny said.

"And there is just how many of those registered in the state of New York?" Aiden sighed.

"Well it gives us a starting point. Let's keep looking over Mac's old cases, recently paroled felons and cross match that with the list of Taurus owners." I said.

"Rora, can I talk to you…privately?" Danny asked.

"Sure, I guess we can go in the break room." I said. "Flack, I'll be right back to go over those case files with you."

I followed Danny to the back or the station to the break room. I walked over and opened the fridge to get some water.

"What did you need?" I asked him.

"Did you confront my father?" Danny asked. "Did you really pull a gun on him?"

I sighed and stood back up. "I did. I thought that maybe this was mob related and wanted the truth."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Danny snapped.

"Excuse me? I was trying to protect you. If this was mob related, you could have been next and I was not going to let anyone harm you." I said.

"Do you realize what could've happened to you? You pulled a gun on a mob boss! What if one of his associates had been around?" Danny was nearly yelling.

"I wasn't going to take the chance of someone hurting you!" I yelled right back.

"Damn it Aurora! What if someone had hurt you? Do you know what that would do to me?" Danny yelled. "It's my duty to take care of you!"

"What the hell kind of male chauvinism is that? You may be the man, but I am your wife and I have always said that I would never let anyone hurt you!" I yelled.

"But that doesn't mean you have to confront mob bosses!" Danny protested.

"If it means keeping you safe it does!" I said.

"Then how can I keep you out of harms way? Do you know what losing you would do to me? I nearly went insane when Tanglewood kidnapped you." Danny yelled.

"Danny, it's a two way street. Do you know what losing you would do to me? I never left your side for a minute when you were in a coma!" I snapped.

"But pulling a gun on my dad?" Danny protested.

"You pulled a gun on Papa Messer?" Flack asked surprised as he walked in.

"Stay out of it Don." I said and brushed past him and walked out of the break room.

(7AM)

I sat at my desk and rubbed my eyes. I was tired. All night I had spent with Flack looking over old cases with Flack but nothing stuck out. I leaned back in my chair and sighed.

"You okay?" Don asked.

"I am just tired and frustrated." I said.

"When you go to pick up Mac, why don't you just go on home and grab some sleep. This case is going no where right now." Flack said.

"I might do that and come back this afternoon." I said. "Did the lab call with anything?"

"There have been two people paroled in the past 6 months that Mac testified against them. One was a child molester, now registered sex offender living in Brooklyn. The other was accused of murdering his girlfriend, but was able to plead to manslaughter." Flack said.

"We interviewing them?" I asked.

"Stella and Aiden are meeting with their parole officers this afternoon and setting up interviews." Flack said. "But neither of them is registered to own a Blue Taurus."

"Could have stolen it, could belong to a relative. I want updated and if one of these guys pans out you call me." I said.

"You got it. You on your way to get Mac?' Flack asked.

"Yeah and then I have to stop by his apartment to get some things and then we're headed to Pelham Bay." I said.

"Be careful." Flack said.

"I will." I smiled and stood up.

I walked into the ladies locker room. I walked over to the sink and started the water. I splashed some cool water on my face to help myself wake up and hoping to calm down after everything that had been going on.

"Rora? Flack said you were in here." I heard Danny's voice from the door way.

"There is no one else in here, you can come in." I said.

Danny walked around the corner. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired. It's been a long day and night." I said.

Danny looked down and then back up at me. "We've never had a fight before….I'm not exactly sure how to make up with you."

"It's okay. Forget it. Don't worry about it. I'm fine." I said.

"No baby….I want to apologize. I didn't mean to get so upset with you. I understand the instinct to protect me…..I have that same instinct to protect you. That's why I was so upset." Danny said.

"Danny….you know I'd never do anything to hurt you." I sighed.

"I know that. Just like you know I'd never hurt you." Danny said. "I just got scared I guess. I know my dad and how I grew up the things I saw….and the thought that something could happen to you….baby I got scared and lost my temper. I guess underneath everything I am still an asshole."

"But you're my asshole." I smiled.

"So we made up?" Danny smirked and hugged me.

"I dunno. We might have to make up some more later at home." I winked and kissed him.

"We've never had make-up sex before." Danny said.

"Then I'll be looking forward to it. In the meantime, I have to go pick up Mac, stop by his place, then hit the drug store for his meds and then to our place. I'm gonna rest and I'll be back this afternoon." I said.

"You be careful." Danny said.

"I will. I love you." I said and kissed him.

"I love you too." He kissed me again.

I walked out of the locker room and through the station, out through the back to the parking garage. I headed towards the SUV Danny and I had been driving the past few weeks. We really did need to go car shopping.

I heard a noise in the back of the garage.

"Hello?" I called. "Someone there?"

I pulled my gun and looked around. Nothing moved and no more sounds came. I looked around again. Still seeing nothing. I climbed into the SUV and headed for the hospital.

**To Be Continued……**


	118. A Break

_Truebluepatfan12- The last time Don was hurt in my story, I thought a few people were going to lynch me, LOL. You'll just have to wait and see what happens._

_Trizzy- I didn't even think of the connection with SAW. Don't worry, no crazy being chained in a room. And it's amazing…Danny and Rora fight and you still worked little Messer's into the situation. LOL You're more excited for her to get pregnant than I am, LOL._

_Ilovemygelding- I am glad I am holding your attention. And hang in there through the suspense._

_Meadow567- I promise all will be revealed in time. I SWEAR it will be._

_Manhattan SVU- They love each other too much to stay mad for very long. And you know those boys are gonna be protective of the girls. Everything with the garage will be explained. It's really unfolding quite nicely._

_Snowbear96- Just sit back and see what happens. I have it all planned out._

_Emador- What? No fainting because Emily will be staying a few days with Sheldon? LOL _

"Will you be okay here by yourself? Do you want me to have Donald stay with you?" I asked Mac while checking on him before going back to work.

"I'm fine. The patrol is outside. I took my meds and just woke up from a nap." Mac said. "Did you get some rest?"

"Yes, I took a nap. I'm going back to the station and see how the case is going. Do you need anything before I go?" I asked.

"I'll be fine. I know where the kitchen is. I know where the bathroom is. I know how the TV works." Mac smiled.

"I worry about you. I just want to be sure you're okay." I smiled and pulled the covers up around him.

"Are you gonna read me a bedtime too?' Mac chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "I get the point, I am mothering you."

"It's your nature. You're very protective and loving by nature." Mac said.

"There is coffee made in the kitchen. I just went grocery shopping over the weekend so we have everything you need. If you need anything call me." I said.

"Go to work already." Mac said.

"Rammer will probably come in and snuggle on you. He's very affectionate." I said.

"I know. He was in here earlier. I woke up with a cat sitting on my chest purring." Mac said.

Before I could answer him my house phone rang. I reached on the stand next to the guest bed to answer the phone.

"Hello." I answered.

There was no answer.

"Hello, is anyone there?" I asked.

"Aurora, is everything okay?" Mac asked me.

I hung up the phone. "No one was on the line. We've had a few of those the past few weeks."

"Could be people calling for the former owners and realize their mistake and hang up." Mac suggested.

"Could be. I am going to the station now. You okay?" I asked.

"Go on. I'll be fine I swear." Mac said.

"Okay. You take it easy. I'll call and check on you around dinner time. And if nothing new comes in the case…Danny and I will be home later tonight." I said and kissed his cheek.

"I'll be right here." Mac said.

I checked over him one more time then walked out of the guestroom. I hurried down the stairs. I stopped by the door, put on my gun and badge. I walked out, making sure I locked the door. The patrol drove by. I nodded to them and climbed in my SUV.

(Station)

I walked into the station. Flack was sitting at his desk.

"What's new on the case?" I asked.

"We interviewed the two guys recently released from prison. Nothing with either of them." Flack said.

"Neither of them?" I groaned.

"No. As a matter of fact both of them had ironclad alibis. The sex offender was at his job and has been meeting as scheduled with his parole officer. The other guy….he was at work as well. We spoke to both men's bosses." Flack said.

"Anything on the registrations of 2000 Taurus's?" I asked.

"No. This is all very frustrating." Flack sighed.

"And no local auto shops have reported such a vehicle coming in for repairs?" I asked.

"No and Aiden has been calling around to be sure." Flack said.

Danny walked in carrying boxes of Chinese take-out. He set them on my desk and kissed me.

"I thought you'd be hungry." Danny smiled.

"I am. Thank you." I kissed him again.

"Newlyweds." Flack mumbled.

"How is Mac?" Danny asked.

"The doctors released him telling him to get lots of rest and if severe headaches start to immediately get to the hospital." I said. "We picked up some things from his apartment. I got his prescriptions filled. When I left he was resting."

"You bringing her lunch…is she pregnant?" Aiden asked as she walked in.

"No, I am not pregnant." I said.

"Danny what is taking so long? Get your swimmers in there." Aiden said.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "I am sending in my little soldiers to fight every chance I get."

"Sometimes it takes a few months." Emily walked up to us. "At least that is what Sheldon said."

"How is the case coming?" Flack asked Aiden as I opened my food.

"Nothing from any local shops." Aiden sighed. "I am not sure where to go from here."

"Emily, why are you here?" I asked.

"I am on a break and wanted to check on Mac. So I walked over from narcotics." She shrugged. "I have a soft spot for the ole marine."

"No Viagra for Semper Fi." I giggled. And Aiden cracked up. The guys just looked at each other.

"Mac is fine. He is resting. I'll call and check on him in a few hours." I said.

"Okay, I just wanted to be sure he was okay. I think Sheldon is going to stop and see him tonight." She said.

"That'll be nice for Mac." I smiled.

"I got to get back. Let me know if Mac needs anything." Emily said, turning to walk out.

"Is there any possibility that this is mob related and Papa Messer wouldn't know about it?" Aiden asked.

"No, you don't know my dad. Nothing goes on in the mob world that he doesn't know about. If something does happen and he doesn't know about it, believe me he'll find out." Danny said.

"Maybe we should talk to him again. But in a formal setting, such as an interview room." Flack said.

"I'll go call him and have him come down to the station." Danny said and kissed me. "I'll see you later."

"Love you." I said.

"Love you too." Danny said.

Danny walked out of the lab. As I watched him walk out, I noticed Elizabeth Nelson walking in.

"Elizabeth what brings you down here?" I asked.

"I came to ask about my mom's case. Is there anything new?" she asked and sat down.

"Nothing that would help us to arrest your father at this time." I said. "We've had active cases to deal with."

"We have interviewed some people and will follow up leads as soon as we can." Flack said.

I was surprised to see Danny walk back in. I looked at him, but he pulled Flack off to the side. I could see them talking quietly and then they walked to the back.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not really. Just keep your ears open for anything your dad might say that is incriminating." I said. "How has he been acting lately?"

"I haven't seen much of him. He has been working odd hours at his job. When he is home, he seems very agitated." Elizabeth said.

"Has he mentioned anything at all about your mother?" I asked.

"No, nothing at all." Elizabeth said as Flack and Danny walked towards us.

"Elizabeth Nelson….that your blue 2000 Taurus parked out front?" Flack asked.

"Yes. Am I double parked or something?" Elizabeth asked.

"There is damage to your car. Passenger side has damage and smears of gold paint. We are getting a warrant now to take samples of that gold paint. So why don't you just sit tight for now." Danny said.

I stared in shock.

"I don't understand." Elizabeth said.

"We believe your car was involved in the attempted murder of Detective Mac Taylor." Flack clarified.

**To Be Continued…….**


	119. Unexpected

_Meadow567- Elizabeth was an infant when her mother was killed. But don't worry everything will be explained in time with this case. I guess they could do the star 69 thing. But right now they aren't too worried about it._

_Snowbear96- Everyone has a theory. I love it when people share them too. Because then when everything is explained I get those "I knew it" reviews._

_Truebluepatfan12- I will try to keep updating regularly. And glad you are enjoying all the twists and turns that this story is taking._

_Emador- You know…Rora is the one trying to get pregnant, not Emily. LOL And don't doubt me when I say I have a twisted mind. It's been my plan all along to tie these two cases together. You just have no idea how much. _

_Kasmith101- I am glad you liked it. Hope you enjoy further twists and turns._

_Ilovemygelding- Believe me, when Rora gets pregnant, you'll know about it. But in the meantime, everyone seems to be enjoying this case._

_Jordayna- I hope you like this update. Thanks for the review._

_Manhattan SVU- I hope you enjoy this chapter. And why do I get the feeling that if Rora gets pregnant people will flip out. Everyone is so excited for a baby._

_Trizzy- All will be explained in time. So try not to bite your nails down to the nub. And wow…you've been waiting on them to have a baby since the first chapter? Back then most people expected her to end up with Don. LOL. And the thought of Danny's little swimmer's is so funny to me for some reason. So I hope you enjoy the update and haven't passed out yet. _

I sat in an interview room with Elizabeth Nelson. Flack had got the warrants and Danny was collecting paint samples from Elizabeth's car.

"Elizabeth, the car is in your name. We need to talk. This is very serious. Attempted murder of an officer is a serious crime." I said.

"I don't know who Detective Taylor is. Why would I try to hurt him?" She asked. "I swear I don't know what is going on."

"How did your car get that damage on it?" I asked.

"My dad uses my car often. Last night when he brought it home it had some damage on it. He said that someone had hit the car in a parking lot and kept going without leaving any insurance information." Elizabeth said.

"Where were you last night?" I asked.

"I was home. I just told you that my dad had my car." Elizabeth said.

"Where was your dad supposed to be with your car?" I asked.

"He said he was going to the bar for a few hours." Elizabeth said.

"Is this his usual routine?" I asked.

"It's not uncommon. He goes to the bar quite often." Elizabeth said. "But why would my dad want to hurt Detective Taylor?"

"Mac Taylor has been actively investigating your mother's death with me." I said. "My guess is he didn't like Mac looking into Tammy's death."

"But no one has tried to hurt you." Elizabeth protested.

"We'll let you know what we find out." I said and stood up. "You need to stay here for now."

I walked out of the room and through the hall to my desk. I sat down and rubbed my temples.

"What do you think?" Flack asked.

"I don't think Elizabeth did this. Why encourage us to investigate her dad just to hurt Mac? I really think it's her dad. He used her car to wreck into Mac." I said.

"That's a possibility. Danny is running tests on the paint in the lab as we speak." Flack said.

"Why go after Mac and not me? This is our case. Mac has been right beside me investigating this. You know how he and I are about cold cases." I said.

"Don't try to figure out how the mind of a criminal works. How many cases have we had that makes no sense?" Flack said.

"You're right." I said. "I should call and check on Mac."

I picked up my cell phone and dialed my house phone.

"Taylor."

"Hey Mac, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Watching TV, but it's nothing exciting." Mac said.

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"I'm fine really. How is the case coming?" Mac asked.

"We got a hot lead right now. You're never going to believe this. Elizabeth Nelson comes in to talk to me about her mom's case. Danny sees her car parked on the street. It's got damage to the passenger side and gold paint on it. It's also a blue 2000 Ford Taurus." I said.

"Elizabeth?"

"She swears that her dad used the car. So Danny is testing the paint samples now." I said. "We're gonna try to see if Dustin was where he said he would be last night. Elizabeth has no alibi to speak of."

"Do you think Dustin Nelson did it?" Mac asked.

"I think anything is possible. We already knew that he beat his wife and we know he killed her we just can't prove it yet. We know that his buddies from work quit inviting him out because he got violent when drinking. And we know that he used intimidation to keep Tammy's sister quiet about her disappearing." I said.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Mac asked.

"She is here. She has agreed to stay for now pending further investigation." I said.

"Where is Dustin?" Mac asked.

"We don't know. But we need to bring him in for questioning as well." I said.

"Do you need me to…."

"Don't even think about it Mac. If you get out of that bed to come down here I'll tie you to it." I said.

"Kinky…tying Mac to the bed." Flack snickered behind me.

"It's okay. He is my other man." I said.

I heard Mac give an exasperated sigh. "Okay, I'll stay here. But if you need me…."

"We won't." I said. "You just take it easy."

"I will." Mac said and hung up.

"Is he okay?" Flack asked.

"He's fine. He's gonna be tough to keep resting like the doctors said. He already wants to come down here and help on the case." I said.

Danny walked in. He had the folder in his hands.

"What were the results?" I asked.

"We got a match." Danny said. "That was the car. Stella ran the prints in the car and it does help Elizabeth's story. There were two sets of prints in the car. Hers and an unknown."

"We need to get Dustin Nelson in here." I said.

"Aiden has called his house a few times. No answer." Danny said.

"We need to find him then. Flack, get in contact with the Jersey police. We're gonna need their cooperation. Be sure you stress to them that this is about the attempted murder of an officer." I said.

"I'm on it." Flack picked up his phone.

"The protective detail stays on Mac and we all stick close to each other until Dustin Nelson is found. He already tried to hurt Mac once; we have no idea exactly what he is capable of right now." I said.

"Calm down Rora, we'll find him." Danny said.

I nodded.

"Do you really think that Elizabeth wasn't involved?" Danny asked.

"I don't think. She doesn't seem violent and I don't see a motive." I said.

"Come on; let's get some coffee while Flack makes his phone calls." Danny said and pulled me towards the break room.

I followed him to the back. He got out a cup and poured me some coffee.

"Mac okay?" Danny asked me.

"Yeah, I called and checked on him just a bit ago." I said.

"If we don't find Dustin Nelson, I think we should head home tonight. We could both use a goodnight's sleep." Danny said.

I nodded. "Probably a good idea. And I want to be there in case Mac needs anything. I know the doctors released him but a head injury is still serious."

"And I believe you and I still have some make-up sex to do." Danny chuckled and pulled me against him.

"Yes we do. We might have to have a small fight later again just to get the anger going." I giggled.

"I'll tell you how great the Yankees are. That always gets you flustered." Danny snickered and leaned in.

"You do want laid right because that is enough to get you the couch." I joked.

"Oh I can charm my way back into bed." Danny smirked right before he kissed me.

I chuckled and leaned into his kiss. Danny pressed further against me until my back was pressing into the sink. We heard a throat clear behind us.

We saw Emily smirking behind us.

"Don't you two get enough at home?" she smirked.

"We're kinda making up still. We had our first fight earlier." I giggled.

"Hmmm, let me know how the make-up sex is. If it's as great as I hear about, I may have to pick a fight with Sheldon." Emily winked.

"What brings you here from narcotics?" I asked.

"Well, Sheldon and I are headed to your place to spend some time with Mac. I wanted to see if Mac needed anything." Emily said.

"Just make sure that he is resting." I said.

"Mac is so lucky. He's got all you women fawning all over him." Danny said.

"We did the same thing when you were hurt." Emily said.

"I know…I miss it." Danny smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "If you get there and find that Mac needs anything, call me."

"I will. I'll leave you two to screwing in the break room." Emily chuckled.

"We weren't screwing." I said as she walked off.

"You know, with Mac not here….he couldn't hear us if we sneaked into the supply closet." Danny nuzzled on my neck.

"Behave a little while longer and I promise to make it up to you when we get home." I said.

"You wear the pink thing?" Danny asked.

"I promise." I said and pulled away before we got carried away.

"Ti amo." Danny called after me.

"Love you too." I said and headed back to my desk.

"Where did you get with the Jersey cops?" I asked.

"They are going to keep an eye on his house for when he comes home. In the meantime, they want us to get a list of his hangouts from Elizabeth so they can check there." Flack said.

"They going to cooperate with us?" I asked.

"I explained we were investigating Nelson for attempted murder of an officer and murdering his wife. They're gonna help us." Flack said.

"So I guess now we just have find him." I said.

Aiden walked in. She gave Don a quick kiss.

"Anything new from the lab?" I asked.

"No, I just wanted to run to Starbucks and thought I'd ask you to go with me." Aiden asked.

"I usually send Don to get stuff at Starbucks. He flirts with the waitress and gets great deals." I giggled.

"Hey! Okay I do that. But look at the money we're saving." Don said.

I chuckled. "Sure, I'll go with you. Flack call me if there is any word on the case."

"You two be careful." Don said.

"We'll be fine." I said and followed Aiden out of the station.

"How are things with Don?" I asked as we headed towards the parking garage.

"Really good, when we get a chance he wants to go away for the weekend. And I feel so close to him." She smiled.

"That is great." I said. "You're really crazy about him. You have to tell me what sex with him is like."

"I bet it's amazing. If he does other things as good as he kisses…."

"I know...girl, I want details." I giggled as we walked through the parking garage.

"Well it's on my mind for sure." Aiden smiled.

"Don's got so many sexy things about him. Those pretty blue eyes, that smile, nice big hands….why did I marry Danny again?" I joked.

"Speaking of Danny how is the….."

We heard screeching tires and looked behind us to see a car speeding towards us.

"Aiden, Look out!" I yelled as I jumped to the side and pulled my gun.

Aiden managed to move out of the way by the time the car roared past us. I watched and saw that the car was driving around the garage and was headed for the exit. I took off running.

"Aiden, call for back up." I yelled as I ran. I jumped in the exit as the car came speeding towards me.

"STOP, NYPD!" I yelled.

When the car didn't show signs of stopping I fired my gun. The glass of the windshield shattered and the car came to a screeching halt just feet from me.

"Hands in the air!" I yelled at the driver and looked in the car. "Son of a bitch."

Dustin Nelson slowly raised his arms in the air. Staring holes through me.

"Get out of the vehicle slowly. Keep your hands where I can see them!" I yelled.

Aiden came running up to us, her gun pulled as well. She stopped dead when Nelson stepped out of the car.

"Oh my god. Rora, it's him." Aiden said.

"Dustin Nelson, I know." I said.

"THIS is Dustin Nelson?" she stared at me. "Rora…this is the guy I saw staring at us in the café last week."

**To Be continued…… **


	120. Temporary Justice

_Snowbear96- Wow, I didn't expect you to get that excited that someone was stalking them._

_Ilovemygelding- I don't have to cave…I already have a plan. Just seems everyone is so anxious they can't let things happen, LOL. Stay tuned to see what happens with Dustin Nelson._

_XX- I have had a crazy summer as well. I had a death in my immediate family about a month ago and it's been crazy. I promise more coming on Chev and Rizzo, it's just taking some time. Meanwhile, if you don't start reviewing more often I'll kill off Flack. I'll have him die in Aiden's arms. LOL And everyone is so gung ho for a baby. But rest assured I have everything planned out so be patient. And your comments about Danny having a little girl cracked me up. Thanks so much for still reading and reviewing (review more often- as I glance at Flack muse, lol). _

_Emador- I told you I have a twisted mind. Of course that helps when coming up with plots and ideas for a story. LOL_

_Manhattan SVU- If Rora doesn't get pregnant soon, I am going to start taking bets on who would be the first reviewer to suggest a fertility clinic, LOL._

_Meadow567- We'll see what Dustin has to say. And Aiden was surprised because I guess she wasn't expecting this guy to have been watching them one day and then later trying to kill them. You know, her mind is clicking everything into place._

_Trizzy- Well if all the action I wrote was naked Danny kind, this would be porn, LOL. But I am glad you like it. And I am so glad you like Rora, because I worked hard to develop her character. And Nelson's motivations ill be explained in this chapter. Really? The pet names is what made you think they'd end up together? I guess it does go back to the saying of 'you pick on the girl you like' kind of thing._

_Jordayna- Don't mean to be cruel, just writing a cliffhanger, LOL._

_Truebluepatfan12- LOL, its okay. We all think of what the boys would be like in the bedroom, or maybe it's just me._

Danny, Don and Vicaro came running into the garage, guns drawn as I was finishing putting cuffs on Nelson.

"Aurora." Danny ran up to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little shook up." I said.

"Aiden, how are you?" Don asked, hugging Aiden.

"He's been stalking us. I saw him last week." Aiden said.

"You tried to kill my wife." Danny growled.

"Easy Messer, let's not give him a police brutality case." Vicaro said and pulled on Nelson's cuffs. "However, we can put him in the general population and let it be known he tried to kill a couple of ladies."

"Fuck you pigs." Nelson spit out.

"Get him out of here." Don said.

Vicaro pulled Nelson out of the garage. I watched them walk out and then hugged Danny tight.

"You sure you're okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah." I nodded against his shoulder.

"You gonna be okay to handle this case?" he asked me.

"I'll be fine. He tried to kill Mac. He tried to kill me and Aiden. God only knows how long he was stalking us…..I want to nail his balls to a 2x4." I said.

Danny kissed my temple. "You'll need to give a statement."

I nodded. "I know. Aiden and I can do that together."

"I'll take them for you." Don said.

I looked up to see him holding Aiden. The sight made me smile. I leaned against Danny, just feeling better with him holding me.

"We need to get back." I said. "We need to run the registration on this car and see who it belongs to. And someone needs to tell Elizabeth what happened and let her go on home. And then we have to interview Nelson and see what we can find out."

"I'll run the plates and see about the car." Danny said.

"I'll talk to Elizabeth." Don said.

"Rora and me will write out statements out." Aiden said.

"Baby, you sure you're okay?" Danny asked me again.

"I'm fine. Just glad he is in custody." I said.

The four of us turned and started to walk back into the station.

(Later)

"That's the last of the paperwork." I told Aiden. We had just finished up writing the reports about Nelson's attempt to run us down.

"I am still in a bit of shock." Aiden said.

"That's to be expected." I said. "I just want to get this all figured out and go home."

"The car Nelson used to try and run you down with is registered in his name." Danny walked in.

"So why not use that one to go after Mac too?" I asked.

"We can ask him in interrogation." Don walked over to us.

"Where is Elizabeth?" I asked.

"I have her resting in a spare room. When she heard what her dad did…she took it hard." Don said. "Jersey cops called back. They asked around some of Nelson's hang outs and he wasn't at any of them last night."

"The unknown set of prints in Elizabeth's car came back as her dad." Danny said.

"So we have enough to arrest him for causing Mac's accident on top of trying to run us down." I said.

"Think he'll talk to us?" Aiden asked.

"He might as well. We've got overwhelming evidence against him." Danny said.

"Let's go see what he has to say." Don said.

We walked to the back where Nelson was being held in an interrogation room. He was sitting alone, not showing much expression.

"All four of us go in. We're going to need a psychological advantage over him." Flack said.

We walked in and stood facing Dustin Nelson. He stared at the four of us.

"We know you were the one that ran Detective Taylor off the road last night. You tried to kill him. Mac survived…..lucky for you. Murder of an officer gets you an automatic needle in the arm." I said.

"You have anything to say?" Danny narrowed his eyes.

Dustin stared at us.

"I saw you watching us in the café last week. I didn't know who you were. Why were you stalking us? Did you stalk Mac too?" Aiden asked.

"You might as well tell us the truth. However you cut it, you're looking at jail time." Don said.

"You can't prove I killed Tammy." Dustin said.

"But we can prove you tried to kill Mac Taylor. We have matched up the paint transfer from your daughter's car to Mac's. We have Elizabeth's testimony that you used her car. We have your fingerprints in her car." Danny said.

"And we have you for trying to run down Detectives Burn and Messer." Don said.

Dustin snorted but didn't say anything.

"You know what? Go ahead and sit there. We got what we need to put you away!" Danny snapped. "That was my wife you tried to kill earlier today. You killed yours and now you tried to kill mine."

"Easy Danny." Don said.

"Why did you go after Mac? Why come after us? Was it because we were investigating you? Did you think you could stop us?" I asked.

"You had intimidated other people into leaving you alone when it came to Tammy's death….you couldn't silence Mac and Aurora and that drove you crazy." Danny growled.

"Tammy was none of your business." Dustin said.

"She became my business when she was found murdered." I said.

"So were you after all of us or just Mac and Aurora?" Don asked.

"They wouldn't give up. I heard they'd been poking around with some of my old buddies. They turned Elizabeth against me." Dustin yelled.

"And you thought by getting rid of them, you'd make the case about Tammy go away." Aiden said.

"That bitch was so determined to lock me up." Dustin yelled.

"Because I knew you were guilty!" I snapped.

"You'll never prove it." Dustin smirked.

"Futtuto cazzo!" Danny yelled. "You sit there and smirk. You nearly killed my wife and two of my best friends…."

"Easy Danny!" Don said again.

"None of this would've happened if she'd have stayed out of my business." Dustin said.

Danny was so angry he was starting to shake.

"We're done here." I said and gently touched Danny's arm.

We turned and walked out of the room. When we were in the hall I turned and hugged Danny.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"It's like when you confronted my dad. It's the instinct to protect you." Danny said.

I smiled at him. "I'm okay. Let's just finish the last of the paper work and go home."

Danny nodded. "You coming?"

"I will in a minute." I nodded.

"Something wrong?" Danny asked.

"No, I just need a minute to catch my breath." I said.

"I'll be back around in an hour to take you home." Danny said. "We still have to have make-up sex. And you promised to wear the pink thing."

I kissed him. "Okay, I'll be waiting."

I watched as Danny walked down the hall and rounded the corner. I turned back and walked back into the interview room. Dustin looked up at me.

"What now?" Nelson snapped.

"I'm not giving up on Tammy." I said.

"I'm going to jail, isn't that enough for you?" Dustin asked.

"No. You're going to jail for attempted murder, not murder. I'm going to keep investigating Tammy's case until I can prove you killed her." I said. "This is justice for Mac Taylor. I will get justice for Tammy."

I turned and walked out of the room.

(Pelham Bay)

"Mac, how are you doing?" I walked into the guest room.

Danny and I had just got home and Aiden and Don came with us. Emily and Sheldon were already there, having spent the evening with Mac.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? I heard about Dustin Nelson trying to run down you and Aiden." Mac said.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Hey Mac. Feeling better?" Aiden asked as she walked in with Don.

"I'm fine. Slight headache but nothing bad." Mac said.

"I'm going to get us something to drink." Sheldon stood up.

"Bring back a few beers." Danny said.

"And orange juice for Rora." Sheldon said as he walked out of the room.

"Did you get lots of rest today?" I asked sitting on the bed by Mac.

"Yes, I think I can go back to work…."

"I don't want to hear it. Not until the doctors clear you." Aiden said and sat on the other side of Mac.

"Everything is fine at the lab." Danny assured him.

"But we miss you at work and can't wait for you to come back." I snuggled against him. "But only when the doctor says."

"Besides Mac, you haven't taken a day off work since….I can't even remember." Aiden said and leaned against Mac's other side.

"Mac got two girls in bed with him." Flack snickered.

Mac rolled his eyes.

"Hop in Emily. Then Mac can have three girls in bed with him." Aiden chuckled.

Emily laughed and crawled on the bed beside Aiden and took Mac's hand. Mac looked a bit exasperated.

"Ladies….is this necessary?" Mac sighed.

"We're just so glad you're okay. And you should be used to our antics by now." I giggled and kissed his cheek.

"I'm so jealous." Don joked to Danny.

About that time Sheldon walked back in and looked at Mac, in the bed surrounded by three girls.

"Mac….you pimp!" Sheldon smiled.


	121. Drug Murder

_Meadow567- Thanks. You weren't very long winded._

_Truebluepatfan12- I am glad you liked it. I'll keep updating as fast as I can._

_Trizzy- But a little naked Danny is just perfect, LOL. And I think Danny's baby would have eyes just as pretty as Flack's. The thought of Mac as a pimp is funny, but the girls do love him. I love writing Danny intense and protective of Aurora. I did that even before they were a couple in the story._

_Jordayna- Mac is just so cute to write. And it's fun to write the girls making him exasperated._

_Ilovemygelding- Mac is so cute. I didn't say what the plan was, just that there was one. _

_Snowbear96- Yeah, and now on to other things._

_Dybdahl- Because they caught the bad guy? Or because Mac had three girls in bed, LOL._

_Emador- No comments on Sheldon? I am shocked; you're like his groupie, LOL. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I am so sorry for you loss. I went through the same thing this summer. You have my sympathies. _

_Manhattan SVU- Since everything had been so intense I tried to end it on a funny note. And a fertility clinic would be funny. Especially Flack and Hawkes ribbing Danny about 'giving a sample'! LOL_

"Danny, what is it about having Mac here that makes you so horny? I am really starting to worry." I giggled as Danny pinned me to our bed.

"It's the thrill of possibly getting caught. Like when you're in high school and you're making out in the basement with your parents home." Danny chuckled against my neck.

"But….we're married, in our own room…." I trailed off as Danny's hands had found their way under my nightgown.

"But still, someone could catch us." Danny whispered. "Silk panties."

"Danny…" I nearly whined.

My cell phone started ringing.

"Someone better have shot the governor." Danny sighed and rolled off me.

I answered my ringing phone. "Messer."

"Rora, its Flack. We got a call of a strange death in the Bronx. Apparently a male was found tied to a bed, dead with no obvious cause." Flack said.

"What else do we know?" I asked, jumping out of bed.

"The man has been identified as James Mitchell. Divorced, no prior record other than a few traffic violations. Uniforms already on the scene say he was found by a neighbor who he trusted with a key. The neighbor noticed his mailbox getting full and decided to check on him. Sheldon is on his way to the scene as the body is well into decomp with this heat." Flack said.

"Terrific. I am on my way too, I will be there as soon as I can." I said pulling on jeans.

I hung up.

"Got a call?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, DB in the Bronx. Apparently he has been dead awhile. Sheldon is meeting us there." I said as Danny's phone rang.

"That's Stella. I must be going with you." Danny said.

"I'll tell Mac." I said and hurried down the hall.

I knocked on the door to the guest room. "Mac?"

"It's open." Mac called.

I stepped in to find him reading in bed. "We got a call; we're headed out to the Bronx."

"Do you need me? Maybe I should…"

"You go to the doctor to get clearance tomorrow and until then you rest and enjoy some time off." I said.

"But it's been a week and I feel….arguing with you is pointless." Mac smiled. "You're such a mother hen."

"When it comes to people I love I am. If you need anything, call me." I kissed his cheek. "Get some rest. I'll call you in the morning."

Mac nodded. "Leave the door open."

"Why?" I asked.

Mac gave a small smile. "Nights you and Danny work late….Rammer comes in with me."

"Mac…you're just so cute sometimes." I chuckled and walked back down the hall. Danny was waiting for me.

(Bronx)

Sheldon was waiting outside the building when we pulled up. Flack was standing with him, looking pretty green. Danny grabbed his kit as we walked up to join them.

"It's nasty up there. The smell is…..I nearly puked." Flack cringed.

"Here, put this under your noses." Sheldon handed us a small jar.

"Hawkes man, this guy has bugs eating on him." Flack cringed again.

"Flack, its August. That is to be expected." Sheldon said.

I wiped the cream under my nose. It smelled strong to kill the smell of decay.

"Let's get in there. I want this scene processed ASAP. Our evidence is decaying." Danny said.

We followed Flack through the building, up the stairs to the third floor. We walked into the apartment. Everything seemed in place. When we moved to the bedroom, the victim was tied to the bed.

"What does this look like to you?" I asked.

"Heavy decomp." Sheldon said.

"No I mean the position of his body." I said.

"He looks tied down. Very meticulous use of the straps." Danny said.

"This looks like an execution. I mean if this were a gurney instead of a bed….it'd be just like how the execute by lethal injection." I said.

"It's something to look at." Flack said.

"Sheldon, can you tell time of death?" I asked.

"From the rate of decomp in this heat…..I'd say he's been dead 5 days. Maggots already did a good bit of damage." Sheldon said. "Can't tell a COD. There is no obvious knife wound, no gunshots, maybe when I x-ray him I can tell if he had any broken bones."

"Does he have any family?" Danny asked.

"We'll contact his ex-wife. We should probably question her anyways." Flack said.

(Station)

"What did you find out from the ex-wife?" I asked Flack as he walked into the station.

"Other than she was pissed at being woke up at 3 in the morning. She said she hasn't heard from James since last week when she called him to bitch about he was 3 months behind on alimony." Flack said.

"That is motive. What is her alibi?" I asked.

"If Hawkes is right and Mitchell died 5 days ago. She claims she was at work and then spent the evening with her boyfriend. We'll have to check with both to confirm her story." Flack said.

"I am headed to autopsy, Sheldon just called. You wanna come with me?" I asked.

"No, I am going to run a check on this boyfriend and see what I can find out about him. Let me know what autopsy showed." Flack said.

"Okay, Danny is going with me to the ME's office." I said and headed out of the station.

Danny was waiting outside for me.

"Why are you out here in the middle of the night?" I asked.

"Just getting some fresh air after being in that horrible crime scene earlier." Danny said. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, we shouldn't waste time. We already lost 5 days on this case." I said.

We started walking towards the ME's office. It was hot and balmy weather. Late august in NYC was always hot.

"Our sunroom should be finished by the end of next week." Danny said.

"Just in time for the Labor Day cookout." I said.

"That is gonna be fun. Having everyone over for a cookout." Danny said.

"Yeah and the girl offered to help me with some of the side dishes that have to be fixed ahead of time. You know, potato salad, macaroni salad…"

"That pasta salad you make that is better than my moms." Danny said.

I giggled. "Of course. Although Donald really likes it so you might have to beat him to it."

We walked into the ME's office. Sheldon was waiting for us.

"What did you find Dr. Hawkes?" I asked.

"Found traces of chloroform in his system. Not enough to kill him but enough to knock him out." Sheldon said.

"Explains how he ended up tied down like that. But what killed him?" Danny asked.

"Heroine overdose. The dose he had in his system could kill a whale. In all my years, I've never found that much heroine in someone's system." Sheldon said.

"That's odd; we didn't find any drugs or paraphernalia in his apartment." Danny said.

"He wasn't a user. I checked for track marks. Despite the heavy decomposition I could tell that didn't have track marks. And his veins weren't punctured either except for one mark. It was fairly new…I'd say the puncture that killed him." Sheldon said.

"So someone chloroforms him. Knocks him out. Ties him up and injects enough heroine in his system to kill him." I said.

"You saw that crime scene, this is personal to someone." Danny said. "Where are the straps?"

"I sent them to the lab." Sheldon said.

"Okay…I'm gonna call Don and tell him what we found." I said.

"I'm going to head back to the lab and check on those straps and see if we can find anything." Danny said.

"Thanks Sheldon." I said and walked out, dialing my cell phone.

"Flack."

"Don, James Mitchell died of a heroine overdose. Sheldon said it was the largest does he'd ever seen." I said walking out of the building, Danny beside me. "But he also had chloroform in his system. Most likely someone knocked him out and injected him. There were no signs that he was a user."

"Son of a bitch." Flack said. "Heroine….I am looking at the record for his ex-wife's boyfriend. He's got a long rap sheet related to heroine. Using, dealing, you name it."

"If he's been at it that long then he would know what a lethal dose was." I sighed. "What's his name?"

"William Scott." Flack said. "38 years old, lives in the Bronx as well."

"That is a place to start. Listen I am going to see Emily. She works narcotics and might be able to help." I said.

"Good idea. In the meantime, I am going go down the list of people Mitchell was close to and see if anything on them jumps out at me." Flack said.

"Okay, call me if you find anything else." I said and hung up.

"News on the case?" Danny asked.

"Mitchell's ex-wife's boyfriend has a history of heroine." I answered. "I'm going to talk to Emily and see what she can find out for me."

"Well I am headed back to the lab. So call me later?" Danny smiled.

"Of course I will." I kissed him. "Love you."

"Love you too." He said.

(Narcotics Unit)

I was waiting in the narcotics unit squad room when Emily walked in at 6AM.

"Rora? Why are you here?" She asked.

"We have a homicide involving heroine. I was hoping maybe you'd be able to help us." I said.

"Who's the vic?" Emily asked.

"James Mitchell…he had no record of drugs and according to autopsy wasn't a user. We believe someone injected him with enough to kill him." I explained.

"Do you have any suspects?" Emily asked.

"William Scott. He is dating Mitchell' ex-wife." I said.

Emily shook her head. "Dear old Will. He is in here at least twice a year on something. We just can't seem to make charges stick or for him to get long stints in jail."

"You know him?"

"Unfortunately. He is a cocky bastard. Tries to flirt with the female officers…one of those kind." Emily said.

"Well since this case involves drugs, you want in? We could use the help in the drug world." I said.

"If it means putting Scott away for good, I am there." Emily said.

"Let's go out for breakfast and I'll fill you in on the case." I smiled.


	122. More Drug Murders

_Meadow567- Chev and Rizzo are coming slowly. I kinda started the next chapter but BLAH. Maybe I should just kill one of them off and be done, LOL JK._

_Ilovemygelding- I promise there is a plan for a baby. Just relax and enjoy. And being in the NYPD, you get interrupted, LOL._

_Kasmith101- The life of being in the NYPD. But I am sure Rora makes it up to him._

_Jordayna- I am glad you like it. I got the idea for this case at work last week._

_Trizzy- Are you back from your journey to Carmineland? You just started babbling and I almost needed a translator. LOL JK. And I love giving Mac a bit of a softer side because he is always so serious on the show. But I love Mac. And Flack is cute too. I bet he would have pretty babies._

_Truebluepatfan12- I know, I would hate suspects that think they can flirt their way out of everything._

_Emador- If Sheldon knew that Rora was going to call Emily, he would've suggested it. And I am sure that Sheldon is getting enough sex. He hasn't complained to Flack or Danny otherwise. _

_Manhattan SVU- Wow, everyone is on baby watch. I got the idea for this case at work a few weeks ago. I updated as fast as I could. I hope you like the conclusion to the case. And stay tuned, lots more of the story to come._

_Snowbear96- I like bringing her in for cases now and then. Show different aspects of the NYPD._

I walked into the station after breakfast with Emily. Flack was sitting at his desk downing some coffee.

"I talked to Emily. Will Scott has a real drug history. He looks like a good suspect but we have nothing to get a warrant right now. Emily said she'd snoop around and see what she can find." I said.

"In the meantime, Danny called from the lab. The straps we found on Mitchell's body had one set of prints on them. We ran them against AFIS and didn't get a hit." Flack said.

"Scott's prints would be in the system." I sighed.

"He could've had help." Flack said.

"What did you make of the ex-wife?" I asked Flack.

"She wasn't exactly mourning him. She griped that he was behind on alimony and that she was going to drag him back to court. And when I told her he was dead…she asked me if she could sign up for widow's benefits." Flack said.

"Sounds to me like she is just after money from him…..sounds like a motive to me." I said.

"But her boss confirmed her alibi for part of the day." Flack said.

"And her alibi for the other part of the day is a suspect. She could be our second set of prints." I said.

"Think we could get her to come in for an interview?" Flack asked.

"Call her and persuade her to." I said. "And while you're at it. Convince Scott to talk to us. Have his PO order a drug test. That ought to get his attention."

"If he tests positive, that's violates his parole…."

"This means we have leverage." I said.

(Later)

"Scott failed his drug test." Flack said and handed me the folder.

"Big surprise there. Where is he?" I asked.

"Interview room 2 with his Parole Officer. The ex-wife, Jen Mitchell is in interview room 4. She is not a happy girl." Flack said.

"You get her prints yet?" I asked.

"She won't voluntarily give them." Flack said.

"Well let's get them anyway and then talk to Scott." I said.

Emily walked in. "Found out something interesting."

"What's up?" Flack asked.

"I talked to a few of my undercover narcotics detectives. Word on the street is Will Scott is owes his dealer 50 thousand dollars. He's past his deadline to pay it and the dealer has put a hit out on him." Emily said.

"Good Grief, we're keeping him safe by holding him here." I said.

"Explains why Jen Mitchell is so desperate to get money." Flack said.

"Who is his dealer?" I asked.

"Well known in the Latino community…..Carlos Diaz. We've been watching him for about a year now. He is very smart and knows how to avoid trouble." Emily said.

"So Scott owes a big bill, has a hot out on him and is now suspect in murdering his girlfriend's ex-husband who was behind with money…..it's starting to add up." I said.

"Aurora, you interview Jen. Emily and I will take Will." Flack said.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Danny.

"Messer."

"Danny, get to the station. I am interviewing Jen Mitchell and I am going to get her prints. I need you to compare them to the prints found on the straps as soon as possible." I said.

"I'm on my way." Danny said.

"Let's get this started." I said.

The three of us walked down the hall to the interview rooms. I walked into interview room 4. Jen was sitting there looking quite angry.

"Good afternoon, I'm Detective Aurora Messer. I'm investigating the death of your ex-husband. My sympathy for your loss." I said and poured her a glass of water from the pitcher on the table. "Have something to drink."

She took the glass from me. "Thank you. As I have already told that guy detective…..I hadn't heard from James since I called him to tell him that if he didn't pay up the alimony he owed me, I was taking him to court."

"Was this the first time he had missed payments?" I asked.

"Yeah…which is why I was willing to let it slide at first." Jen said.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked.

"I got tired of waiting for my money. I have bills to pay too." Jen snapped.

"Will Scott your boyfriend?" I asked.

"Yeah, we've been dating six months or so." She said. "How did he get brought up?"

"Do you know about his heroine habit?" I asked.

"He is off drugs." Jen said.

"Oh really? Then why is there a contract out for him from his dealer for not paying up?" I asked.

Jen's eyes narrowed. "Am I under arrest?"

"Not yet."

"Then I am free to go." Jen started to stand.

"I suggest you stay. It would be much easier for you to cooperate with us." I said.

"I had nothing to do with James's death. I told you my alibi." Jen said.

"Here is the thing. Will is a suspect and we know he had an accomplice…..so your alibi doesn't fly right now." I said.

"Good day detective." Jen said.

"I notice you're wearing long sleeves….yet it's nearly 90 degrees outside." I pointed out.

"I had a chill." She shrugged.

"More like covering your track marks…..Will got you hooked on heroine didn't he?"

Jen glared at me. "I'm leaving. And if you or that other detective ever drag me down here again. I'll have you badges."

Jen stormed out the door. A few seconds later, Danny walked in.

"You get her prints?" Danny asked.

"On that glass." I pointed to the water glass I had handed Jen.

"My smart girl." Danny grinned and took out gloves. "Mac called. He was cleared by the doctor and wants to head back to his own apartment tonight."

"I'm gonna miss him. It was nice cooking big breakfasts." I smiled.

"We'll just invite Flack for breakfast more often." Danny smirked.

"Oh…I have an errand to run after my shift, so just head on home. You don't need to wait for me." I said.

"Errand, is everything okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, fine. I just need to check on something and then I'll be home." I smiled.

"Okay. I got to get this to the lab. I love you." Danny kissed me.

"Love you too." I said as he walked out.

(Later)

"Will isn't giving up anything. And he is such a cocky bastard." Flack sighed at his desk.

"We had to turn him loose. Even though he failed a drug test. They've scheduled a hearing about him failing a test." Emily said. "Flack went into protective mode when Will tried flirting with me."

"He does that. He's very protective." I giggled.

"Stupid asshole. Had the audacity to more or less ask for a blow job." Flack snapped.

"Glad I wasn't there for that one." I said.

Danny walked in carrying a folder. "We got a match. The prints on Jen's glass from the interview matched the prints found on the straps used to tie down James Mitchell."

"We got her, now we need something to place Will in that room. Unless you think Jen did this alone?" I said.

"Highly unlikely….even with chloroform….Jen would've had a hard time restraining James by herself." Flack said.

"And you know Will; he's just the kind of scum to let her take the whole rap for this." Emily said.

"Right now Jen is looking at murder 1 with a possible death sentence." I said.

"Think we could get the DA to offer her a deal if she turns on Will?" Emily asked.

"I doubt it. Either way it's her word against his." I said.

"So she goes down alone for this? How is that fair?" Flack asked.

"It's not." I sighed.

"What if he thought we were offering her a deal?" Danny asked.

"You mean fake him out to get him to confess?" I asked.

"Why not? Worth a shot." Danny said.

"Especially if he thinks he is looking at jail time he can't get out of…he'll talk." Emily said.

"Let's do it then. Flack, you and Emily go pick up Will. Danny and me will bring in Jen…I'll get the arrest warrant on the way." I said.

"Let's go." Flack jumped up and we all headed out.

(Jen Mitchell's home)

Danny and I walked up the front steps of Jen Mitchell's home. We both pulled our guns and knocked on the door.

"NYPD! Jen Mitchell, open the door or we will enter the residence by force!" I yelled. "We have a warrant for your arrest!"

We heard movement in the house but no one came to the door. I stepped back and let Danny kick the door in. The door flung open and we entered the house.

"NYPD!" Danny yelled.

I heard noise in the kitchen. Danny and I hurried that way. We entered the kitchen and saw Jen Mitchell throwing something under her sink.

"Hands in the air!" I yelled and held my gun.

Jen slowly raised her hands in the air. I held my gun on her as Danny moved to put handcuffs on her.

"Jen Mitchell, you're under arrest for the murder of James Mitchell. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You also have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?" I asked.

Jen nodded as Danny put cuffs on her. I moved and looked under her sink.

"Trying to hide your drugs and paraphernalia?" I asked, looking at several hypodermic needles and small pouches of heroine.

"I have nothing to say." Jen said.

"That's okay. The evidence is saying plenty." Danny said.

"Danny, be sure to bag this evidence. Just in case James's DNA is on one of the needles." I said.

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Rora…Flack and I just got to Will's place. We found him dead." Emily said.

"Tell me you're kidding." I sighed.

"No, he was on his couch. Gunshot wound to the head. Definitely an execution." Emily said. "Looks like Carlos Diaz got to him before we could."

"Has Flack called the lab?" I asked.

"Yeah, he called Stella, but since Mac was cleared by the doctors, he's coming in on it." Emily said.

"Not surprised, he was having a hard time sitting idle." I said.

"Since this was a drug related murder, I am gonna stay on it. Maybe now we can bring down Diaz." Emily said.

"We just arrested Jen. We're on our way to the station with her now." I said.

"I'll call if anything else comes up." Emily said and hung up.

"Someone killed your boyfriend." I told Jen. "The drug world is a dangerous place…..you should've thought of that before you let him start shooting you up."

(Station)

Danny and I sat in an interrogation room across from Jen Mitchell. She was refusing to talk still.

"You want to tell us what happened? Or should we tell you what we already know?" Danny asked.

"He should've paid me!" Jen said.

"Even with that alimony…you wouldn't have had 50 thousand dollars to give Diaz." I said.

Jen looked up at me.

"Yeah I know about his drug debt. See I think what happened is Will needed money fast and came to you for help. You didn't have it, and James wasn't paying alimony as he should've been." I said.

"He was making me run through my savings!" she yelled.

"Your drug habit made you run through your savings." Danny said. "And when he got behind on payments, you started pressuring him for money to stay out of trouble…but he wouldn't give in."

"So you and Will decided to teach him a lesson." I said.

"We got your fingerprints on the straps used to tie down James." Danny said. "Flack called, they've found chloroform in Will's apartment. We know you two killed him together."

"Why tie him down? Why make it look like a state execution?" I asked.

"I wanted the bastard to see it coming!" Jen yelled. "All I wanted was help getting out of debt and he wouldn't help me."

"Your drug problems weren't his fault." I said. "How did you get in?"

"I was his ex-wife. I knocked on the door and he let me in. When he opened the door, I helped Will overpower him with the chloroform." Jen said.

"Right…..then you two dragged him to the bedroom and strapped him down." I said.

"I wanted him to know it was coming. I wanted to see the fear in his eyes when he realized we were going to kill him. I wanted him to know I did it and why." Jen nearly spit.

"Who actually injected the heroine in James?" Danny asked.

"Will did." Jen said.

"When was your last fix?" I asked.

"What makes the difference?" Jen asked.

"We need to know." I said.

"Late last night." Jen said.

"Thank you. Officers will be by to take you to central booking." I said.

Danny and I stood up and walked out of the room.

"Does this case make sense?" Danny asked.

"Parts of it. Drugs make people do insane things." I said.

"I am going to get the paper work together to have her moved to central booking and then heading home." Danny said.

"Make sure they put her in detox where she can be observed and get medical help. When she starts through withdrawal from heroine cold turkey…its not gonna be pretty." I said.

"She'll need help. I'll make sure she gets it." Danny said as we stopped at my desk.

"Flack and Emily are taking Will's case. Mac is working with them. Cases into the drug underworld are the worst." I shook my head.

"I'm going to get this paper work done. See you at home?" Danny smiled.

"Yeah, I'll be home soon." I smiled and kissed him.

"Ti amo." Danny said.

"Ti amo anch'io." I said and kissed him again.

I smiled and watched Danny walk out. I took out my cell phone and dialed.

"Dr. Hawkes, ME's office." Sheldon answered.

"Hey Sheldon, I need a favor……"


	123. Special Evening

_Trizzy- LOL, just take a deep breath and try to relax. I enjoy writing cases. It's fun and lets me be creative. I dunno, I like Mac kinda how he is. Serious, dry-wit, LOL. It's endearing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And don't ever apologize for rambling, I love it._

_Snowbear96- Me? A cliffhanger on purpose? Never, JK. _

_Meadow567- And what leads you to this conclusion?_

_Ilovemygelding- Wow, you actually squealed out loud? LOL Maybe her favor is she has a hangnail._

_Jordayna- Glad your day started good. Hope you enjoy._

_Emador- You would swoon over Flack being protective, LOL. And Sheldon answering a phone is cute? Only you._

_Manhattan SVU- Calm down….breathe normal. You okay? Glad you are so excited. I got the idea for that case while semi-bored at work. LOL_

_Truebluepatfan12- Well here is the update. I hope you like it. Glad you liked the case. It was fun to write._

I finished setting the table and was heading back to the kitchen when I heard Danny's keys in the door. I smiled and hurried to greet him.

"Hey Danny." I kissed him.

"Hey…what is with all this?" Danny asked.

"I just thought we could have a special evening together." I smiled. "So I hurried home from work and cooked us a nice dinner."

"It looks wonderful." Danny kissed me again.

"I hope you like it. I tried to fix all your favorites." I said and walked into the dining room with him.

"I'm starved. I missed lunch today. Mac had me processing evidence in the Diaz case. Dealing with drug dealers…..sorry." Danny said.

"It's okay. It's hard not bringing work home…but we've been doing okay." I said as we sat down.

"Kinda miss having Mac here." Danny said. "But I was so glad the doctors cleared him."

"Yeah. By the way, Aiden called today. She is coming over early Monday morning to help set up for the picnic." I said.

"Did you hear that she and Flack are going out of town next weekend?" Danny asked and started filling his plate.

"No, when did this happen?" I asked.

"He might not have told her yet. But he was in the lab today telling me that he is taking her to mountain festival in the Adirondacks next weekend." Danny said.

"That is great. This means I have to take her lingerie shopping." I said.

"Don likes black lace." Danny said. I looked up at him. "Hey we were single guys for a long time before you and Aiden came along."

"And I talked to Louie…he will be here Monday too." I said.

"He finishes up physical therapy this month. He has come a long way." Danny said.

"He has. I am very proud of him. Stella coming?" I asked.

"Yeah and she already told Mac to make her burger rare." Danny snickered.

"That sounds like Stella." I laughed.

"Vicaro is coming too. And so is Chad." Danny said.

"I can't wait. I love big picnics on the holidays." I said.

"Why is there this big dinner and no wine?" Danny asked.

"Oh sorry. After Mac forbid me not to drink any alcohol, I just got used to not putting it out." I said.

"Don't worry about it. The water is fine." Danny smiled at me.

(Later)

"Rory, that was a wonderful meal." Danny smiled at me.

"I am glad you liked it." I said and moved around the table to sit on his lap.

"You're in a good mood." Danny smiled.

"I'm happy. And I'm with you." I said and kissed him.

"Want me to help with the dinner dishes?" Danny asked.

"They can wait." I kissed him again.

"Baby…you're certainly in a mood tonight." Danny nuzzled on my neck.

"Just want to be close to you." I said.

"You're right, dishes can wait." Danny said and lifted me up in his arms as he stood up.

I snuggled closer to Danny as he carried me up the stairs and down the hall to our bedroom. He carried me inside and gently laid me down on the bed and then crawled on the bed beside me, leaning up on one arm.

"I love you so much." I told him and touched his cheek.

"Sei la donna piu bell ache abbia mai visto." Danny said and leaned down to kiss me.

"Danny…" I whispered as he reached for the hem of my shirt. "Fai l'amore con me."

Danny looked down at me. "Quiero hacerte el amor toda la noche."

I smiled and reached for his top button while leaning up to kiss him again.

(Later)

I lay snuggling against Danny's chest. I wiggled my toes trying to get feeling back in them.

"Danny?" I looked up at him.

"Hmmm?" he smiled down at me. "Nice to see your eyes again….I was beginning to think they were going to stay in the back of your head."

I chuckled and kissed his sternum then moved up to kiss his mouth. "That was amazing."

"So what about tonight is special? I mean big dinner of all my favorites. Followed by mind-blowing sex." Danny said.

I leaned over and kissed him and smiled. "I'm pregnant."

Danny blinked. "What….when…I mean you sure?"

I smiled. "Yesterday, after work…my errand. Sheldon gave me a pregnancy test and it's positive. I'm having a baby."

"When? When is the baby due?" Danny asked.

"Well after the test came back positive and Sheldon quit hugging me…..he examined me just to check things out. It was a little odd because it was Sheldon…and because we were in the morgue but he pulled the curtain and put a sheet over the table for me. And Sheldon says that I am about five weeks pregnant and the baby is due sometime in late April or early May." I said.

Danny reached down and touched my tummy. "A baby….my baby….bambino."

I looked up and saw Danny had tears in his eyes.

"Danny…" I kissed him softly.

"I can't believe it….we're having a baby." Danny wiped his eyes. "It's so amazing I can't believe it yet."

I smiled and kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you too….so much." Danny said.

Danny slid down the bed and gently touched my tummy.

"Our baby is in there." He said, sounding astonished.

"Yeah." I smiled starting to choke up myself.

Danny leaned down and kissed my tummy. "My baby." He whispered and gently nuzzled my tummy.

"Of course next week I have to go to an obstetrician and start pre-natal care and have him officially examine me." I said. "Sheldon insists on monitoring my pregnancy between doctor visits to be sure everything is okay."

Danny crawled back up the bed. "Does anyone else know?"

"No, I made Sheldon swear not to tell anyone, not even Emily. I wanted you to know first." I smiled and brushed the hair from his face. "I thought we could tell everyone at the picnic on Monday. They're going to be so happy."

"I just can't believe it…everything is so perfect. I have you and now we're having a baby." Danny said. "I never thought I could be this happy."

"I know….it's everything I've ever wanted." I kissed him.

Danny touched my tummy again. "Our baby."


	124. Labor Day Picnic

_Trizzy- I think you are more excited than my Rora and Danny muses. LOL Army of little Messers….why is it that statement makes me think of the little soldiers in 'Toy Story'? LOL But you will just have to stayed tuned to see what happens and please try to stay calm before your co-workers think you need a straight jacket. _

_Ilovemygelding- Well glad that I was able to make you day._

_Feenx- Everyone is so happy about this baby! LOL_

_Emador- Well Sheldon is a doctor so I thought it'd be cute to get him involved. And most couples usually have sex often when trying for a baby. It's easier than hoping that using the same bathroom will work…more fun too! LOL_

_Manhattan SVU- Deep breath its okay. I know everyone is so excited about the baby. And I promise there is a lot of stuff with Aiden and Don coming up. Stay tuned. _

Our Labor Day picnic was in full swing. Mac behind the grill talking to Donald who stood nearby. The guys all in the pool playing basketball with the net Danny had set up.

"Aurora, are you okay? You haven't stopped smiling all day." Emily asked.

"Oh I'm fine. I just love having everyone here." I said.

"Nice weather for a big picnic." Stella said.

"And the new room is awesome." Aiden said.

"Danny loves it." I smiled.

"Have you been in the hot tub yet?" Stella asked.

"No…I haven't been able to yet." I said.

"Don is taking me away next weekend. Some festival in the Adirondack's. He rented at a room at some bed and breakfast." Aiden said.

"That sounds wonderful." Emily said. "Tell him drop a hint to Sheldon."

"So you think this could be it?" I asked. "I mean you were the one the other day who told me to check out Don's ass in dress pants."

"I like those dress pants, they're snug in all the right……oh hush." Aiden smiled. "I think so. I really feel good about him."

"Oh that is wonderful." I hugged her. "And I want details."

"Burgers are ready!" Mac called out.

I watched as the guys filed out of the pool and grabbed towels. I winked at Danny who came over to stand near me. I gave him a quick kiss and waited for everyone to come to the table.

"Hey everyone….Aurora and I are glad you could all make it out here. Gives us a chance to relax with everyone out of work and show off the new house too." Danny smiled.

"And we have some news." I said and Danny put an arm around me. "We're having a baby. I'm five weeks pregnant."

"Oh my god, you're finally pregnant." Aiden jumped out of her seat and rushed to hug me.

Emily practically squealed and jumped in the hug too and then there was Stella hugging us too. I noticed Aiden was crying.

"Stand back, it's the estrogen brigade." Vicaro said.

"It's a woman thing. They do this all the time." Sheldon said.

"Rora, I am so happy for you. A baby….oh that is wonderful." Emily said.

"Aiden why are you crying?" I asked her.

"I am just so happy. My best friend is having a baby." She said.

"Alright Danny, good job." Flack said.

"Hold it…Rora is the one pregnant. She is the one that will carry the baby, retain water, have cravings and mood swings, have back aches, feet swelling and then go through labor and you give DANNY kudos?" Stella laughed.

"Hey he was the one who had to keep screwing her until it took." Flack smiled.

"Yeah and he really minded that." Chad rolled his eyes but snickered.

"That is wonderful." Donald smiled. "You want a boy or girl?"

"Doesn't matter. As long as it's healthy, ten toes and ten fingers…we don't care." Danny said.

"That is really wonderful." Mac said. "Baby Messer."

"And I will be taking care of Aurora while she is pregnant." Sheldon said.

"You knew...that's why you been all smiles and excited for this picnic." Emily said to Sheldon.

"Sheldon gave me the pregnancy test. I figured if my friend's a doctor might as well take advantage of it." I said.

"So when are you starting on that nursery? How are you going to decorate it? We have to go shopping for maternity clothes." Aiden said.

"One thing at a time. I am going to see an OB/GYN later this week. And then Danny and I are going to start looking at some nursery ideas. And we're going to sign up for child birth classes….Flack you're going with us." I said.

"What? Why?" Flack asked.

"Because I work with you, that way you can help me through should anything happen. And in case Danny is out on a case when I go into labor…you can be my backup coach." I said.

"But I don't know anything about having babies….just how you get pregnant." Flack said.

"Well they'll teach you." Emily said.

"Besides, the biggest job is letting her hold your hand and scream that she hates Danny." Chad winked.

"I'm going to be an uncle." Louie smiled.

"Yeah….we just wanted to tell all of you together." Danny said.

"I am really so happy for you guys." Donald said.

"Thank you…..and since we consider you all family, you all get to be involved with the pregnancy and baby." I said.

"But Danny already did the fun part." Vicaro said.

"You know department procedure about pregnancy?" Mac asked.

"Yes, when I am six months pregnant I have to be on desk duty only. Then after the baby is born I have 6 weeks leave." I said.

"You ready for this?" Louie asked Danny.

"I can't wait. My own family. My wife and now a baby….little Gianna." Danny said.

"Taylor. Little Taylor." I said.

(Evening)

The party was winding down and it was starting to get dark. I was putting things away in the kitchen when I noticed Mac sitting alone on the back porch drinking a beer. I walked out on the patio with him.

"Mac, why are you out here alone?" I asked.

"Oh…I was just thinking. Everyone was starting to leave and I just decided to sit here awhile." Mac said.

I sat down beside him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm really happy about the baby." Mac said.

"Me too. I always wanted to be a mom. I want to be a great mom…so much better than my own." I said.

"You will be. You'll be a great mom." Mac smiled.

I smiled. "So what about you? Ever want kids?"

Mac looked down then back up. "I never told anyone this….but about a week before 9/11….Claire and I decided it was time to start a family. She even told me that if it was a boy, she wanted to do his nursery in ships and boats for the Marines."

I reached over and took his hand. "I'm sorry Mac. You would be an amazing father."

Mac looked over at me and gave a small smile. "You know you're already getting that motherhood glow about you?"

"Am I?" I chuckled.

"You are…..I'm very happy for you." Mac leaned over and kissed my cheek.

I smiled and squeezed his hand. "Mac…you're going to be a big part of this baby's life….and I am very happy about that. I think you'll be a wonderful uncle figure for the baby…and I know you got so much love to give."

Mac looked at me a second. "I should head home….it's getting late, we have to work tomorrow, and Sheldon said for you to get plenty of rest."

"I know….he is also giving me a list of foods that is healthier for the baby…and we won't mention his protein advice." I sighed.

"What?"

"Never mind…I am sure you'll her about it from the guys." I chuckled. "Thanks for everything today."

"I was glad to do it. It was a good day. Until you came along I had forgotten how fun holidays could be." Mac stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I stood up and hugged him as well. "Night Mac. Drive carefully."

"I will. And one more thing…no more pulling double and triple shifts. Danny won't let you, Flack won't let you and I won't let you. You need to rest and take care of that baby." Mac smiled.

I smiled. "You got it."

"Night Rora." Mac walked towards the driveway.


	125. The Weekend

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I just meant that I also lost my father this summer. I am so sorry for your loss. I hope school is going well for you and that things get better._

_Trizzy- Gotta love those guys. They are fun to write. Mac is great to write too. I like writing fanfic because I get to control the characters, LOL. And you'll love the pregnancy antics that will unfold. Hope you don't laugh too much and your co-workers start to worry about you more._

_Truebluepatfan12- That new ME needs hit by a subway train! Sorry just had to rant there a minute. Don't worry, I have plans for Mac in this story._

_Snowbear96- She's hugging people again, LOL._

_Jordayna- Just relax, I have plans for this story. I just hope no one lynches me._

_Kasmith101- Yeah, he got some somewhere because she wound up pregnant, LOL._

_Emador- Yes that is my big plan to make this a slash story, LOL. And you are officially my biggest Emily/Sheldon shipper. _

_Feenx- NO! There is no room for that new pest of an ME in my story. The great thing of fanfic I control the characters. I have plans of my own for Mac so just sit tight._

_Ilovemygelding- I think Don and Danny would go nuts if the girls were pregnant at the same time. And heaven forbid Emily get in on that too, LOL. _

_Manhattan SVU- Oh I have so many plans for this story. I hope you like them. And YAY, you feel the connection between Mac and Rora. I try really hard to portray that relationship. And don't worry, I have plans for Flack and the pregnancy._

I was snuggled up against Danny and could hear my cell phone ringing. I opened my eyes and saw bright sunlight coming through our window.

"It's Saturday morning." Danny mumbled.

I leaned over to the night stand and grabbed my phone. "Messer."

"Rora, it's me." Aiden said on the end.

"Aiden, is everything okay? You're supposed to be out of town with Don?" I asked.

"Everything is fine. Don and I are at the Bed and Breakfast." Aiden said. "I just called to tell you…."

"You and Don had sex!" I laughed and sat up in bed.

"Strike up the band, couldn't this wait until noon." Danny grumbled.

"We did. Last night, it was amazing." Aiden said.

I heard Don talking in the background.

"Don there?" I asked.

"Yeah we're still snuggling." Aiden chuckled.

"You called me naked? Couldn't you get dressed first?" I laughed.

"I talked to you while Danny was going down on you." Aiden said.

"Only because Danny was trying to get me off the phone." I said.

"Get you off is right." Aiden laughed.

"I am so excited for you. I want to hear all about it when you get home." I said.

"It was amazing….but the big news…."

"That wasn't the big news?" I asked.

"Don told me he loves me." Aiden said.

"He did? Oh that is…….let me talk to him." I said.

I heard Aiden hand the phone to Don. "Hello?"

"Donald Gayle Flack Jr. I love you but so help me if you only told her you love her to get in her pants…."

"Calm down….I really love her. I took your advice about telling her how I felt." Don said.

I smiled. "I am so happy for you two. I think I am gonna cry."

"Is this a pregnancy hormone thing?" Don asked.

"No, this is an I'm so happy for my best friends kind of thing." I said.

Aiden grabbed the phone back. "How was your first doctor's appointment yesterday?"

"It was great. Danny went with me. Dr. Lacy is very nice. He said that everything looks good and Sheldon was right I am now 6 weeks pregnant. He started me on pre-natal vitamins and recommended some child birth classes for me." I said.

"That is great." Aiden said.

"Yeah, later today Danny and I are gonna start looking for some things to start the baby's nursery." I said.

"You getting plenty of protein?" Don snickered in the background.

"What is this protein thing the guys keep talking about?" Aiden asked.

"Sheldon told us that some doctors will advise pregnant women to give their husbands blowjobs because that is extra protein for the baby." I explained.

"We're doing that, I want a healthy baby." Danny rolled over towards me.

"Can we have a baby?" Don asked Aiden.

Aiden laughed. "Explains why the guys have been joking around….and why Mac wouldn't explain the joke to me."

I chuckled. "You guys have fun. I am happy for you guys. I'll talk to you when you get home."

"See you Monday." Aiden said and hung up.

I lay back down and snuggled up against Danny. "They're very happy."

"It's about time." Danny said and patted my tummy. "How is the baby?"

"Fine." I kissed him.

"You know we have to tell dad about the baby. Louie said that was our job to do that, he wouldn't." Danny said.

"I know….I just don't want him too involved with the baby. I don't ever want my baby near the type of life you grew up in." I said.

"I don't either." Danny said and kissed my shoulder. "I can't wait for the baby to get big enough to move so I can feel it."

"You're such a proud papa already." I smiled.

"I'm so happy….this baby is the most amazing thing." Danny rubbed my tummy.

(Brooklyn)

"A baseball nursery would be nice but you'll put Yankee stuff in there." I said as we drove from the mall to Leo's.

"But I played baseball and we both love baseball." Danny said.

"What if it's a girl? Taylor should have a feminine room." I said.

"If it's a girl then Gianna can have the Carebears you liked." Danny said.

"Taylor, I am naming her Taylor." I said.

"Gianna." Danny said.

"Are we even going to find out what the baby is when it comes time for a sonogram?" I asked.

"Do you want to know?" Danny asked.

"Not really. I'd rather just be surprised and plan for either or." I said.

"Then that's what we'll do. So we'll pick a neutral nursery theme." Danny said.

I smiled. "Okay…and we should think of a baby boy name."

We pulled up in front of Leo's house. I wasn't sure what we were going to say to him. I looked up at the house. I remembered the last time I was here I had pulled my gun on Papa Messer, now I was here to tell him I was pregnant- carrying his first grandchild.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah…he's your father. He has a right to know about the baby." I said.

Danny squeezed my hand. "Let's go."

We got out of the SUV and walked towards the house. Danny took my hand as we climbed the stairs. I gave him a small smile as he knocked on the door. After a few minutes Leo answered the door.

"Danny, Aurora…this is a surprise. Is everything okay?" Leo asked.

"Everything is fine. Can we come in?" Danny asked.

"Of course, come on in." Leo stepped back and allowed us in. "Can I get you something?"

"No thanks, we just stopped by for a quick visit." Danny said and pulled me towards the living room.

We sat down on the couch together. Danny squeezed my hand again as Leo walked in and sat down in a chair across from us.

"I wasn't expecting to see you today. How are you doing?" Leo asked.

"We're fine. We have some news." Danny said.

"You sure everything is okay?" Leo asked.

"We're having a baby." Danny said.

"Aurora is pregnant? Already?" Leo asked.

"Six weeks….doctor says everything is fine and our friend who is the ME is keeping an eye on me." I said.

"That is wonderful. I heard you were trying for a baby. I'm really happy for you." Leo said.

"Thank you." I told him.

"Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do?" Leo asked.

"We have everything under control. Aurora has one of the best doctors in New York City. Sheldon is keeping a close eye on her. Everyone is excited and offering to help." Danny said.

"I want to help in any way that I can. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Leo said.

"We'll let you know. But we won't have the mob brought in on our baby." Danny said.

"Danny, I would never do anything to put my family in danger." Leo said.

"And as long as you don't you can see the baby as often as you like." I said.

"When are you due?" Leo asked.

"May 4th." I said.

"Does Louie know?" Leo asked.

"Yes, and he's so excited to be an uncle. I think he already bought the baby a baseball mitt." Danny said.

(Pelham Bay)

"Danny, are you okay? You've been quiet since we came back from your dad's." I found him sitting alone in the den at home. "I brought you a beer."

"Just thinking about mom." Danny said and took the beer from my hand.

"What about her?" I asked and sat down on the arm of the small couch in the den.

"She was such a good mom…..I wish she were here to see he baby. I wish she were here to be a grandma." Danny said.

"I do too." I said. "I understand how you feel. I wish my dad were here."

"You tell your mom about the baby?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I told her the other day. Her only response was 'it's awful soon in your marriage to be having a baby'." I sighed. "She wasn't even married when she got pregnant with me."

Danny hugged me. "Don't let her upset you. We know we want this baby. We talked about it and decided to have a baby. We know we're ready."

"You're going to be such a great daddy." I smiled.

"You're gonna be a great mommy." Danny kissed me. "You tell Russ about the baby yet?"

"Yeah…he is excited to be an uncle too. I promised him he could fly out here and see the baby when it's born." I said.

"I've been thinking about the nursery. How about zoo animals? Lots of cute animals around the baby, and it's neutral so it would work for a boy or girl." Danny said.

"I like it." I smiled.


	126. Still Searching For Justice

_Snowbear96- After all the fluffiness lately, time to get back to crime._

_Emador- No problem, I was watching the Vols whoop on Memphis 41-7! _

_Ilovemygelding- You'll have to wait and see what the baby is. And more Don and Aiden in the future._

_Truebluepatfan12- Glad you liked it. I'll be updating several more chapters before this story is done. _

_Dybdahl- I wondered where you have been. I love writing the girls, they are fun._

_Meadow567- There is like a baby boom going on around me. Everyone I know is pregnant it seems. And one of my friend's just found out she is having twins. Must be in the water, LOL._

_Manhattan SVU- Wow, you're so excited that Don and Aiden…more excited than them, LOL. And I have so much planned about this pregnancy its ridiculous. Hope you keep reading._

_Jordayna- You just wanna know what Don is like in bed, LOL._

_CrazygirlHaley5555- I had that feeling for awhile too. My weekend is good, Vols won 41-7! _

_Trizzy- Don and Danny are both sexy, why choose? I just enjoy them both. And yeah the guys are a bit perverted but it's always cute. And some doctors really do suggest that. I am so glad you love this story so much. Your reviews always make me smile._

Flack walked into the station and sat down at his desk.

"I brought you some orange juice. Sheldon said make sure you get plenty." Flack said and handed me a cup.

"No coffee?" I asked.

"Sheldon said for you to limit your caffeine." Flack said.

I looked down at my tummy. "Did I ever mention your uncles are very protective? And they love you a lot already."

"How is the baby?" Flack asked.

"Well Sheldon gave me an exam yesterday and said all looked good. I go to my regular doctor later this week." I said.

"Aiden told me you girls have been maternity clothes shopping." Flack said.

"Yeah, I want lots of comfortable clothes for when I am on desk duty." I said.

"Aiden told me there are actually maternity thongs?" Flack asked.

"Yeah…but I am not getting any. I'll be fat and awkward enough without that." I said.

"Pregnant women are beautiful." Mac walked in. "They glow and they're not fat."

I smiled as Mac handed me a cup. "What's this?"

"Orange juice to help you get your folic acid." Mac said.

I chuckled and patted my tummy. "Your uncle Mac, the marine. He's always prepared."

"So what brings you down here?" Flack asked Mac.

"No calls have come in. I thought Aurora and I could follow some leads on the Tammy Nelson case. I found Dustin's ex-girlfriend and thought we could interview her." Mac said.

"Sure, Flack call us if anything should come in." I grabbed my jacket.

"I will." Flack said.

I picked up both my orange juices and followed Mac out of the station.

(New Jersey)

Mac and I stood on the porch leading up to Dana Ellison's house. She had dated Dustin Nelson for awhile following his move to New Jersey. We were interested in what she could tell us. Mac knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door opened. Dana was a pretty blonde who peered around the door at us.

"Good morning mam, we're from the NYPD. I'm Detective Taylor, this is Detective Messer. We'd like to ask you some questions about Dustin Nelson." Mac said.

"NYPD…but this is New Jersey?" Dana asked.

"We know, the crime we're investigating was committed in New York. We'd just like to speak with you." I explained.

"Please come in. I am not sure how much I can help you. I haven't heard from Dustin in a few years." Dana said, letting us in her house.

"We believe the crime in question was committed before he met you. We just want to ask you some questions you might be able to answer from your relationship with him." I said as we sat down.

"Am I under arrest?" she asked.

"No, nothing like that." Mac said.

"Dana, did Dustin ever mention his wife to you?" I asked.

"Tammy….yes, he said she left him for another man. But…."

"But what?" Mac asked.

"Dustin was violent at times….one night he got mad and threatened me." Dana said.

"What did he say?" Mac asked.

"He said he'd bury me and I wouldn't be found like the last bitch." Dana said. "It wasn't long after that that I ended the relationship."

"Did he ever say for certain that he killed Tammy?" I asked.

"No…he wouldn't talk about her. But he had these spurts of violence. And the other guys at work wouldn't go drinking with him." She said.

"You were afraid of him?" Mac asked.

"Towards the end of our relationship, yes." Dana said.

"Is there anything else you can remember, no matter how small that might help us?" I asked.

"You found Tammy dead didn't you? Was she in that storage unit?" Dana asked.

"What storage unit?" Mac asked.

"Dustin had this storage unit. Once when he and I were together we stopped there so he could drop something off. He wouldn't let me even get out of the vehicle. He walked in and came back out a few minutes later." She said.

"Where was this storage unit?" I asked.

"Somewhere on Staten Island….I can't remember exactly. It's been so long." Dana said.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Flack.

"Flack."

"Don, start calling storage centers on Staten Island and look for Dustin Nelson to be renting at one of them. If you find anything get a warrant to search his unit." I said.

"He have one?" Flack asked.

"His old girlfriend says he does." I said.

"I'm on it." Flack said and hung up.

"Dana, thank you for your time. If you remember anything, please call us." Mac said.

"Did Dustin kill his wife?" she asked.

"We can't comment on an open investigation." I said. "Thanks again."

(Station)

Mac and I walked into the station. Flack was on the phone. He hung up and turned to face us.

"I got good news and bad news." Flack said.

"What's the bad news?" Mac asked.

"No Storage Centers in Staten Island have any records of a Dustin Nelson." Flack said.

"And the good news?" I asked.

"I called Elizabeth Nelson and she agreed to let us look through her dad's files and papers tomorrow and see if we can find anything to help us." Flack said.

"That is good." I said.

"We're going to get him…it's gonna take time but his violent streak is starting to come through." Mac said.

"All this violence but never towards Elizabeth." I said.

"It happens. Even some of the most diabolical people are protective of their children. All of Albert Fish's children said he was a wonderful father and never harmed them." Mac said.

"You're right." I sighed.

"We'll go first thing in the morning if no calls come in." Mac said.

"Okay, I am gonna head home. Cook some dinner for Danny." I said.

"Take care of the baby." Flack said.

"I will." I smiled and gathered my things.

Danny walked in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Taking my gorgeous and pregnant wife out to dinner." Danny smiled.

I kissed him. "That sounds wonderful."

"Any strange cravings yet?" Flack asked.

"No, Sheldon said they could start any time." I said.

"We get to hear the baby's heartbeat soon." Danny smiled.

"Rora will probably get a baby bump soon." Aiden walked in.

"I am only now 8 weeks pregnant." I said.

"Seven months to go!" Flack smiled.


	127. The Storage Unit

_Snowbear96- No problem, I was surprised you weren't hugging someone._

_Manhattan SVU- Suddenly everyone wants Aiden pregnant too. Just sit back and relax knowing that I do have Flack/Aiden plans. And all the joys of being pregnant is coming too, LOL._

_Trizzy- I think she has lots of friends and a husband who would help with her cravings and such. And no raping Flack, LOL. I am glad he doesn't work with you or else your co-workers would really start to worry about you. Albert Fish does not scare me as bad as some other serial killers, Manson scares me, Richard Ramirez terrifies me…that's about it._

_crazygirlHaley5555- I like babies until they get old enough to talk back and be terrors. LOL._

_Dybdahl- Hey we've all had password problems before, it's cool._

_Feenx- Mac is a sweetie at times._

_Ilovemygelding- Are Rora and Danny out of style? My muses feel very ignored now that Flack and Aiden are getting all the attention, LOL._

_Jordayna- There will be more about Aiden and Don but this is still a Danny/Rora story, LOL. And the Nelson stuff will happen, but…well just wait and see._

_Truebluepatfan12- One thing about me I always have stories in the works. If you like 'Miracle' check out some of mine I wrote and posted. (Shameless plug I know.)_

_Meadow567- That was short and sweet. I am hoping to get more Chev and Rizzo done soon._

_Emador- you're just mad because there was no Sheldon and Emily in his one, LOL. Interested in your reaction to this chapter….see if you pick up on anything, Hmmmm._

"Mac, Dustin Nelson's filing system was non-existent." I complained as we searched through some papers in his house.

"Seems he just threw everything in drawers. No sense of order." Mac said.

"You finding anything related to a storage unit?" I asked.

"No and when I asked Elizabeth about it, she never knew he had one." Mac said.

I rubbed my eyes. We'd been looking through papers for two hours and hadn't found anything useful.

"You okay?" Mac asked.

"Yeah I am just frustrated. I want to nail Dustin for killing his wife." I said.

"You sleeping?" Mac asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I have so many people looking after me right now this is the best cared for baby in the state of New York and it's not even born yet."

Mac smiled. "We take care of our own."

"Dad kept some papers in this box." Elizabeth walked in carrying an old cardboard box. "He kept it in the basement. Said they were papers from when he and mom were married."

I grabbed the box and started looking through the papers in the box.

"Mac I think we got something here." I read a few receipts in the box. "These are from Rainbow's End Storage in Staten Island. They are made out to a John White."

"He rented the unit under a different name?" Mac asked and looked over my shoulder.

"Must be why we couldn't find anything in his name. Says here he always paid cash." I said.

"Because he wouldn't have a credit card under an alias." Mac said.

"It's worth looking at. He had to be hiding something there. A false name, not letting anyone know about this storage unit." I said.

"I'm calling Flack to get us a warrant. Let's get to Staten Island and look around that unit. See what we can find." Mac said.

(Rainbow's End Storage)

Mac used bolt cutters to cut the lock on the door to Dustin Nelson's storage unit. Mac pushed the door back and we used our flashlights to look around inside.

"Looks like old tools and yard equipment." I said.

"Tammy was stabbed with a flat object…possibly a file or a screwdriver." Mac said walking farther into the room.

"Manager said Nelson was in here at the beginning of every month to pay the bill in cash. No problems. He'd had this space for 17 years." I said.

"There is something in here that we are not supposed to find. Now we just have to figure out what that is." Mac said.

"Why hide so much? I mean why not just throw away the murder weapon rather than go to this length?" I asked.

"Who knows how much he is hiding, let's start looking." Mac said. "You don't lift, pull or tug on anything that weighs over 10 pounds, just like Sheldon said."

"Mac…do you know how cute you are? If the baby is a girl, I am inviting you over when she has her first date." I laughed.

"Flack already said she is not allowed to date. He said that he knows what he was like before Aiden and he is not letting any guy like that near his niece." Mac smiled.

I chuckled. "Funnily enough Danny said the same thing."

Mac and I started looking through boxes, looking for anything suspicious.

"I'll have Aiden come down here and bag these tools for testing. If one of them is the murder weapon there may be a trace of blood and DNA on it," Mac said.

"Even after all these years?" I asked.

"It's happened in other cases." Mac said.

I nodded and turned my flashlight to a sealed barrel in the middle of the room surrounded by several boxes.

"Mac, check out that barrel." I asked walking towards it.

"It's sealed." Mac frowned.

"Is there anything around to break the seal with?" I asked.

"There was a crowbar in one of these boxes." Mac said and went to find it.

I watched as Mac picked up a crowbar and handed me his flashlight. I held the light as Mac struggled to break the seal on the blue plastic barrel. Finally we heard the seal pop.

"Aurora, get out of here." Mac said.

"What?"

"Now, go!" Mac said and grabbed my arm pulling me towards the door.

"What's going on?" I asked as Mac pushed me out the door.

"That barrel is full of some kind of chemicals. I could smell them the minute the seal broke. I don't want you in there breathing that until we know what it is, if it's dangerous or not." Mac said. "And it's so old we can't be sure if it's combustible or not."

I nodded.

"Did you breathe in anything?" Mac asked.

"No, I didn't smell anything." I said.

"Breathe some fresh air. I'm calling the lab." Mac said.

(Later)

"What did you find in there?" I asked as Danny and Mac came out with the barrel wrapped up to be hauled to the lab.

"Whatever was in there has long since turned to mush." Danny said. "It's some kind of acid."

"Dustin is being very smart about this." I sighed.

"We're going to analyze every piece of evidence in that room. We'll get him." Mac said.

I nodded. "It's frustrating."

"You need anything?" Danny asked me.

"No, I'm fine just upset that we're not figuring this case out." I said.

"We'll get it." Danny said.

"Danny's right. Slowly but surely the evidence is coming together and adding up against Dustin Nelson." Mac said.

"You just said that whatever was in this barrel of acid was long ago mush. It was probably our murder weapon and anything with Tammy's blood on it." I sighed.

"We'll see if we can separate any human proteins from the acid." Mac said. "There might be something there to work with."

"And he had to get this acid somewhere. We can investigate where and when he got it. The barrel has serial numbers on it. That has to lead to somewhere." Danny said.

"That's good. I want to bring him to trial for murder not just attempted murder." I said.

"But in the meantime, he isn't going anywhere." Danny said.

"What else did we find useful other than the barrel of acid?" I asked.

"Just some tools we're gonna test for signs of blood." Mac said.

"What did you find out from the manager?" Danny asked.

"He said he knew nothing of what was being stored in here. He said that as long as the rent is paid up and there are no complaints, all his customers have complete privacy." I said.

"That is the standard for most of these storage places." Mac said.

"They have surveillance tapes?" Danny asked.

"I checked on that. They do have surveillance but after 30 days the tapes are erased and reused. And as you know, Nelson has been in jail that time." I said. "But the manager did identify Nelson as the man who paid in cash claiming to be John White."

"Let's head back to the lab. It's getting late. This stuff needs to be cataloged and processed." Mac said.

"Are you ready to head out?" Danny walked into the station and asked me.

"Don't you need to process the stuff from that storage unit?" I asked.

"Mac is gonna do it. He said he wanted some time alone in the lab." Danny said.

I frowned. "He's not reverting back into that is he? I thought he was getting out of the lab more and spending time with you guys and stuff?"

"He is. I think he just wants to go through the evidence and have some time alone." Danny said.

"Picture time!" Aiden came in carrying a camera.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You're two months pregnant now. We should start taking pictures every month to watch the baby grow. You know how women have those pictures of themselves pregnant so they can see how big they were each month." Aiden smiled.

"But she's not showing yet." Don said.

"Then she should enjoy it while it lasts." Aiden smiled. "Okay Danny, stand with Rora, puts your arms around her so we watch how in a few months you won't be able to anymore."

"I'm really gonna get that fat?" I asked.

"You won't be fat. It'll be the baby growing inside you." Danny said.

"But you won't be able to put your arms around me?" I said.

"I'll always hold you. And in a few months I can hug you and the baby." Danny smiled.

"Rora, what's the matter? You knew this would happen when you got pregnant." Don said.

"Yeah I know. It's just…well I guess it never really hit me before. And I….I don't want Danny to think I'm not pretty anymore." I said.

"Not pretty? Are you nuts?" Danny took my hand. "You'll always be the most beautiful woman I know. And you've never looked prettier than you do with the baby glow. That's part of me in there….I think you're gorgeous."

"Hey I'd still screw you." Vicaro said as he walked by.

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Are you starting through mood swings already? Sheldon warned me about this." Don said.

"I dunno, maybe that was a small one." I smiled.

"You gonna be okay?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah…although after the baby is born…we're signing up for more than just strip aerobics to get me back in shape." I said.

"Kickboxing or Taebo." Don said.

"Why do you care?" Aiden asked.

"Girls who are into that stuff have the most amazing bodies. It tightens all the right places." Don said.

I rolled my eyes. "Can we take this picture already? I am getting hungry."

"Yeah, Don and Aiden are coming over tonight to watch the play-offs with us." Danny said.

"Okay Danny, stand behind Rora, put your arms around her. The baby will be here in 7 months!" Aiden smiled.

Danny came over and put his arms around me. I snuggled against him and gave him a quick kiss.

"So cute…okay on three." Aiden lifted the camera to focus.


	128. The Blanket

_Trizzy- I love sticking Vicaro with comedic lines from time to time. He is a hoot, they need to do more of him on the show. And as always, I have a plan for the Nelson case, I always have a plan. And I am glad that your co-workers won't think you're odd anymore. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Great the Vols won again, 51-33. And I love babies…until they start teething._

_Jordayna- awwww, I love it when people like Rora._

_Meadow567- I was sp happy when Detroit won. I hate the Yankees. And the Pens aren't mine. If they were we'd still have Craig Patrick._

_Manhattan SVU- I know, poor little girl when she tries to date. And I thought the first mood swing should be mild. No swinging pots and pans at Danny's head yelling 'you did this to me' just yet._

_Ilovemygelding- Yes I get what you mean. And they're guy cops of course they're protective. _

_Truebluepatfan12- If you like Miracle then I recommend my stories (shameless plugging here, LOL) 'Do You Believe in Miracles', 'When Miracles Happen' and 'She Needs a Miracle.'_

_Dybdahl- It's okay, I didn't really need a poem._

_Emador- Hmm, I bet if Sheldon had been mentioned you'd have noticed, LOL._

_Snowbear96- Dustin is already in jail for trying to kill Mac. Now they want to prove he killed Tammy._

"Aurora, why are we putting out so many Halloween decorations? We don't have kids yet." Danny said as he carried another box outside.

"Because I like Halloween and enjoy decorating for it. Besides, we'll have lots of trick-or-treaters this year." I said.

"Mac called from the lab. He said that the DNA finally came back on the sludge in that barrel of acid. It was pretty broken down but the alleles they could find matches Tammy Nelson." Danny said.

"No work at home." I said.

"I know, but he wanted me to tell you. You two are working so hard on this case." Danny said.

"I talked to Aiden and Emily and they thought it would be great for all of us to go to that Halloween Street fair. It was so much fun last year." I said.

"I figured as much." Danny smiled. "You think you have enough cats stuff?"

"Hey, I like decorating with cats for Halloween. I used to have a black….."

"And he's what got me started decorating with black cats for Halloween." Danny finished and kissed my cheek. "I'm just teasing because I have been carrying boxes all morning."

"I got so much stuff. And I got some orange lights for around the windows." I said.

"I thought people strung lights for Christmas not Halloween." Danny smiled.

"Times are changing. Besides, I always liked decorating big. Dad loved Halloween. My first semester of college he missed me so much that he decorated himself to surprise me when I came home." I said.

"Don is disappointed you won't be showing a lot at Halloween. He wanted to paint a big pumpkin on your tummy." Danny snickered.

I rolled my eyes as I started placing fake tombstones in the front yard. "Only Don."

"Actually Sheldon liked the idea too." Danny said.

"Why am I not surprised?" I sighed.

"Don tells me that things between he and Aiden are very good." Danny said as he began putting some of the orange lights around the windows.

"Aiden is very happy. I don't think she has stopped smiling." I said. "I am so happy for her. After all the assholes and jerks she finally got a good guy."

"And I thought it was always the girl's mom who had visions of weddings and grandchildren……but have you talked to Donald?" Danny laughed.

I giggled. "He loves Aiden. He says that Don finally found a good one."

"You should've seen some of the girls Don dated. One…I can't even remember her name but she had a kid and didn't tell Don until their like 5th date. And her way of telling him was just showing up with her 4 year old boy. Don said he wouldn't have minded dating a mom, but the mom has to be honest with him from the start." Danny said.

I laughed. "Don is a good guy. I am glad he finally found a girl that will treat him right."

A car pulled up in our driveway. I didn't recognize it.

"Danny who is that?" I asked as he walked over to me.

"My dad." Danny said.

"Did you know he was coming?" I asked.

"No." Danny said.

The car stopped and Leo got out. He walked towards us caring a small white box.

"I'm sorry I didn't call first. I just took a chance that you'd be home." Leo said.

"Is there something we can do for you?" Danny asked.

"I wanted to bring something for Aurora, for the new baby." Leo said. "Are you accepting gifts for the baby yet?"

I blinked. "Oh…we haven't registered for anything yet. We just decided on a nursery theme."

"Well this is kind of special." Leo said and handed me the box he'd been carrying.

I took the box and looked up at Danny. He shrugged. I took the lid off the box and inside was a soft white blanket with yellow trim. There was a small duckling embroidered on it.

"It's the blanket we brought Danny home from the hospital in." Leo said. "His mother saved his and Louie's blankets they received at the hospital. She had them put away and it took me awhile to find it."

I looked up at Leo.

"I want the baby to have it…..as a gift from its grandma." Leo said.

I smiled. "Thank you…..I don't know what to say. It's a wonderful gesture."

"I wanted Danny to have it whenever he started a family. I was thrilled when you told me you were expecting." Leo said.

Danny touched the blanket. "I can't believe she saved it all these years."

"Well…you know how much she loved you boys." Leo said.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do this….I appreciate that you did." Danny said to his dad.

"So how is the baby?" Leo asked.

"Good, the doctor and Sheldon said that everything looks great. End of the month we're going to hear the heartbeat." I said.

"Any names picked out yet?" Leo asked.

"Taylor." I said at the same time Danny said "Gianna."

Leo looked between us. "No names yet."

I chuckled. "We'll figure it out, we got a few more months."

"Let me know if you need anything…anything at all." Leo said.

"Thank you, we have everything we need." Danny said.

"Well, I can see you kids were busy. I'll get going. I just wanted to give the blanket to Aurora for the baby." Leo said.

"Thanks again. It's really lovely." I said.

Leo nodded and walked back to his car.

(Later)

I walked up the stairs looking for Danny. It was dark outside and we had finished dinner over an hour ago. I walked down the hall and found him in the room we had decided on for the nursery. He was moving some boxes we'd been storing in there while trying to get pregnant.

"Hey sweetie, this can wait. I was hoping we could watch a movie." I said and hugged him.

"Its October so I know you. You want to watch horror movies." Danny smiled and kissed me.

"You've been up here a long time." I said.

"Just wanted to get things moved out of here so we can start picking out paint for in here." Danny said.

"There is no hurry." I said.

"I know….I am just excited for the baby." Danny said.

"Me too. We should start looking for child birth classes. Flack is still griping that he has to take them. And we should start looking for good daycares for when I am off maternity leave." I said.

"What do you think of my dad bringing that blanket today?" Danny asked.

"I thought it was very sweet. And I am very happy to have something of yours from when you were a baby." I kissed him. "You were a beautiful baby. Chubby cheeks and blonde curls."

"Yeah lost those with my first hair cut." Danny said.

"Hey I was bald until I was nearly 3 years old." I laughed.

Danny touched my cheek. "I look at you and know you're carrying my baby and it just makes me want to do everything in the world for both of you."

"I love you so much." I said.

"I love you too." Danny kissed me.

"Movie?" I asked.

"Okay, what horror flick you want to watch?" Danny smiled as I pulled him out of the room.

"One of those teen slasher flicks." I giggled.

"Freddy, Jason or Michael?" Danny asked.

"Better yet, the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Leatherface, and cannibals and chainsaws roaring." I giggled as we walked down the stairs.

"You're so cute. I once went to the drive-in to see that with a girl." Danny said.

"Really? Did you see any of it or did you make out?" I giggled.

"Well, Louie had this date…he was about 16. His date was babysitting her little sister who was 13, I was 12. They made us sit outside the car while they made out." Danny said.

I laughed. "That is so funny….an older 'woman'."

"It's not funny. She was pissed and wouldn't even talk to me." Danny said.

I laughed even more. "Remind me to mention this to Louie next time he stops over."


	129. Rikers

_Ilovemygelding- that is just the blanket I saw in my head when writing that. Glad you liked it. _

_Truebluepatfan12- Yay! And I like throwing in background now and then._

_Snowbear96- I guess it's always nice when a mob boss gets soft, LOL._

_Trizzy- You're the first person to cry good tears over a mob boss, LOL. And yes I hate Lindsay too, since day one she joined the show. I am the original Lindsay hater._

_Meadow567- Good luck with the traffic. I am still mad at the Pens over Craig Patrick. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Hope you like this. A bit of a twist coming._

_Jordayna- Just like that girl in 'Steel Magnolias' LOL _

_Emador- Here is more. No killing me or getting all in a frantic. Enjoy._

**Riker's Jail**

Mac and I sat waiting in the interview room at Riker's. We had scheduled an interview with Dustin Nelson. We were hoping that when he was confronted with the new evidence that he would talk to us about Tammy's murder.

"Any morning sickness?" Mac asked.

"Very little. Sheldon says that means it's a boy. Aiden wants a girl. Stella wants a girl." I said. "Sheldon also says if I get heartburn late in my pregnancy it means the baby will be born with a lot of hair."

Mac smiled. "Danny hasn't stopped smiling in over a month."

Dustin Nelson was brought in wearing prison orange and wearing shackles and cuffs.

"Detective Taylor, nice to see you up and about." Nelson smirked.

I balled my fists to keep from slapping him, remembering how scared I had been when Mac was injured.

"We're here to speak with you about your wife's murder." Mac said.

"I got nothing to say." Dustin said.

"Really? John White ring a bell?" I asked and shoved the pictures from the storage unit at him. "We found your storage unit."

Dustin looked at the pictures. "You really don't quit do you?"

"No I don't. I told you I would not give up on Tammy." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So I had a storage locker under a different name. I always paid cash; you can't charge me with fraud." Nelson smirked.

"We found the barrel of acid. Tests show that Tammy's DNA was mixed in the chemicals and sludge." Mac said.

"Tammy must've touched something that I put in the barrel." Dustin said.

"From what we were able to piece together after the acid had done its damage…there were towels, clothes and some tools in that sludge." Mac said.

"The bloody clothes you killed Tammy in. The bloody towels you cleaned up with and the bloody tools that were the murder weapon." I said.

"We have enough to go to the DA. We wanted to know if you had anything to say." Mac said.

Dustin snorted.

"Are you even going to give a reason that you killed your wife and mother of your child?" I asked.

Dustin stared at me. "You'll never prove I killed her."

"We will. And when the DA prosecutes you it will be for murder one….which means the death penalty is possible." I stared right back.

"You bitch!" Dustin snarled and started to stand but Mac stood first.

"Sit down!" Mac yelled.

Nelson sat back down and continued to glare at me.

"Let me tell you what happened. After more than a year of domestic violence, you finally went too far and killed Tammy. You most likely stabbed her with a flat-head screw driver. To cover up your crime you buried her in your backyard, told everyone she'd left town with another man, and then moved away. To get rid of evidence you put the murder weapon and anything with blood on it in a vat of acid. You then kept that in a storage locker under an assumed name. For 17 years you got away with it. You weren't expecting the new owners to dig up Tammy's body while doing yard work." I said.

"How are we doing so far?" Mac asked.

"Fuck you, both of you. I'll beat this wrap." Dustin said.

"Did I mention we found Dana Ellison? She told us about you violent outbursts. She told us that you threatened to bury her where she wouldn't be found." I said.

"We also found men you used to work with. They told us you got violent so they quit inviting you out for a drink after work." Mac said.

"How does our case sound now?" I asked.

"I want a deal." Dustin said.

I laughed. "You have nothing to offer us. We know what happened. We have the body."

Dustin stared at me.

"I just want to know why. Why didn't you just leave? What made you snap that night and finally kill her?" I asked.

"You figured out so much, why don't you tell me?" Dustin smirked.

"Because you're a controlling, violent, overbearing bastard who gets his kicks dominating other people." I said. "I wonder how many times you committed spousal rape."

"I think we're done here Aurora." Mac said and stood up.

I stood up and started to follow him out of the room.

"Oh Mrs. Messer…nice to see you now that you're pregnant." Nelson said. I looked back at him and he was smirking.

"How did you know I was expecting?" I asked.

Dustin smirked more. "It's amazing who you meet in jail and wants to talk about Papa Messer's daughter-in-law."

"Let's go Aurora." Mac placed his hand on my arm.

"By the way, Sonny sends his regards." Dustin said.

My blood ran cold.

"Get him out of here." Mac said to the guards standing by.

I watched as the guards pulled a laughing Dustin out of the room.

"Aurora?" Mac said, I looked up at him. "I'm gonna call in a few favors and get to the bottom of this. Sonny Sassone is the last thing you need to worry about."

Back at the station, Mac was busy making calls at the lab. Aiden had come in to talk to me. Danny was out on a case.

"Flack…you can move more than 4 feet away from me. Sonny is not going to walk in the door." I said.

"You're my partner, pregnant, married to my best friend, pregnant, my girlfriend's best friend, pregnant, I love you myself and did I mention pregnant?" Flack said.

(Station)

I raised an eyebrow. "Hmmmm, and don't think I didn't notice Vicaro over there watching the door too."

"We can't help it. We thought Sonny was a thing of the past." Aiden said.

"I am not going to live in fear." I said.

"But we want you and the baby safe." Flack said.

Danny came running in. "Are you okay?"

"Baby, I'm fine." I said.

"Mac called me, scared the hell out of me." Danny said.

"We don't know for sure what is up. All we know is that in prison, Sonny and Dustin Nelson have crossed paths and found out somehow that I am pregnant." I said.

"I want to know what's going on. Every guard at Rikers, a background check, who Sonny is….." Danny started.

"Already on it." Mac walked in. "I called in a few favors. Sonny and Nelson are both being placed in solitary. Their cells are being searched. I made it quite clear the circumstances." Mac said. "And the warden is looking into the guards…see if any might be getting paid under the table by the mob."

"In the meantime what do we do?" Flack asked.

"Take extra precautions." Mac said.

"Would you all excuse me, I am going to the restroom and then Danny, can we head home?" I asked.

"Sure, you need to relax." Danny said.

I nodded and stood up. I walked to the back to the restroom and shut the door. I knew I had to do something. I had to look out for Danny, but now I had to take care of the baby too. It depended on me for everything. I reached down and touched my stomach. I took a deep breath and pulled out my cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Leo. It's Aurora. I need your help; it's about Sonny Sassone……"


	130. Help From Papa

_Snowbear96- Wait and see. You should know that by now._

_Bioassy- Seems a few are starting to like Papa Messer, LOL. Thanks for the review. Love new reviewers. _

_CrazygirlHaley5555- It's been a crazy week. Glad it's almost over._

_XX- Are you ever gonna review THIS story? Pweese?_

_Trizzy- Yeah people are starting to like Leo, LOL. And Sonny is always good for some added drama in a plot. Flack is a doll, he is so fun to write. And just wait and see bout Papa Messer. _

_Storymage- Thank you so much for reading all that and reviewing. I love reviews. And calm down Danny is fine, pulled through his coma just fine. I promise there is more of this story to come._

_Feenx- Because in my head, he doesn't exist._

_Kasmith101- Glad that you are still here._

_Ilovemygelding- Yeah they are a protective bunch. You'll see what she does._

_Jordayna- Would I be me if things were uneventful? LOL And I love twists._

_Meadow567- Shenanigan? Been a long time since I heard that word. And you'll see how it all plays out. _

_Manhattan SVU- Flack is too cute, guess its why we love him so much._

_Truebluepatfan12- Sorry it took a little long. Was between old comp and new one._

_Emador- You love Flack, LOL. But he isn't a nerd, Hmmm. JK Here is more. _

Danny walked with me into the station. In the past week since Sonny's name had popped up again, I was never alone…Danny practically went to the bathroom with me. And I pretended not to notice that everyone was volunteering to make lunch runs so I wouldn't have to. And I acted as if it were ordinary for Mac to spend a lot of evenings at our house. I knew everyone was looking out for me.

Mac was waiting at my desk when I walked into the station.

"Mac, what's going on?" I asked.

"Rikers sent us the contents of Sonny Sassone's and Dustin Nelson's cells. Sonny has a stash of notes…none signed but you should look at them." Mac said.

Mac handed me a bunch of evidence bags containing small slips of paper. I began to sift through the pile reading the notes. 'Messer and Denton engaged at a ball game.' 'Messer-Denton wedding June 30th, now honeymooning in the south.' 'New home in Pelham Bay.' 'Taylor staying in Messer house to recover from accident.' 'Messer's expecting baby in May, just announced this week.'

"Someone has been reporting to Sonny what we're doing through notes?" Danny asked.

"Looks that way. We've printed them, no prints but Sonny's. Whoever is doing this knows how to avoid leaving behind evidence." Mac said.

"Tanglewood always had dirty cops helping them." Danny mumbled.

"Well this is one dirty cop that we found out pretty easy." Hillbourne walked in. "Of course we got a few anonymous tips to help us out."

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Do you know an officer Stephanos?" Hillbourne asked.

"Sure, we all do. He is one of the officers that transport suspects from here to central booking." I said.

"Well a tip was called in from a pay phone that got us looking into his bank records. Apparently since last November he has been depositing two grand every month." Hillbourne said.

"You think Sonny was paying him?" Danny asked.

"To keep tabs on you and your wife, yes. November is when Sonny went back to jail for murdering that kid in Giants Stadium. We also did a little checking…guess who the officer was that took Sonny from here to Central Booking?"

"Stephanos." Flack growled.

"But why would this guy be helping Sonny spy on Danny and me? We don't know this guy; he's not our enemy. We just know him from around the station." I said.

"Around the station enough for him to know big events in your life like getting married and the baby." Mac said.

"And most likely he was the first cop Sonny encountered that he could bribe following being arrested." Hillbourne said.

"And Sonny was able to bribe him into keeping tabs on us." Danny growled.

"But this doesn't make sense, how is Sonny sending him the money from prison?" I asked.

"Sonny has been allowed control of his finances from jail. Records show that every month he wires two grand to John Smith at a PO Box in the Bronx." Hillbourne said.

"Two grand a month just to find out that we're getting married, buying a house and having a baby?" I asked.

"Who knows what Sonny's intentions are." Flack said.

"Are we absolutely sure these notes were written by Stephanos?" I asked.

"After Mac runs the hand writing analysis we will be." Hillbourne said. "Here is reports he's written for the department for you to use for comparison, they are public record so you won't need a warrant."

Mac took the documents. "I'll be back within the hour."

Mac turned and walked out of the station.

"I thought we'd be done with Sonny Sassone once we put him in prison." Flack said.

"We will be this time. This shows that he is a threat even from the inside. From now on he will be kept in solitary, his cell will be checked regularly and randomly. There will be limited access to him and all his visits, even those with his attorney will be monitored." Hillbourne said. "Much like the way Charles Manson is handled."

"Can't we just shoot him?" Vicaro mumbled as he walked by.

"Mrs. Messer, how are you holding up? You're safety has been number one priority through this." Hillbourne said.

"Even if she's Papa Messer's daughter-in-law?" Flack crossed his arms.

"She is still a detective of the NYPD." Hillbourne said.

"Easy Flack. I am fine, thank you." I said.

"How is Nelson mixed up with Sonny?" Danny asked.

"As far as we can tell, they run into each other occasionally in the yard, mess hall and such. You know how jailhouse talk is, they probably realized the connection with their cases and Aurora and Danny. More than likely, Nelson just wanted to get a rise out of everyone; or Sonny put him up to it." Hillbourne said.

(Later)

Mac was in an interrogation room with Hillbourne and they had brought in Stephanos who had waived his right to a union representative to be present. Mac had found the handwriting matched. I felt tired and deflated, but glad that this mess was over quickly. I leaned on Danny who was standing with me outside the interrogation room.

"Officer Stephanos, you are aware that you've waived right to a union rep?" Hillbourne asked.

"I'll talk. What do you guys need?" Stephanos said.

"You know Danny and Aurora Messer?" Mac asked.

"She is a homicide detective and he's a CSI, I see them around." Stephanos said.

"You know Sonny Sassone?" Mac asked.

"Doesn't everyone in NYC? Son of a mob boss." Stephanos said.

"Are you aware that Aurora Messer was kidnapped by the Tanglewood boys last year and that it was believed Sonny Sassone was behind it? Did you also know that Sonny is in jail for assaulting Danny's brother to keep him quiet about a murder?" Mac asked.

"I knew Sonny had issues with the Messer family." Stephanos said. "Pretty common knowledge around the department after Aurora was kidnapped last year."

"Do you have a problem with the Messer's? Danny or Aurora?" Hillbourne asked.

"I don't really know them." Stephanos said.

"But you know them enough to spy on them for Sonny Sassone." Mac said.

"What?"

"We found the notes in Sonny's cell. The handwriting matches up to documents you've written for your job." Mac said.

"We also checked your bank records and found that you deposit two grand every month since Sonny went to jail last November. The same amount that Sonny wires out every month." Hillbourne said.

"You wanna talk to us? Tell us what happened?" Mac asked.

Stephanos looked at the folder in front of him. "I didn't think it'd hurt anything. It was just easy cash."

"Didn't think it'd hurt? Sonny managed to orchestrate Aurora's kidnapping from prison. He beat a kid to death with a baseball bat. He nearly killed Louie Messer." Mac snapped.

"How'd you get mixed up in this?" Hillbourne asked.

"When I took Sonny to Central booking last year…he started talking in the car on the drive down there. Offered me money to keep him informed on Aurora Denton." Stephanos said.

"Wait, he told you to watch Aurora and not Danny?" Mac asked.

Stephanos nodded.

"Why would you agree to that?" Hillbourne asked. "You realize this means jail time for you. A mark on your service record and a loss of pension."

"I didn't think he'd be able to harm her. All the Tanglewood boys were in jail." Stephanos said.

"That would not stop him from putting a hit out on her. Hiring someone to hurt her." Mac slammed his fists down. "Don't you realize the connections the mob has?"

"Why did he want to know about Aurora rather than Danny?" Hillbourne asked.

"I thought he was just blowing smoke…..but he said someday he'd ruin Danny Messer." Stephanos said.

"So why not spy on Danny?" Hillbourne asked.

Stephanos shook his head. "Sonny said the way to hurt Danny was through Aurora. That Danny didn't care what happened to Papa Messer and Danny hadn't spoken to Louie for years…..but that Danny would be destroyed if anything happened to Aurora."

"Sonny could tell how much Danny really cared about her and wanted to use her to hurt Danny." Mac gritted out. "And you were going to help him."

"I didn't think he could hurt her." Stephanos pleaded.

"You sold out a fellow officer." Mac glared.

"And you used premeditation, none of your prints were on the notes." Hillbourne said.

"I really never thought he'd hurt her. I just passed him a few notes when I'd be at Rikers for a transport." Stephanos said.

"You have no idea the people you put in danger. The Messer's friends and family, Danny and Aurora, their baby she is carrying." Mac said. "Do you know in the state of New York if you cause the death of a fetus by violence against the mother its murder?"

"She's okay isn't she? Is her baby okay?" Stephanos asked.

"Oh now you care?" Hillbourne asked.

"Aurora and the baby are fine…just wanted you to know what you could have caused." Mac said.

"What happens now?" Stephanos asked.

"You get read your rights and someone takes you to central booking. We go home and have a few beers. And Danny and Aurora go home safe." Hillbourne said.

Danny looked down at me. "Do you think its over now?"

I nodded. "I do…I think it's all gonna be okay now."

Danny kissed my forehead. "Come on, I'm taking you and the baby to dinner. What are you hungry for?"

"The baby really wants Mexican food." I said.

"Oh really? Gianna tell you that?" Danny smiled.

"No, Taylor did." I chuckled.

"I need to grab my things, I'll be out front to meet you later." Danny gave me a quick kiss.

(Later)

I stood outside waiting for Danny to come out so we could go to dinner. I looked up and saw Leo walking down the street towards me.

"Leo?" I asked.

"I hear they closed the case and found out who Sonny's informant was." Leo smiled.

"From anonymous tips called in. I don't wanna know how you found out, I am just glad you did." I said.

"No one was hurt, just like you wanted. No bloodshed, no violence." Leo said.

I nodded. "Thank you. I was really scared. Not for me, but for Danny and my baby."

"I'd never let anyone hurt you." Leo said.

I looked at him. "You know, I'll never understand your world. And I know that one day my baby is going to get old enough to ask a lot of questions about you and the past. I am not sure how Danny and me will explain it all. But I know that I will be able to tell the baby that despite everything, you keep your family safe. And that you looked out for them before they were even born."

"How is the baby?" Leo asked.

"Danny and me are going to hear it's heartbeat on Friday. We started the nursery. We're good." I said.

"I'm glad. Danny deserves it." Leo said.

"Thanks again." I said. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.


	131. Heartbeat

-1_Manhattan SVU- Yeah, I try to make them her family since hers kinda doesn't want her except for one brother. Hope the update was soon enough. _

_Trizzy- She is not so much warming up to having him around as she is realizing that he does care but he is still a mob boss. Leo does care but he still breaks the law._

_Bioassy- LOL, everyone is starting to like him now._

_Truebluepatfan12- here is an update. I hope you like it. _

_Ilovemygelding- it's not too late yet for something to happen. It's still early._

_Meadow567- No I didn't think I would get this far, but I am having fun._

_Emador- Will's case will be coming when I am ready. Just relax I have a plan. LOL _

"Danny, will you relax? You're making me nervous." I chuckled as Danny and I sat in the waiting room of Dr. Lacy's office.

"I'm sorry. It's just I a so excited to hear our baby's heartbeat. And the doctor will be able to tell us if everything is healthy." Danny said.

"I'm excited too." I took his hand. "By the way, Sheldon said that the internal heart monitor….looks like a vibrator."

Danny chuckled. "Have you thought of a name for a baby boy?"

"I was thinking maybe something Italian…but not the stereotypical names like Anthony or Angelo or Dante." I said.

"That sounds nice. We can get one of those book of baby names and look through it." Danny said.

"The guys are coming to help you paint tomorrow afternoon." I said.

"I know…I really like the light blue paint you found. It's going to be a beautiful nursery." Danny said.

"Aiden already bought the baby a stuffed lion. She wanted to get the baby it's first stuffed toy. And it goes great with the zoo animals theme." I said.

"I've been thinking about the baby's godparents….I know we both want Aiden to be the baby's godmother. But as for the godfather…." Danny said.

"It's a tough choice between Mac and Don." I agreed. "Why not let them both be the godfather?"

"Two godfathers?" Danny asked.

"Sure, it's modern times. And a baby can never have too much love." I smiled.

"And they'd both take great care of the baby." Danny said. "Okay, two godfathers. We'll talk to them about it this weekend."

"Mrs. Messer, we're ready for you." the nurse called us.

Danny and I stood up and walked through the door and followed the nurse into a back examination room.

"Okay mommy, we need you to sit on the table. I'll take your vitals." the nurse said.

I sat up on the table as the nurse put a blood pressure cuff on my arm.

"How have you been feeling?" the nurse asked.

"Just fine, no problems." I said.

"Any cramps or bleeding?" the nurse asked.

"No, nothing like that." I assured her.

"Morning sickness?" she asked as she checked my heart.

"No, just slightly queasy a few mornings but nothing bad." I said.

"And how is the daddy-to-be?" the nurse smiled at Danny.

"I'm good...just anxious." Danny said.

"That is very normal. Actually the husbands we get in here that aren't excited worry us." she smiled. "Well everything looks great. The doctor will be in shortly. Mrs. Messer, you know the routine. Change into the gown, paper blanket across your lap, feet in the stirrups."

I nodded. She left the gown and blanket on the table beside me and walked out of the room.

"Only bad thing about these doctor visits….I freeze while waiting for the doctor to get in here. These gowns are so thin." I complained.

Danny smiled. "Get changed and I'll hold you to keep you warm."

I gave him a quick kiss and changed into the gown. As usual it was chilly in the exam room. I climbed up on the table and spread the paper blanket across my lap.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I am just excited. I want the baby to be okay." I said.

Danny came over and hugged me tight, and held me to help keep me warm.

"You want to start buying some things for the nursery after this?" Danny asked.

"You know you're assembling the crib, changing table, bassinet and so on?" I giggled.

"Yeah, did you decide on which ones you liked?" Danny asked me.

"I want to go with the oak furniture. It's more expensive but its pretty. And it'll last forever so we won't have to buy more when we have more children." I said.

The doctor walked in. "Now that is what I like to see. How are you two doing?"

"We're fine Dr. Lacy." I said.

"Mrs. Messer, any problems?" he asked.

"No, our friend is the Medical examiner and he has been watching me very close. And all my co-workers are being very helpful." I explained.

"Getting plenty of rest?" Dr. Lacy asked.

"Yes, my partner makes sure that I am home no later than six o'clock every night." I said.

"Chart says no morning sickness, no bleeding or cramping. All your blood tests look fine. You're doing great." Dr. Lacy smiled. "And from the looks and sounds of things, you've got plenty of emotional support around you."

"What should we expect over the next month?" Danny asked.

"Some weight gain, Aurora may start showing soon. More mood swings as the hormones continue to change. Food cravings may start soon. Every pregnancy is different. Best thing to do is make sure Aurora gets plenty of rest, stays healthy and be patient." Dr. Lacy said.

Danny squeezed my hand and smiled.

"Okay, ready to hear your baby's heartbeat?" the doctor asked.

I nodded.

"Okay Aurora, lie back….feet in the stirrups knees apart and relax." Dr. Lacy said as he sat down and began going through his equipment.

I leaned back and did as he said, the blanket covering my lap. Danny stayed close by holding my hand. I smiled up at him. I looked at the doctor who was holding a device that indeed looked like a vibrator. It made me chuckle.

"A condom doctor?" Danny asked when the doctor ripped open a foil package.

"It's for sanitation. As much as we clean the equipment…it's added safety." Dr. Lacy said.

"You ready?" I asked Danny.

Danny smiled and gave me a quick kiss.

"Okay Aurora, I am going to start. You'll feel a slight pressure, just relax. Deep breath." Dr. Lacy said.

I nodded and relaxed as he began the exam.

"Okay, everything is in place. I am gonna turn on the machine and you'll be able to hear your baby." Dr. Lacy smiled.

Danny squeezed my hand as the doctor turned on the monitor. We could hear the steady but rapid beating of the baby's heart.

"And there is your baby's heartbeat. Steady and strong." Dr. Lacy smiled.

"Is everything sound okay? Is there anything wrong?" I asked.

"Sounds great…very healthy." he smiled.

"That's our baby's heart beating, Danny." I smiled up at him.

"I've never heard anything so wonderful." Danny said. I could see the tears in his eyes.

I smiled. "The baby is healthy…everything is fine." I squeezed his hand.

Danny nodded. "I know…I just can't believe…..that's the little guy's heartbeat."

"It is amazing." I started to choke up.

"Everything seems to be fine." Dr. Lacy said.

"That is great news." I smiled.

He shut of the machines. And returned the equipment to the table.

"If there is nothing else, I'll see you next month." Dr. Lacy stood up.

"Thank you doctor." I said.

"Danny, take good care of her." Dr. Lacy smiled.

"I will." Danny smiled.

Dr. Lacy walked out. I sat up. Danny pulled me into a hug.

"That was our baby." I said.

"Our baby." Danny touched my tummy.

"Everything is fine." I kissed him. "Let me get dressed and we can go buy stuff for the baby."

"That sounds wonderful. You get dressed and I'll call everyone and let them know that the doctor said everything is fine." Danny kissed me.


	132. November Starts

_snowbear96- Yeah I knew about the email problem. _

_Jordayna- Twins? What did Danny and Rora ever do to you? LOL_

_Emador- Only you would make that connection! Hope you enjoy._

_truebluepatfan12- Oh sure, I'll just write until the baby graduates college, LOL._

_TVJunkie323- Well I have lots more planned for this story so stay tuned. Thanks for the review._

_meadow567- It was cute. Now starts a huge case._

_Trizzy- Where did you get they were having a boy? I knew about the email problems. Yeah Mac would be a great godfather. Danny will do his own special things for the baby just be patient._

_ilovemygelding- Just relax, it'll all happen in time._

_bioassy- Not time for the baby yet. Just relax and I promise things will happen._

_Manhattan SVU- Lots of baby stuff to come. I think Danny would be an awesome dad. Am I the only one who can picture him throwing a baseball with his kids?_

I was sitting at my desk, looking over a few case files when Flack walked in. He was smiling from ear to ear. I was about to ask him what was up, when he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"For getting my girlfriend started in strip aerobics." Flack grinned.

I chuckled. "So I take it you guys had a good weekend?"

"What a way to celebrate Halloween." Flack smirked and sat down at his desk.

"Meanwhile, Danny and I had over three hundred trick-or-treaters. We sat on the porch and handed out candy with the house all lit up and the jack-o-lanterns Danny carved." I smiled.

"That sounds like a Norman Rockwell painting." Flack said.

"It was so much fun. Emily joked that we were practicing being around kids." I said.

"So what is going on? How is the baby?" Flack asked.

"Fine, and your girlfriend has bought me more maternity clothes than I have bought for myself." I chuckled. "Emily called earlier, there has been a development in the case of Will Scott."

"What's up?" Flack asked.

"An informant for the narcotics unit was fished out of the East River late last night. Definitely homicide. He was shot in the head and dumped." I said.

"What else do we know?" Flack asked.

I handed him the file. "One of Emily's undercover officers believe the murder was ordered by Carlos Diaz."

"The drug dealer that had Will Scott killed." Flack said.

"Anyone talk to Jen Mitchell yet?" Flack asked.

"Emily talked to her but Jen says she doesn't know anything." I said.

"Sheldon call from the morgue?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, Mac went to autopsy. The informant….Randy Keith was shot once in the head. From the looks of the wound it was from three to four feet away. The river washed away any other evidence." I said.

"These drug dealers know exactly what they are doing." Flack said.

"So Emily is going to investigate the drug end of it. And we're going to investigate the homicide. And keep each other informed and hopefully find something on Carlos Diaz." I said.

"Diaz is like the drug godfather of the Hispanic community." Flack said.

"It's not going to be easy." I said.

"How about we go visit Diaz? See what he has to say?" Flack said.

"He doesn't have to talk to us. We don't have a warrant. We really have nothing more than his reputation and known association." I said.

"Still, gives us a chance to let him know that we are onto him and get a feel for the situation." Flack said.

"Where does he live?" I asked.

"Spanish Harlem." Flack grabbed his coat.

(Spanish Harlem)

I looked around the house we pulled up in front of the nicest looking house in the area.

"Look at what drug money can buy you." Flack said.

"Think he'll talk?" I asked.

"Emily says you never know what to expect from him. Sometimes he'll talk, sometimes he won't." Flack said. "Mostly brags."

Flack and I walked up the front stairs and knocked on the door to the house. It took a few moments but a young woman opened the door.

"NYPD, Detective Flack and Messer. We're looking for Carlos Diaz." Flack said.

"Mr. Diaz is out for the day, can I take a message?" she asked.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Mr. Diaz's house keeper." she said.

I gave her my card. "Have Mr. Diaz come to the station. We need to speak with him."

"Is he under arrest?" she asked.

"No, we need to question him." Flack said.

"In regards to what?" she asked.

"How involved are you with him that you need to know?" I asked.

"I'll give him the message." She said and closed the door.

Flack and I looked at each other.

"He's trained his staff to not say more than needed." Flack said as we turned and walked down the stairs.

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Aurora, ballistics on the bullet that killed the informant came back. We got a hit. The same gun was used in a three unsolved homicides of small time drug dealers." Mac said.

"You talked to Emily?" I asked.

"Yeah, she is pulling up the files of the unsolved cases." Mac said.

"This could end up being a bigger drug case than we anticipated." I said.

"Just please be careful, the drug world is dangerous and they have no problems taking out those perceived as threats….even cops." Mac said.

"We'll be fine. We're headed back to the station. Why don't we all meet up and go over evidence?" I asked.

"Sounds great. I'll see you there." Mac said and hung up.

I stopped outside the SUV and looked down. Shell casings were on the ground.

"Flack, there are shell casings here." I said.

"Spanish Harlem, they have a lot of drug activity and drive-bys." Flack said. "And considering whose house this is."

I thought. "Get me an envelope or something. I am taking a few of these back to the lab."

"You a CSI now?" Flack asked.

"You never know what gun these might match in the system. And since they are on the sidewalk, we don't need a warrant." I said.

Flack looked through the SUV and finally came back with a couple napkins.

"It's the best I could find, wrap them up and we'll take them to Mac if you think it'll do any good."

I carefully picked used the napkins to pick up the casings and wrap them up.

"Let's go." I smiled.

(Station)

Mac and Emily were waiting for us when we arrived back at the station.

"What did you guys find out?" I asked.

"We have four people killed by the same gun. One was my informant and three others were small time drug dealers." Emily said.

"But Will Scott was killed with a different gun." Mac said.

"Carlos Diaz wasn't home. But he's got his housekeeper well trained when it comes to cops." Flack said.

I took the napkin out of my pocket. "I found these shell casings on the sidewalk outside of Diaz's house. I was careful with them. I thought you could run them and see what you get."

"You want a job in the lab?" Mac smiled.

I chuckled. "No, I enjoy working the homicide unit. I just thought it might lead to something."

Mac took the napkin with the shells from me. "I'll see if anything pops up."

"The three drug dealers that were killed….did they have ties to the Hispanic community?" Flack asked.

"Yes. All three were of Hispanic descent and lived in Hispanic neighborhoods." Emily said.

"They must have owed Diaz something." I said.

"I'm going back to the lab to run these." Mac said.

"Keep us posted." Flack said.

"Diaz is supposed to come in and meet with us." I told Emily.

"I've dealt with him before. He can smell fear so don't let him intimidate you. And when intimidation doesn't work, he'll try to be charming…don't let it fool you. He is deadly." Emily said.

"I can handle it." I said.

"Well when you talk to him, let me know. I am interested in what he has to say." Emily said.

"I'll keep in touch." I said.

"How's the baby?" she smiled.

"Fine…we got some of the furniture bought and Danny is trying to put it together. The guys got the nursery all painted." I said.

"Sheldon said to be sure to remind you he wants to look at you tomorrow and check things out." Emily smiled.

"I am the only woman in the world going to a morgue for pre-natal care." I giggled.

"Getting plenty of protein?" Emily winked.

"She is, haven't you seen Danny's smile lately?" Flack smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Everything is fine."

"I need to head back. Call me." Emily said.

"I will." I said.

"You're getting a baby bump." Flack smiled.

"Danny noticed too." I said.

"It's cute. Like we can finally see a bit of the baby." Flack said.

(Later)

"Aurora, it's getting close to six. Head home." Flack said.

"But, I am just reading over…."

"Home. Rest, put your feet up. Relax, take care of the baby." Flack said.

"But…."

"Those files will be there tomorrow. Go home." Flack said.

"Okay, but if anything…."

"My godchild comes first. If anything comes up you can join us in the morning." Flack said.

"If its really important you call me. I am pregnant but capable of my job." I said.

"We will. We need you." Flack smiled.

I stood up and started to put my coat on when my phone rang. "Messer."

"Aurora, those shell casings you brought me are a match to our dead informant and three small time drug dealers. Same gun in all cases." Mac said.

"Diaz never showed up." I said.

"I'm getting a warrant now. This is more than enough to search his place and question him." Mac said.


	133. Gone

-1_Snowbear96- Yeah, she is a smart cookie._

_TVJunkie323- You'll just have to wait and see what all happens._

_Emador- Flack is cute. Here is an update. This is a short but needed chapter for later._

_Jayama- Hope you make it this far. Glad you're reading and enjoying the story._

_Manhattan SVU- Everyone is all excited about Flack being protective. It is cute. He is cute._

_Meadow567- Well here is some of it. This is a short chappie but this will all come into play later._

_Bioassy- Yeah, Flack is a sweetie. Everyone loves him._

Flack, Mac, Aiden and I walked up the front steps of Carlos Diaz's house. The shell casings matching those in our unsolved cases had given us enough to get a search warrant.

"Aurora, are you sure….?" Flack started.

I cut him off. "Don't start treating me like I am incapable of my job because I am pregnant. I am fine and healthy and executing a search warrant isn't stressful."

"I worry about you." Flack said.

"I appreciate that. I promise to be home, in bed by midnight and still get plenty of rest." I smiled.

We knocked on the door.

"NYPD, we have a warrant to search the premises!" Mac yelled.

After a few moments the door opened and the same housekeeper we'd talked to that day looked out at us.

"We're looking for Mr. Diaz." I said.

"He's not home." she said.

"We have a warrant to search his house." Mac said. "Please stand back and let us do our jobs."

"I'm going to call his attorney." she said.

"Go right ahead. In the meantime, get out of our way." I said.

She stepped back and allowed us into the house. We walked in. Mac and Aiden had their kits.

"Where is Mr. Diaz?" Aiden asked.

"He didn't say where he was going." she said.

"Did he say when he'd be back?" Flack asked.

"No." she said.

"Just stay here, we'll be searching the house." Mac said.

"I'll take Aiden for the downstairs. Aurora, you go with Mac upstairs." Don said.

Mac nodded. I followed Mac up the stairs. I couldn't get over how nice this house was…built on drug money.

"Think he is dumb enough to keep his gun at home?" I asked.

"He's been using it to murder people for the past 18 months." Mac said.

We walked into the master bedroom and flipped on the lights.

"Shit, he knew we were onto him." I said.

Mac and I stood and looked over the clothes scattered across the bed, obviously packed in a hurry. Suitcases were missing out of the closet.

"Why would he run now? According to Emily he has always managed to elude charges despite evidence." I said.

"Maybe he figured his luck was running out." Mac said.

"I wonder where he would run to? I'll look and see if he left behind any hints as to where he might run." I said.

"Put in a call to Emily and see if Diaz has any family anywhere." Mac said.

"I'll also check with airlines and see if he has taken any flights in the past 48 hours." I said.

Flack walked in. "The Escalade that is registered in his name is missing from the garage."

"Looks like he skipped town. Get an APB out for the Escalade. Also call your Warrants R us judge and get a warrant to arrest Diaz for flight to avoid prosecution." I said.

"I'm on it." Flack pulled out his phone.

I opened the desk and began sifting through papers looking for any signs as to where Diaz may have gone. Mac was going through the closet.

"Mac, looks as if he took certain things with him. Probably damning evidence." I said.

Mac walked over. "What's missing?"

"Pages have been torn from his personal planner." I said.

"There is his cell phone. He must have known we'd track the GPS." Mac said.

"He is being very smart." I sighed.

Mac picked it up and bagged it. "We'll get it back to the lab and go through the call list and see what we can find. We'll contact the phone company as well."

Flack walked in. "Found the Escalade. It was found abandoned, stripped down and burned out off of highway 93."

"He's destroying evidence and covering his tracks." Mac said.

"He must have someone helping him. I'm going to call Emily and get a list of his known associates. We're going to find him." I said.

(Station)

Danny walked in and sat on the corner of my desk. "How you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Mac brought me dinner about a half hour ago." I smiled at him. "The case is what has me flustered."

"Flack said Diaz skipped town." Danny said.

"And he pulled it off beautifully." I said. "Got rid of his own vehicle. We've checked with every airline in New York and New Jersey, he did not fly out. Emily is helping on the case. She talked to his known associates and none of them are involved. It's as if he fell off the face of the earth."

"He'll turn up. Just hang in there." Danny rubbed my shoulder.

"Right now we can tie four murders to him. I want him behind bars." I said.

Flack walked over to us. "I checked with all local car rental businesses….nothing. Diaz didn't rent a vehicle either."

"So we don't know if he is still in New York or not." I sighed.

"Right now all we can do is keep an APB out for him." Flack said.

"Come on Rory, I'll take you home." Danny said.

"If anything on Diaz pops up, you call me." I told Flack.

"I will. Get some rest." Flack smiled.

I stood up and put my jacket on.

"Baby bump." Danny patted my tummy.

"Yeah, everyone has been noticing." I smiled.

"Little Gianna."

"Little Taylor." I said.

"You guys need to pick a name." Flack laughed.

"We will, eventually." Danny said. "Ready?"

"Yeah." I said and followed him out of the station.


	134. Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Girls

_CrazygirlHaley5555- Been a crazy week, I had a cold._

_Snowbear96- This is just a fluff/fun chapter._

_Bioassy- You'll just have to wait and see what happens._

_Jordayna- Wow, you're the second person to get protective of the baby when it comes to Diaz._

_Truebluepatfan12- it's okay to babble, I don't mind at all. But I am afraid I won't write until the baby goes to college and Mac retires._

_Meadow567- here is some needed fun and fluff. _

_Emador- It's official you have Miami on the brain. I am surprised you didn't say that Rora gets a call from Delko because Diaz ran to the Hispanic community in Miami, LOL._

"This guys night was a great idea." Sheldon smiled as the guys all filed into the strip club.

"Well the girls wanted to spend the evening with Aurora….so it was either we all go out, or me be stuck in the ocean of estrogen." Danny said.

"Aurora has started to show a bit more over the past week." Flack said.

"Yeah, once they start showing, it doesn't take long." Sheldon said.

"Mac, how did we ever get you in a strip club again?" Flack smiled.

"Aurora insisted I come." Mac said. "She said it'd be good for me to get my libido worked up."

Sheldon laughed as they sat down. "She's right. You need to see topless women every now and then that aren't on my table."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Actually, I thought it was cute. Like she didn't want me left out or something."

"Speaking of libidos I have no idea what is up with Rora's lately." Danny said.

"What's up?" Flack asked.

"She's been more horny than usual lately." Danny said. "Not that I am complaining…..but she is having these erotic dreams. She wakes me up moaning in her sleep."

"You take advantage of that?" Flack smirked.

"I wake her up to make sure she is okay and usually don't get back to sleep for an hour or two." Danny smiled.

Sheldon smiled. "Yeah, I knew Aurora would be getting to this point soon."

"You knew this would happen?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, its very common in women who are pregnant in their 4th and 5th months. The hormones are increasing and causing the sex drive to increase as well." Sheldon said.

"So pregnant women should give blowjobs for protein and they get horny?" Flack asked. "Damn, I got to get Aiden pregnant."

"You two get enough action. Don't think Rora didn't notice Aiden wearing turtlenecks and scarves all week." Danny said.

"That was her fault, she does this wonderful thing with her fingernails right as I get off." Flack said.

"More than I ever needed to know about my staff." Mac shook his head.

(Pelham Bay)

"Rora, those jeans are just about too tight." Aiden said.

"I know, when you wear tight jeans to start with it doesn't take long for them not to fit when the baby starts showing." Rora said.

"We have to throw you a baby shower." Emily said.

"But you two and Stella are my only female friends." Rora said.

"Pish tosh, as excited as those guys are about this baby. Leave it all to us. We'll get Stella to help." Emily said.

"I think the guys did their duty when they had me a bridal shower." Rora said.

"Nah, Flack has been wondering what to get the baby anyway, now he can go from a registry." Aiden said.

"Are you going to find out what the baby is?" Emily asked.

"No, we really want to be surprised." Rora smiled. "And I think Danny is going to be such a great dad to either. I mean I can see him throwing a baseball around with a little boy. Or a little girl totally having daddy wrapped around her finger."

"I feel sorry for a little girl when she tries to date. I mean Danny is her daddy and Don and Mac are her godfathers." Aiden laughed.

"I know…but she'll have a lot of love around her." Rora smiled.

"How are you feeling? I mean about everything?" Emily asked.

"Good. I am excited to have the baby, looking forward to being a mom. I know Danny will be a great dad. Everything is great." Rora said.

"You know Sheldon is planning on doing a sonogram of his own?" Emily giggled.

"Yeah I know. Vicaro is also planning on buying the baby it's first Playboy if it's a boy." Rora said. "Danny has started talking to the baby."

(Strip Club)

"So how are things with Emily?" Flack asked.

"Great. I am taking her home for Thanksgiving to meet the family." Sheldon said.

"Meeting the family?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I think it's time they meet her. I've been dating her for about nine months now. That and mom is all 'When do I get to meet this new girlfriend?'" Sheldon said.

"Don't tell me we're going to have to endure more wedding antics soon?" Flack groaned.

"Not quite there yet, but I think eventually." Sheldon smiled.

"You ever thought of popping the question to Aiden?" Mac asked.

"No…well…I love her but I'm not ready to get married. Although dad is ready for me to marry her. He's already mentioned my mom's ring." Flack said.

"Besides, I'm not sure we could handle those girls if they were planning for a baby and a wedding too." Sheldon chuckled.

"We're surrounded by nearly naked women and we're still talking about our girls." Flack said.

"Yeah, we need to enjoy the surroundings. Mac needs a lap dance." Sheldon said.

"No, I'm fine. Just enjoying my drink." Mac glared at them.

"Come on Mac, you prefer blondes, brunettes, redheads?" Danny asked.

"I've never understood that…when a woman is naked, hair is the last thing I am looking at." Flack said.

"Unless she's got a nasty bush." Sheldon said.

"Ugh, tell me about it. I was left a girl in the middle of foreplay because hers was so gross." Flack said.

"You didn't?" Danny laughed.

"I was drunk at a frat party and just looking to get laid…didn't need laid that bad. Course she got pissed when I told her to call the campus grounds crew for help with that." Flack said.

(Pelham Bay)

"Aurora, are you sure you don't mind us using the hot tub while you can't?" Emily asked.

"It's fine. We just got it put in when I found out I was pregnant. I haven't gotten to use it at all yet." She smiled.

"Does Danny like it?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah….when he is tense or stressed, he gets in and I sit on the edge and rub his shoulders for him." Aurora smiled.

"I heard Rammer fell in." Emily giggled.

"My poor baby. He was snooping around the edge…you know being a curious cat. When I guess he hit a wet spot and fell in. I was in the kitchen and heard this awful howling. I ran in and Rammer was swimming around trying to get out but couldn't because the plastic was too slippery. So I went and pulled him out while Danny laughed so hard I thought he'd hyperventilate." Aurora said.

"Flack laughed too." Aiden said.

"Anywho, go get your suits on, enjoy the hot tub. That is why we got it, for people to enjoy it." Rora said.

"Really? I thought you got it so you and Danny could have mad passionate sex in it." Emily chuckled.

"Well we planned to…but then the baby. I am sure we will eventually." Aurora said. "Besides, its not like we didn't have sex more than once in the pool."

"And to think I've swam in that pool." Emily chuckled.

Aurora laughed. "Go get in your suits. I'll fix us a snack while you change."

(Strip Club)

"Now that is a bad boob job. She should sue." Flack said, point at one of the strippers.

"I still say more than a handful is too much." Danny said.

"Mac, how about that lap dance?' Flack asked.

"How would you like to be on desk duty?" Mac rolled his eyes.

"You know what is awesome. When straight girls come to strip clubs…like with their boyfriends or something…and get a lap dance and get all into it." Sheldon said.

"Never tell Emily I said this, but I think if any combination of our girls made out, I'd cum in my pants." Sheldon said.

"We've been trying to get Aiden and Aurora to make out for ages." Flack said.

"Now that is an ass." Sheldon said as another stripper took the stage. "Don't you think so Mac?"

"She's a very lovely girl….too much make up." Mac said.

"Only Mac." Danny smiled.


	135. Almost Thanksgiving

-1_Bioassy- I think he'd be hilarious in one._

_Snowbear96- Me too. It's fun to write._

_Trizzy- I hope you got your internet problems all worked out. And loved your rant about the show. The new season has actually caused my interest to dwindle. But I am so glad that you are back and able to review some. Love your reviews. Poor kitty._

_Jordayna- This is a short but important chapter. I hope you enjoy._

_Meadow567- I really need to write more Chev. LOL_

_Kasmith101- They are cute, sweet guys. Hope you enjoy this chappie._

_Emador- If you can calm down about Sheldon…LOL. I hope you enjoy this chappie. And stay calm._

_Truebluepatfan12- There is no room for her…in my mind she doesn't exist. And I think I traumatized Mac enough at Danny's bachelor party, LOL._

Danny walked out of the shower to find Aurora sitting on their bed crying. He frowned and went to sit next to her.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked her.

"I don't fit in my jeans anymore. I'm too fat." she cried.

"Honey, the baby is growing. You're not fat, you're pregnant. And Dr. Lacy and Sheldon both said you're doing wonderful about gaining weight. It's just the baby has grown enough that your regular clothes don't fit anymore." Danny rubbed her shoulders.

"But I won't be pretty if I get fat." Rora cried.

"Rory, you're the most beautiful woman I know…and you'll always be gorgeous. And you're more beautiful now than I ever saw you. That is my baby you're carrying…I've never seen you look so pretty." Danny rubbed her back.

"A few more months and I'll be so fat you won't want me anymore." Rora cried.

"Not want….oh baby. I love you more than anything. You're my wife….I've loved you since I first saw you. You're carrying my child. I couldn't not want you. You're part of my soul." Danny brushed the hair out of her face. "You're just having a mood swing."

"I just feel so…."

"It's okay." Danny hugged her. "This was bound to happen sometime."

"I…oh I'm sorry. I am blubbering like an idiot." Aurora said.

Danny wiped her eyes. "This is to be expected. You okay now?"

"Yeah...I just…"

Danny kissed her. "Get out some of the looser pants that Aiden bought you. And finished getting ready for work."

Aurora nodded. "I am so sorry. I don't…I mean one minute I was getting dressed and suddenly I couldn't stop crying."

"You're fine. We got through it." Danny smiled.

"Do we have any grapes?" she asked.

Danny chuckled. "Yeah, Sheldon told us this would be happening."

(Station)

Danny walked into the station and saw Aurora working at her desk. Don was coming out of the break room.

"How is Rora doing?" Danny asked Don.

"Good, why?" Don asked.

"She had a rough morning. Mood swing." Danny said.

"She's been going over some paper work." Don said. "Should we be worried?"

"No, just a hormonal mood swing….but you know how it is…your wife is pregnant you worry anyway." Danny smiled.

"You should take her out to dinner or something…cheer her up. Dad said he did that for mom when she was pregnant." Don said.

"I was planning on taking her to a movie. I want her to know I still think she's gorgeous." Danny sighed.

"By the way, have you heard Vicaro's question about pregnancy sex? Sheldon was telling me about it." Don said.

"No, what's up?" Danny asked.

"He asked Sheldon…if you were going down on Aurora and her water broke, if you could drown." Don rolled his eyes.

"Was he drunk?" Danny chuckled.

"We think he'd had one too many….they were at a sports bar when he asked." Don laughed.

"Just keep an eye on Rora, if she needs anything, give me a call." Danny said.

"I will." Don agreed and walked back to his desk.

(Later)

"Aurora, grab your coat. I'm taking you out tonight." Danny walked into the station.

"Oh you don't have to. I'm fine now. Really." Aurora said.

"Then how about we're hungry. Danny said we should make a night of it." Sheldon walked in with Emily.

"We're all going out?" she asked.

"Yeah, I thought it'd cheer you up for us all to go out and have fun." Danny said and kissed her.

"You did that for me?" Aurora asked.

"Of course…anything to see that smile." Danny said.

"You're so sweet." Rora kissed him.

"Aurora, we so need to drag these jokers to an 80's night soon." Aiden walked in.

"Yeah, we so should." Emily agreed.

"I can't see Mac at an 80's night." Don said.

"What can't you see me doing?" Mac walked in.

"Mac, you HAVE to join us for an 80's night." Aurora hugged him.

"Don't you drag me into enough….why do I argue with you? I never win." Mac smiled.

"My other man." Rora smiled and kissed his cheek.

Donald walked in.

"Wow, you really did call everyone." Aurora said to Danny.

"I knew you'd enjoy spending time with 'dad'." Danny said.

"Aurora, Donnie tells me you're looking at daycares for the baby?" Donald asked.

"Yeah, we want some time to investigate so we can pick the best one possible for the baby." she smiled.

"No grandchild of mine is going to a daycare. I won't hear of it. When the baby is born, I'll take care of it." Donald said.

"But…" Danny started.

"But nothing. I am not taking the chance of some pervert slipping through the cracks and working at the daycare you put the baby in. Or someone being violent. Besides, with me the baby will get more one on one attention. And the nights you guys have to work late, the baby is already with the sitter." Donald said.

"Dad are you sure? I mean changing diapers." Don asked.

"What do you think I did with you? Dropped you off at the neighbors and picked you up when you were potty trained?" Donald asked.

"No, but…." Don sighed.

"Donnie was so cute to potty train. He'd rip off his diaper and run through the house to the toilet. He had the cutest little tushy." Donald smiled.

"Dad!" Don groaned.

"He still does." Aiden winked.

"Sure, gang up on me." Don said but was blushing.

"Donald…are you sure? I mean taking care of a baby is a big responsibility." Danny asked.

"I know that. I am sure about this. I want to take care of the baby. And I know it'll give you two more peace of mind leaving the baby with someone you know and trust." Donald said.

"Well, if you're sure…" Rora said.

"I am. I insist. Besides, babies are chick magnets." Donald winked.

"My dad is having a mid-life crisis." Don rolled his eyes.

"We'd love for you to take care of the baby." Aurora said. "Oh this is wonderful, and such a relief off my mind."

"You're right, babies attract women." Sheldon said. "Danny, you would have one when I am involved with someone and can't use it to my advantage."

"I'm sorry Sheldon. If you and Emily break up, we'll have another just for you to use to flirt with." Danny said sarcastically.

"Then are we ready to head out to dinner?" Emily asked. "I missed lunch."

"Sure, let's go." Flack said.

As everyone gathered their things and started to leave. Mac pulled Aurora aside.

"Rora, I got this case file I want you to look over. Read through it and let me know what you think." Mac said and handed her a folder.

"Clavo Cruz?" she read the name on the file.

"Read through it. As a favor?" Mac asked.

"Sure Mac. Anything for you…but what's…."

"Just read through it. We'll talk later." Mac said.

Aurora laid the file on her desk. Danny put his arm around her and patted her tummy.

"My two favorite people." he smiled.

"I vote for Chinese!" Aiden called out as they headed out the door.


	136. Holiday Season Begins

-1_Trizzy- You'll just have to stay as calm as possible and see how everything plays out. And I do agree that the plots have gotten boring lately. I would like to see a bad guy win once in awhile. I think that is why I like the movie 'Seven'. Even though the killer dies in the end, he completed his work and the good guys still couldn't save the leading lady. _

_Manhattan SVU- I got the idea for Vicaro's question from a guy I knew in college who actually asked a similar question. Danny is such a sweetheart. I just love him._

_Bioassy- And it's still cute, especially in those dress pants._

_Mac's girl- I promise everything will be explained in time. I am just glad you knew who Clavo Cruz was._

_Meadow567- I am making a goal to write Chev this week. Meanwhile, I hear your town is getting Wrestlemania 23...I am SO jealous. Could you kidnap John Cena for me? How about Dave Batista? LOL_

_Truebluepatfan12- Yeah, it's always funny when Donald picks on Don for some reason._

_Snowbear96- Depends on if you watch the other CSI shows._

_Emador- if you can calm down, catch your breath and quit sounding like you're on your honeymoon with Clavo Cruz….LOL. Hope you enjoy the antics of this chapter._

"Danny, hurry up. I want to get going." I yelled into the bathroom at him.

It was the Friday before Thanksgiving and we were all going out to watch light up night, when the city was officially lighted for the holiday season and festivities surrounded the event.

"It's freezing out. Are you sure about this?" Danny called back.

"It's November in New York, what did you expect. And yes I am sure. This is the baby's first Christmas." I said.

Danny walked out of the bathroom. "You look beautiful. Dressed for the holidays…pregnant…..wow."

"Thank you." I kissed him. "Now hurry. Emily wants to hear the local school choirs singing carols."

"Don't we have a little time?" Danny nuzzled against me.

"No, they should be getting here any minute." I said as the door bell rang. "There they are. Hurry. I'll get the door."

I ran down the stairs and opened the door. Mac was standing there alone.

"Hey Mac, come on in." I smiled. "Why are you alone? Where are the others?"

"I came early. I wanted to know what you thought of the Clavo Cruz file I gave you." Mac said as he walked in.

"Mac, I read the file several times and I don't see any connection to anything in New York City, although my sympathies to Miami having to deal with this guy. How did you get this file anyway?" I asked.

"Long story." Mac said.

"Is there anything else we can do?" I asked.

"I don't think so." Mac frowned. The doorbell rang again.

I opened the door and Louie walked in next. "Hey how's my favorite pregnant sister in law?"

"I'm you only pregnant sister in law." I chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"Where is everyone?" Louie asked.

"On their way. We should be leaving soon." I said.

Danny came down the stairs. "Hey Louie. Aurora was just wondering when you'd get here."

"How is the baby?" Louie asked.

"Great. Sheldon checked me out after work and he said everything looks great." I smiled.

The doorbell rang again.

"There is everyone else." I ran to answer the door.

"How did I get conned into this? It's not even Thanksgiving." Flack said as I opened the door.

"Hey, you know it'll be fun." Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we can get Sheldon to be the Spirit of Christmas Present for us again." Flack laughed.

"Let's not bring that up again." Sheldon groaned.

"Let's get going. It's going to be crowded." Emily said.

"Aurora, that Santa sweatshirt fits so well over the baby. I knew it was a good choice." Aiden said.

"In the past week I have heard all about child birth classes, nursery decorations and maternity fashion." Flack rolled his eyes.

(Rockefeller Center)

"This is awesome. Did you see the TV crews back there?" I asked as we made our way through the crowd.

"They always show Rockefeller Center being lit. That and the president lighting the tree at the white house." Mac said.

"Here Aurora, I got us some hot coffee." Danny said and handed me a cup.

"Careful about your caffeine." Sheldon said.

"I am. I snuck decaffeinated coffee into work the other day. Vicaro is still pitching a fit." I chuckled.

"Oh I just love Christmas carols." Emily said.

"Yeah, they make the holidays so nice." Aiden said.

"Mac, you making your special eggnog for us this year?" Sheldon asked.

"Yeah, and I found non-alcoholic rum flavoring so I can make some for Aurora." Mac smiled.

"That is so sweet." I kissed his cheek.

"They are getting ready to light everything." Louie said.

We all made our way as close to the large Christmas tree as we could in the huge crowd. I snuggled closer to Danny to stay warm.

"I still say this should be after Thanksgiving." Flack said.

"Oh come on, this way everything is lit up for the Macy's parade." Aiden said.

"Speaking of which, we're leaving at 5AM to get a good spot to watch the parade." I said. "Thanksgiving dinner at our house at 4PM."

"And me and Aiden are helping you cook so you can put your feet up some." Emily said.

"Game starts at one." Flack said.

"Plasma TV, I'm so there." Sheldon said.

I chuckled and leaned against Danny as the city was suddenly lit up and the tree shown millions of lights glowing at us. It was beautiful. Danny gave me a quick kiss.

"So this means the Christmas season has officially started." Sheldon smirked and pulled mistletoe out of his pocket.

"Mistletoe already?" I giggled.

"Never too early." he smiled and held some over Emily's head.

"Terrific….now begins the endless carols, crowded stores and those retarded Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel." Flack sighed.

"Just because Aiden is on her period and you haven't gotten laid this week doesn't mean you have to be such a Grinch." I said.

"How did you know?" Flack asked.

"Aiden and me were on the same cycle, just because I am pregnant doesn't mean I forgot. Not to mention she is my best friend." I giggled.

"When a woman is ragging, sex in the shower…it's instant clean up." Sheldon smiled.

Mac rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder about my staff."

"Aww, Mac you know you love us." Emily grabbed some of the mistletoe and held it over Mac's head and gave him a quick kiss.

"Hey, Mac is my man." I grabbed his arm and giggled.

"Chick fight…I say you mud wrestle over him." Louie smirked. "Winner gets Mac."

Mac rolled his eyes.

I giggled. "Oh it's the holidays. I am sure all of us will be kissing Mac sooner or later."

"Mac, you're such a pimp." Sheldon winked.

(Pelham Bay)

"Tonight was a good night." I smiled and sat down in the living room.

"It was. Everyone had a great time." Danny snuggled close to me.

"I just can't believe the holidays are here already. The baby's first holiday season. I want pictures of me pregnant by the thanksgiving turkey for the baby book. Same thing with the Christmas tree." I said. "I think we'll put the tree over there. Then again, I have so many ornaments and decorations, I was thinking of putting up more than one tree. Maybe a huge one in here and then one in the sunroom. I can't wait….the baby's first Christmas."

"I got you something…it's like an early Christmas gift." Danny said.

"What?" I asked.

Danny walked over to our end table and opened the drawer. He pulled out something still wrapped in the plastic shopping bag from the store. He sat with me and handed me the bag.

"Danny, what is this?" I asked.

"Just open it." Danny smiled.

I opened the plastic bag and pulled out a CD. I looked….the Gene Autry Christmas Album. A thousand things flew through my head at once.

"Danny?" I asked, starting to choke up.

"I remember last Christmas you told me how you used to sit with your dad and listen to Gene Autry's Christmas album. You said you wanted one." Danny said.

"Danny, you can't imagine the….the memories I have that go with these songs, and his reading from the book of Luke." I wiped my eyes.

"I looked until I found it and wanted you to have it for the Christmas season…to listen to while you're decorating or baking or whatever. And this way…in a way your dad will be here to share this with the baby year after year, because I know you're going to tell the baby about your dad." Danny smiled.

"I can't tell you what this means to me." I cried. "So many wonderful Christmas memories…."

"I know how much you wanted it, how much your dad meant to you." Danny rubbed my cheek.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." I hugged him.

"I wanted to do it for you." Danny kissed me.


	137. Hanging Around

_Jordayna- You'll have to wait and see about Clavo._

_Trizzy- I got the idea for the Sheldon thing about periods from a guy I knew in college. His motto was 'Do it in the shower when she is ragging, it's instant clean up.' Whatever makes people happy I guess. And Danny shirtless is good, but how about more Flack shirtless. Or shirtless Delko over on Miami._

_Shazzzza- Aurora is due in early May. I am so glad you like the story and I hope you keep reading it._

_Meadow567- I don't know where they are staying, but the event will be April 1, 2007 at Ford Field. And I really knew a guy in college who felt that way about periods._

_Mac's Girl- I did the Gene Autry thing as sort of a tribute to my own dad who passed away this summer. He and I actually would listen to the Gene Autry album at Christmas. And I promise everything with Clavo will be explained._

_Truebluepatfan12- I love writing Flack. He is awesome._

_Emador- Danny is always cute…well not as much as he used to be, but you know._

Flack and I walked into the front door of an apartment complex in the Bronx. I yawned as we started to climb the stairs.

"I had plans to be shopping. It's black Friday." I said.

"I am still feeling that dinner you made yesterday." Flack said.

"You call Danny and Aiden?" I asked,

"Yeah, Danny laughed his ass off when I told him what the call was." Flack said.

We entered the apartment that the call had come from. In the middle of the living room, hanging from a rafter was a completely naked man. Uniforms were interviewing a very distraught female wearing a silk robe. When the call came in the woman claimed it was autoerotic sex gone bad.

"What is the point of hanging yourself in the middle of sex?" Flack whispered.

"I don't understand it. But supposedly it makes an orgasm more intense." I whispered back.

"Who cares if you're dead and can't enjoy it." Flack rolled his eyes.

"What do we have so far?" I asked one of the uniforms.

"The woman is Sandra Lexam. The deceased is Brian Nottingham. Sandra claims that they often engaged in autoerotic activities. She says that this morning, he suggested hanging himself while she performed oral sex on him. She says everything was fine until she realized he wasn't responding. Then she called 911."

"Thanks, we'll take it from here." Flack said.

Danny and Aiden walked in with kits in hand. I smiled at them.

"How's my wife and baby?" Danny asked.

"We're fine. This case could get interesting though." I smiled at him.

"Autoerotic asphyxiation gone wrong." Aiden said.

"Sandra there claims she was performing oral sex on the Brian as he hanged himself when she noticed he wasn't responding." Flack said.

Sheldon walked in. "Hey guys. Mac called and said this was a case I should examine the body on scene."

"Well the deceased is Brian Nottingham. No one has touched anything since the first officers arrived on the scene." Flack said.

"I'll take a look see if the story matches the scene." Sheldon said and walked over to begin examining the body.

"I'll take pictures of everything." Aiden said.

"I'll talk with Sheldon." Danny said. "Se what he finds and I'll collect trace."

Flack and I walked over to where Sandra was sitting on the couch. She was crying and shaking.

"Miss Lexam, we need to ask you some questions about what happened here today." Flack said.

"How long have you been dating Brian?" I asked.

"About a year." she said,

"Did you guys practice autoerotic asphyxia often?" Flack asked.

"A few times a week. It was part of our regular sex life." She answered.

"Have you ever had any close calls before?" Flack asked.

"No, Brian was very careful about his limits. But he was very good at going without oxygen." Sandra said.

"In this type of activity, there is a safe word or signal. Did Brian have one?" I asked.

"Of course." Sandra said.

"Did Brian attempt to use his safe word today?" I asked.

"No, I don't understand what happened." Sandra said.

"Can you describe today's events? Without the graphic details of the sexual activities." Flack said.

"I woke up first and was making breakfast. Brian came in and…initiated intimacy. He suggested hanging himself from the rafters. We'd done it before. He got the rope out of the closet and got everything ready. Then we started….and all was fine, then he just stopped moving, wouldn't respond. He had no pulse. I called 911." Sandra cried.

"Why didn't you try to take him down?" I asked.

"I did, I couldn't get the rope off his neck, it was tied so tight." Sandra said.

"Detective Flack will ask you some more questions." I said. I walked over to where Aiden was snapping off pictures.

"Aiden take Sandra in one of the back rooms and check her for scratch marks or any marks that would indicate a struggle." I said.

"You got it." Aiden said.

I walked over to where Sheldon and Danny were going over the body of Brian.

"What do you have?" I asked.

"There is only one ligature mark, so he wasn't strangled and then hung. The rope mark is consistent with his position." Sheldon said.

"There are no defense wounds on him to show that he tried to fight off anyone." Danny said.

"So this guy actually died because he went too long at autoerotic asphyxia?" I asked.

"It's possible. People die that way every year." Sheldon said. "Despite the warnings, people continue to practice autoerotic asphyxiation."

"Was it definitely hanging that killed him?" I asked.

"I'll do a full autopsy when I get him back to the morgue to be sure. But there are no other marks on him. Just to be sure, I'll run a tox screen and take some x-rays." Sheldon said.

Flack walked over to us. "I had Sandra's background run. She doesn't even have a traffic ticket. Brian's background was clean too."

"Flack, we could be looking at an accidental death." I said.

"I looked around their bedroom." Aiden said. "There are quite a few fetish toys in there, but nothing dangerous."

Danny smirked. "My second call to a fetish case with Aiden and Aurora. You know it's not too late for that threesome."

"Hey if you get them both so do I. I mean If I share Aiden, you have to share Rora." Don winked.

"Hey can I get Emily in on this deal?" Sheldon smirked.

Aiden and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

"What kind of trace do we have, Danny?" Aiden asked him.

"I swabbed some of the saliva from his penis for a DNA comparison to Sandra to help confirm her story. Other than that, nothing. No tissue under his nails, no marks, nothing." Danny said.

"This is an odd case." I said. "Alright, Sheldon let me know what you find in autopsy. Aiden, Danny let me know what you find at the lab."

"If her story proves to be true, there is nothing we can charge Sandra with." Flack said.

"I'll break the news to his family. I want it handled delicately. No need to upset them with the manner in which he died." I said.

(Station)

I was sitting at my desk, getting ready to head home for the day.

"Sheldon just called." Flack said from his desk. "He said autopsy confirms Sandra's story. Brian's larynx was crushed. Sheldon said most likely Brian positioned himself too far off the ground and his own bodyweight on his neck crushed his larynx. There was nothing Sandra could've done even if she had been able to pull him down."

I nodded. "Danny called and said that the DNA on his body was Sandra's too. Guess this is just an accident."

"How did it go with his family?" Flack asked.

"I spoke with Brian's father. I don't believe the old gentleman had ever heard of autoerotic asphyxiation. I explained it as gently as possible. And reassured him that the death would be ruled an accident and no one would ever have to know what kind of accident, so that Brian's name wouldn't be shamed. All things considered, I think it went well." I said.

"I should probably get going. Aiden is dragging me Christmas shopping. Says this year I am not allowed to wait till Christmas eve." Don said.

I chuckled. "I need to get shopping too. I am buying a bunch of stuff to donate the Sunshine Home."

"The place you arranged for Jack Adams to live?" Don asked.

"Yeah. I call and check on him from time to time. The staff says he is doing great and really likes it there. They are going to have the residents a large Christmas party with a gift exchange so I am donating items." I said. "It's a cause close to my heart."

Flack smiled. "How is Russ doing?"

"Great. We've already arranged for him to fly out when the baby is born. He is so excited to be an uncle." I said.

"All of us are." Flack said.

Danny walked in and kissed me. "Ready to head home? I thought we could at least get out some of the Christmas decorations tonight. I know you'll want to put them up this weekend."

"Yes, I do. That sounds great." I said.

"She is not to lift anything over ten pounds and no climbing ladders." Sheldon said as he walked in.

"I'll take care of her." Danny smiled.

"See you guys later. We're off." I said.

"Rora, I want to see you Monday to check on the baby." Sheldon said.

"I'll be there." I said.


	138. Sunshine Home

_Snowbear96- The idea for that one just came to me. _

_Trizzy- Your review was a riot, but I am still loyal to Speedle. I hope you enjoy this chappie. Little Messer, everyone loves this kid, its too cute. Loved your review._

_Mac's Girl- I love writing Flack. He is so much fun to write. He really is. So is Aiden, I loved her on the show and I am still angry she was killed. (Not in a fic where I control destiny. LOL)_

_Emador- Was it that model chick who dropped her robe? LOL I dunno. And you are the world's number one Sheldon fan. LOL Hope you enjoy._

"Aurora, where are you going?" Don asked me.

"On my lunch break I am taking stuff over to the sunshine home." I said.

"It's the first week of December….those annoying Santa's ringing bells are everywhere." Flack said.

I chuckled. "This weekend Danny is taking me to the mall and making me sit on Santa's lap. He says he wants pictures of the baby with Santa."

"Danny is so excited for that baby." Flack smiled.

"After New Years starts child birth classes." I said.

"I still don't know how you talked me into this. Why not have Sheldon as your back up coach? I mean he is a doctor and already knows what to expect." Flack said.

"Because you are my partner. I am with you. Sheldon is in the morgue all day." I said. "Besides, you are the baby's godfather."

"You realize you're throwing fuel on dad's fire for me to marry Aiden." Don chuckled.

"And when you decide to, I better be the first person you tell." I said.

"Sheldon said after he took Emily home for Thanksgiving, his family started a betting pool on when he'll pop the question." Flack said.

I smiled. "I might stay a little past lunch. But if a call comes in, ring my cell."

"Not a problem." Flack said.

(Sunshine Home)

I was sitting in the lobby of the Sunshine home while some of the staff carried in the boxes of stuff I had bought for Christmas.

"Detective Messer, thank you so much. Your generosity is astounding. We're going to put a thank you in the paper for you." the home director said.

"That is not necessary." I smiled.

"We want to honor you. That you would be expecting a child and still spend so much money on others." the director said.

"This is a cause that is very close to my heart." I said.

"What a tremendous gift….we can never thank you enough." the director said.

"As long as the resident have a good holiday." I said.

"Officer Denton." I heard behind me.

I turned and saw Jack Adams in the hallway. I smiled.

"Hey Jack. How are you?" I asked him as he came to hug me.

"You're having a baby." Jack said.

"Yes I am. I got married. I'm Aurora Messer now." I smiled.

"What is you baby?" he asked.

"We don't know. We just hope it's healthy." I smiled.

"Does it move?"

"Not yet…but the doctor said it might start moving soon." I smiled. "I hear you're doing well here."

"I like it here. I play basketball." Jack smiled.

"I am so happy for you. I knew you'd do well." I smiled.

"Thank you so much for getting me out of jail. No one would listen to me till you came along. I tell people you're my guardian angel…you and Officer Mac." Jack said.

"We were glad to help you." I said.

"How is Officer Mac?" Jack asked.

"Mac is fine, just fine." I said.

"Did you marry that handsome man you were dating in the spring?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, that's my husband." I laughed.

"Does he take good care of you?" Jack asked.

"He takes wonderful care of me." I assured him.

"Good, you need it with a baby and all." Jack said seriously.

"When the baby is born, would you like me to bring it by for a visit?" I asked.

"You mean see your baby? Yeah….when is it coming?" he asked.

"The first week of May." I smiled.

(Station)

I walked into the station. Flack was at his desk doing paperwork.

"How did it go at the Sunshine home?" Flack asked.

"Good. They were very happy to get the stuff. I had a chance to talk with Jack Adams." I said.

"You know the further investigation you and Mac did into that case got rid of two dirty cops, saved an innocent man, and helped change NYPD policy as to interrogation of the mentally challenged." Flack said.

"All in a days work." I winked.

"Meanwhile, Aiden called and wants to drag us all to an 80's night. Apparently they are having an 80's One Hit Wonder night." Flack said.

"That sounds great. Wang Chung, A-Ha, Toni Basil, Tommy Tutone." I giggled.

"Sometimes I think you and Aiden share a brain." Flack rolled his eyes.

I hugged him and kissed his cheek. "You love us."

"Yeah I do." Flack smiled. "Your husband called."

"What did he want?" I asked.

"When are you baking Christmas cookies? I mean yours are the best." Flack batted his eyes.

"He recruited you. He has been asking all week for me to start my Christmas baking…thinking with his stomach. Now he has you in on the act." I chuckled.

"He says if you don't hurry up, he's talking to Chad next." Flack said.

"I plan to start this weekend. Right now we have been decorating the house during the evenings." I said.

"It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. Wreaths, lights, garland….a tree big enough for the Jolly Green Giant." Flack said. "Even dad was saying how nice it looks."

"Rammer climbed the tree last night. We heard rattling and went to check…he was near the top." I giggled.

"Promise to stay calm about what I got Aiden for Christmas?" Flack asked.

"What is it? Engagement ring? How many carats?" I asked.

"Not an engagement ring." Flack sighed. "I got her a diamond tennis bracelet."

"Oh that is such a sweet gift. Flack, you are…why did I marry Danny and not you?" I winked.

"So you think she'll like it?" Flack asked.

"Like it? She'll probably lay you on the spot." I giggled.

Danny walked in. "I am headed home. You want me to wait for you?"

"No, I am going to finish some work, file a few papers and then meet you at home." I said.

"Okay, I'll see you there. In the meantime I am going to finish the outdoor lights." Danny said and kissed me.

"I'll be home soon." I said.

"Love you." Danny said.

"Love you too." I watched him walk out.

"I am outta here too. I promised to take Aiden to see that new Christmas comedy." Flack put on his coat.

"Okay, you guys have fun." I smiled as he walked out too.

I sat down at my desk to start the last of my paperwork. I wanted to file it away and head home for the evening. My phone rang.

"Messer." I answered.

"Detective Messer, I was told you are working on the Carlos Diaz case."

"Yes, may I ask who is calling?" I asked.

"This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine……."


	139. Welcome to Miami

_Meadow567- Love how you wrote that. Just as if H drove by, LOL. _

_LizfromItaly- I am glad that you're back. And I am so glad you like Horatio. I do too._

_Manhattan SVU- Crossover me? LOL Well I hope you enjoy. Nothing is better than New York and Miami!_

_Trizzy- I love that you started singing 867-5309/Jenny in the middle of your review. It made me laugh. I like some one hit wonders too. I wish I could find a club that really did this 80's thing like they go to in my story. I hope you like this chapter. _

_Mac's girl- Well here is more, and I hope it answers some of your questions. BTW, when I read your review, it cracked me up. I could just see some rapper yelling 'Horatio Caine in da house, get your hands in the air." Sorry, LOL._

_Emador- A little? LOL You and your Sheldon, LOL. And I dunno about you and caffeine. Poor Jill, who knows what she thinks you were doing, LOL. _

_**Author's Note- **I am aware that certain characters were killed on their respective shows prior to events already discussed in 'New Start, New Life, New York City'. However, the glory of fanfic is you control who lives and dies and such, and since I like said certain characters they are in my story. I hope you enjoy! _

I sat beside Mac on a plane to Miami. Lt. Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab had contacted me the day before. He has processed a crime scene at a crack house and found prints that hit in AFIS as Carlos Diaz. Diaz was somewhere in Miami and now a suspect in Florida. Mac and I immediately caught a flight to Miami to assist on the case.

"Don or Emily could've come. Are you sure you're up to this?" Mac asked for the 50th time.

"Mac, I'm fine. This is my case and I am working it. I am pregnant but still on field duty." I said.

"Just the same, when we get down here, you stick close to me." Mac said.

"So Lt. Caine thinks that Diaz may be mixed up with Clavo Cruz?" I asked.

"Horatio had a hunch that Clavo had connections in New York which is why he sent me the file to look at. However, since Diaz became a suspect in Miami….Horatio has found some connections between Diaz and Cruz. They have mutual "friends" in Miami." Mac explained.

"Might explain how Diaz got out of New York without leaving a trace behind. Clavo helped him." I said.

"If Clavo Cruz is mixed up in this, you know we can't go after him." Mac said.

"I know, he has immunity. Doesn't mean I am happy about it. I read the file, I know all about how he killed that girl so she wouldn't tell anyone his brother killed her roommate." I sighed. "I hope someone shoots him."

"We're starting to descend." Mac said.

We fastened our seat belts as the plane began landing. I wondered what the Miami-Dade PD would be like. Mac had worked a case with Horatio Caine before I came to NYC. He had said only good things about Lt. Caine. I was looking forward to meeting him.

The plane landed and we exited the plane.

"Baby's first flight." I smiled.

"You okay?" Mac asked.

"I'm fine, no problems." I said.

A tall man, wearing a dark suit, with vibrant red hair walked up to us. I knew from Danny's description he had to be Lt. Caine.

"Mac, good to see you again." Caine shook Mac's hand.

"Horatio, this is Detective Aurora Messer. She has been working the case with me." Mac said.

"Nice to meet you Lt. Caine. Mac and Danny have both said many wonderful things about you." I smiled and shook his hand.

"Detective, you're pregnant." Lt. Caine looked a bit confused.

I smiled. "Yes, about five months."

"Are you sure you're okay to be traveling and working this case?" Horatio tilted his head to one side.

"Yes, Lt. I am fine. I am still on active field duty. I am healthy and having no pregnancy complications. This is my case and I intend to see it through." I said.

"She doesn't take no for an answer." Mac said.

Lt. Caine smiled. "Is there anything I can get you after your flight?"

"I'm fine…just hungry….for something but I don't know what. Nothing sounds appealing." I said.

Lt. Caine smiled again. "If you need anything at all, let me know."

"Aurora, I'll get our bags. I'll be right back." Mac said.

"Thanks Mac." I said as Mac walked towards baggage claim.

"Detective Messer…." Lt. Caine started.

"Please, call me Aurora. We'll be working together, no need to be so formal." I smiled.

Horatio chuckled. "Then you call me Horatio."

I nodded.

"Aurora, I hope there won't be a fight about jurisdiction or extradition about Carlos Diaz…."

"Horatio, as long as Carlos Diaz is behind bars and off the streets where he can't hurt anyone else…..I don't care if it's in New York or Florida." I said.

Horatio nodded. "Very good."

"Hey H, Calleigh called from the lab and said she didn't get a hit on the gun we found at the scene." a dark haired man walked up to us. He had a five o'clock shadow and deep brown eyes.

"Okay, so the gun was not in the system." Horatio said. "Speed, this is Detective Aurora Messer from the NYPD. She'll be working the case with us."

"Hey, Tim Speedle." he shook my hand.

"Speed, of course. My husband has mentioned you a few times. You worked a case with him over the phone. So nice to meet you." I smiled.

"Messer as in Danny Messer?" Speed asked.

"Yeah, we got married in June." I said.

"You're better looking than the girlfriend he had at the time of the case we worked together on. He texted me a picture of her…..she looked like she had mop on her head." Speed said.

"Jenny….yeah my partner makes fun of her once in awhile too." I giggled.

Mac walked back up with the bags.

"I'll help with those." Speed said and took two of the bags from Mac.

"Do you need to get settled in?" Horatio asked.

"We'll do that later. Right now we'd like to work on the case." Mac said.

"Let's get back to the lab then." Horatio said.

(Miami-Dade Crime Lab)

Mac and I followed Horatio and Speed through the lab as Horatio explained to us about the murder at the crack house his team was working on. Apparently a woman had been found murdered in the upstairs bedroom of known crack house in the barrios. Diaz's prints had been found on the doorknob to that room and a few other places in the house.

"There was a gun found at the scene, no prints were on it. Ballistics came up empty as well." Horatio said.

We walked into a back room of the lab. There was a dark skinned, young man sitting looking in a microscope. He looked up and I saw he had brown eyes, and a nice smile.

"Hey H, the fibers on our vic were cotton. They could be from just about anything." he said.

"Okay, keep me posted on anything else you find." Horatio said. "Eric Delko, this is Detective Mac Taylor of the NYPD crime lab, and Detective Aurora Messer from the NYPD Homicide unit."

"Nice to meet you Eric." I smiled.

"Likewise." Eric said. "Alexx called. She tried using dental records to ID our vic but came up empty."

"So the vic is still a Jane Doe." Horatio put his hands on his hips.

"Horatio, could you tell me where the break room is? I am getting thirsty." I said.

"I'll take her with me." Eric said. "It's about time for my lunch break anyway."

"Mac, I'll meet up with you guys in about 15 minutes." I said.

Mac nodded as I followed Eric out of the lab and down the hall.

"When is your baby due?" Eric asked.

"Spring, early May." I said.

"You ever been to Miami before?" Eric asked.

"No, I grew up in Pittsburgh and now live in New York…..I am not used to 70 degrees in December. I mean how can you sing 'White Christmas' while wearing shorts?"

Eric laughed. "I was raised in Miami, I don't know any different."

"That's the break room, I need to check on some test results really quick. I'll be right back. Help yourself to anything in the fridge." Eric said.

I nodded and walked into the room he pointed out. I smelled something that smelled great. I walked farther in the room and saw a guy in a funny looking shirt eating from a Chinese take-out container.

"What are you eating that smells so good?" I walked over to him and looked inside the container. I picked up a fork. "Do you mind? I have been hungry for like 2 hours but didn't know what I wanted. I just started getting cravings this week."

I took a bite of the lo-mien noodles the guy was eating. He just kinda stared at me.

"Oh my god, these taste so good. You have to tell me where you got them. Some things taste good to me now, and some make me want to gag. Like the other night I was eating black olives at 2AM. My husband cracked up." I said and took another bite. "God this is good."

"Eric, there is some random pregnant woman fawning all over my lunch." the guy said.

I looked back to see Eric behind us laughing.

"It's okay Tyler. She's from the NYPD here to work a case with us." Eric walked over to us.

"Oh I am so sorry. I didn't mean to impose. It's just these cravings….it's hard to explain." I said.

"You okay?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, it's a pregnancy thing." I smiled.

"Aurora, this is Tyler Jenson. He works in our AV lab, he's one of the best." Eric said.

"Nice to meet you Tyler. I am so sorry about…."

"Don't worry about it. I'll give you the number of the Chinese take out." Tyler smiled.

"Thank you that would be great." I said.

(Evening)

"Baby, I am fine. Mac and I have been going over the case with the team from Miami. By the way, Speed is great. With his sarcasm, never let him and Flack work together." I chuckled.

"Flack misses you. He's stuck with Vicaro till you get back." Danny said.

I laughed. "Right now our victim is a Jane Doe and we came up empty with the gun. It sounds like Diaz. He knows how to clean up after himself, not leave behind evidence and such." I said.

"Are you sure you don't need me? I don't like being away from you while you're pregnant." Danny said.

"I know baby. But I am fine. And you made Mac promise like 5 times that he would take good care of me." I said.

"Come home as soon as you can. I don't like being away from you." Danny said.

"I know. Mac and I are doing all we can to get home quick." I said. "I'll call you again later."

"Okay, be careful. I love you." Danny said.

"I love you too." I said and hung up my phone.

I took a deep breath and drank some of my water. I closed my eyes for a second.

"You okay?"

I looked up to see Horatio watching me.

"Yeah, I am just a little tired." I said.

"Come on, sit down." Horatio helped me over to the couch in the break room. He sat down beside me. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, really I am fine. I am just tired from the flight and everything." I reassured him.

"Why don't you and Mac go to the hotel and get settled in. You could both use a good night's sleep. Rest up, eat some dinner." Horatio said.

"Horatio, I don't want any special treatment because I am pregnant." I said.

Horatio smiled. "Taylor warned me you were stubborn. But I would tell any of my team that were tired to get some rest. I don't think there will be any major breaks in the case tonight. Go get some sleep."

I nodded. "I'll rest. Although I am not sure if I can sleep without Danny."

"Not used to being away from him?" Horatio asked.

"We've not spent a night apart since we got married." I smiled.

"Sounds like a good marriage." Horatio said.

"It is." I said. "Are you sure you don't need me anymore tonight?"

"Go on and rest. We'll start early in the morning." Horatio said.

"Call if anything major breaks." I said.

(Hotel)

"Aurora, they only booked us one room. Why don't I…." Mac started.

I cut him off. "Don't even start that. There are two beds, we can share a room. Hell, I am close enough to you to share a bed and it not be weird if was needed."

"Are you sure?" Mac asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I would feel better sharing a room with you. I have someone to talk to, you're right there if I need anything and heaven knows we trust each other and Danny trusts you." I said.

Mac looked at me a moment longer. "Alright, we're down on the 3rd floor."

"Good, I want dinner, a long hot shower and to relax in my PJ's…all in that order." I smiled and leaned on him as we headed for the elevator.

"Hockey game tonight?" Mac asked.

"Probably on ESPN." I said. "Order some dinner with me?"

"Sounds good, I'll eat with you and Little Taylor." Mac smiled.


	140. The Case Continues

_Emador- Deep breath before you pass out over the Miami boys. Here is more and I hope you enjoy. This should get some interesting reactions._

_Manhattan SVU- I am glad that you like it so much. I am really enjoying writing the Miami parts. This lets you in on some Flack/Vicaro antics. And Little Taylor was about the baby, not parts of Mac's anatomy. LOL_

_Meadow567- I am loyal to the Wild for Ramsey, LOL. Hope you like the chapie._

_Mac's Girl- I love Tim Speedle. I still mourn for him, LOL. I love Tyler though and could see him being a good sport. And still not saying anything about the baby's name. (Even though I know what it will be, LOL.)_

**(Miami-Dade Crime Lab) **

Mac and I walked into the lab. Horatio was with a man I didn't recognize going over reports.

"Anything new on the case?" I asked.

"Good morning. Mac, Aurora…this is Detective Frank Tripp. He's working the crack house murder." Horatio said.

"Nice to meet you detective." I smiled.

"Likewise, we've set up a surveillance team to watch Clavo Cruz." Tripp answered.

"We're hoping that he will lead us to Carlos Diaz." Horatio said.

"Anything new develop last night?" Mac asked.

"No, and we're just about out of evidence from the crack house." Horatio said.

Speedle walked in with Delko. Speedle set a box on the counter.

"I brought some doughnuts for Mac and Aurora." Speed said.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do that." Mac said.

"Well, I wanted to be sure that Aurora and the baby got to eat." Speed shrugged.

"Mac, why don't you and I check in with the surveillance team. Aurora, you can catch a quick breakfast while Detective Tripp catches you up on the agenda for the day." Horatio smiled.

I nodded as Mac followed Horatio out of the lab.

"Okay, I have to ask…is all men protective of pregnant women or is it a cop thing?" I chuckled. "I mean since I got pregnant I have been bought more food, had more people volunteering to help me…..what is the deal?"

Delko shrugged. "H is protective by nature especially of children." he motioned towards my baby. "Speed just has a MILF fetish." Eric winked.

"Me? I'm not the one that got shot in the eye with breast milk." Speed said.

I laughed. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Eric glared at Speed.

"Delko didn't know breast milk comes out when a nursing woman orgasms." Speed chuckled.

"We're not telling that story again, are we?" Calleigh walked into the lab. "Because I don't think Aurora needs to hear the horror stories of you two guys' ex-girlfriends."

I chuckled. "Morning Calleigh. They amuse me." I turned to Tripp. "So detective, what's on the menu for today?"

"Horatio wants me and you to go back to the crack house with Delko and Speedle and look for anything that might have been overlooked. It will give you a chance to check out the crime scene for yourself." Tripp said.

"Sounds great." I grabbed a doughnut.

(North Miami)

The four of us exited the Hummer. Speed and Eric went to grab their kits as Tripp and I started walking towards the house.

"Have we identified the Jane Doe yet?" I asked.

"No, most likely she was a hooker." Tripp said. "Her teeth were in bad shape, she had track marks….her clothing indicated street life."

"So chances are no one is looking for her." I said.

"Killer is probably banking on that." Tripp said.

"Could we have some officers canvas the streets asking others hookers if they know her or not?" I asked.

"Horatio is looking into that with the other New York detective." Tripp said.

We walked in the front of the house.

"So how much drugs did you find when you raided the place?" I asked.

"Street value of over 20 grand." Tripp said.

"Tyler is going over the tape of the anonymous call that called in the murder." Delko walked in behind us.

"We need to find who made that call. It meant someone wanted to report the murder but was afraid." I said. "But they cared enough to report it anonymously."

I walked through the house looking around. It was obvious that Horatio had an excellent team that had thoroughly searched the place. I noticed there was a back porch.

"Did you search the backyard?" I asked.

"Yeah, but the ground was dry so we had nothing to make molds of. We found nothing of value." Speed said.

"What about under the porch? Is it accessible?" I asked.

"It's boxed in." Eric said.

I walked out and looked at the porch. I stamped my feet.

"Hear that, it's hollow." I said to Tripp.

"Think we missed something?" Tripp asked.

"Were drug dogs brought in?" I asked.

"No, the drugs were sitting in the open in the house. No need for them." Tripp said.

"But I know Diaz and 20 grand is not much in drugs for him. Chances are that was all he had out……the rest is hidden somewhere." I said.

I stepped off the porch and began looking around the porch.

"God, I could really go for a cheesecake." I said.

"What?" Tripp looked at me.

"Sorry, it's just I have this incredible craving for cheesecake." I said.

Tripp smiled. "When my wife was pregnant with our second baby she ate clam chowder every day."

"Oh, I didn't realize you were married detective." I said.

"We're in the process of divorce." Tripp frowned.

"I'm sorry. That must not be easy." I said. "Wait a minute."

"What is it?" Tripp asked.

"It might not be anything…..but one of these boards is loose." I said.

I walked over and gently tugged a few times on the board until it gave way with a creak.

"You have a flashlight Tripp?" I asked.

"Yeah." Tripp walked over to me and handed me a small flashlight.

I sank to the ground as gently as I could careful of the baby. I clicked on the light and looked under the porch. There were several packages of drugs. I nodded.

"Here is the rest of his stash." I said.

"Diaz was hiding most of his drugs down here." Tripp looked under the porch.

"He came from New York to Miami and set up shop in his same old business." I said.

"I'll call Horatio." Tripp said.

"I'll get Speed and Eric." I said.

(Outside Lab)

"That was about a million dollars in cocaine." Speed said as we climbed out of the hummer and headed inside the lab.

"We pulled some prints off packages that we'll run." Eric said.

"Where is a bakery around here? I really gotta have a cheesecake." I said.

Delko laughed. "She is cute."

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Rora, you HAVE to come back. Vicaro is driving me insane." Flack was on the other end.

I chuckled. "What is he doing that is so bad?"

"He has spent all day explaining to me his idea for fat women lesbian porn." Flack said.

"What?"

"Yeah, he says that regular girl on girl porn is geared towards guys who like watching girls fool around. He says that fat lesbians don't like watching skinny girls get it on." Flack said.

I cracked up. "Hey, sad thing is there is probably a market out there for such a thing."

"And on top of that Danny is dragging me and Louie out tonight with him. He is getting one of your Christmas presents." Flack said.

"He needs you and Louie for that?" I asked.

"Long story, but Aiden says you'll love it. When are you coming back?" Flack asked.

"Well we had a major break in the case today and we'll…."

"Where's Horatio Caine?" someone yelled behind us. We stopped and turned around.

"Flack, I got to go. Call you back." I hung up.

Clavo Cruz was standing next to a red sports car parked on the street yelling up at us. When we turned around he started walking towards us.

"Where is Lt. Caine? What he has me followed all day and then can't come out and see me?" Clavo sneered.

"Lt. Caine is not here right now." Tripp said. "Whatever your problem is, I suggest you approach him differently."

"My problem is them." Clavo pointed across the street to the surveillance cops assigned to him. "Did you think I wouldn't notice I was being followed?"

"Tell us where Carlos Diaz is and we'll pull the detail off you." I said.

"I don't know anyone by that name. Horatio Caine is still pissed he couldn't get me for killing that model." Clavo smirked.

"Get out of here Clavo." Tripp said.

"You can't touch me and you know it. Now get rid of the cops following me around before I contact my father." Clavo smirked.

"Go ahead, that would just give me the chance to go on national TV and tell the world what your father does!" I snapped.

"Aurora, calm down." Eric said. "Clavo, I believe we're done here."

Clavo stared at us. "A pregnant detective?"

Speed moved to stand in front of me. "Leave Clavo."

"It'd be a shame if something happened to her baby." Clavo smirked.

"Hey, you don't threaten her! You don't look at her or even think about her!" Tripp stepped up to Clavo.

"Or what?" Clavo asked.

"What's the problem here?" Horatio stepped out of his hummer, having just pulled up.

"Lt. Caine, just who I came to see. I want these cops to stop dogging my every step." Clavo said.

"Tell us where Carlos Diaz is and we won't need to follow you anymore." Horatio said.

"You got nothing on me Caine and you know it." Clavo smirked.

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't." Horatio took off his sunglasses and stared right at Clavo. "But if you ever threaten a child in front of me again, immunity or not I will take you out."

Clavo took a step back. "I want these cops gone."

Horatio started walking towards us. "And people in hell want ice water."

Clavo walked back to his car, then turned and spit in our direction before climbing inside.

"Okay, we have about two hours before the state department gets involved." Horatio said.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked me and looked me over.

"I am fine, just pissed." I said and gave him a quick hug.

"She's fine." Mac gave a small smile.

"Clavo Cruz had to get Diaz down here somehow, can we get his financial records?" I asked.

"I'm on it." Eric said.

"I'll get these prints from the cocaine to the lab." Speed said.

"I'll help with that." Mac offered.

(Later)

I was sitting in the break room waiting for Delko to get the financial records of Clavo Cruz. Mac was working with Speed in the lab. I had decided to take a quick break and relax.

Horatio walked in carrying a white box. "This is for you."

"What is it?" I opened the box. "Cheesecake."

"Frank mentioned you were craving one. And it might be awhile before we get out of here." Horatio smiled.

"You didn't have to do that. Thank you." I said.

"No need to thank me. I was glad to do it." Horatio smiled.

"Would you have some with me? I can't possibly eat this much by myself. Our ME is always cautioning me to watch my sugar intake. He worries about pregnancy on-set diabetes." I said.

Horatio tilted his head and smiled. "I'd love to."

"Pull up a chair." I smiled.


	141. Finding Carlos

_Bioassy- Horatio is a softie in ways. I adore him. And I loved the banter between Eric and Speed._

_Trizzy- Oh I love Tim Speedle. And glad you like the comedy I am putting in the story, it's fun to write. I loved your review. _

_LizfromItaly- I still mourn for Speed. I adored him. The show isn't the same without him._

_Meadow567- I finally get to watch the Wild play tomorrow night._

_Jordayna- Don't you think Aurora has enough people protecting her? LOL_

_Truebluepatfan12- I got hooked on Miami over the summer and HAD to include some._

_Emador- I love writing the comedy with Delko and Speed, they are so fun. And Tripp is like…a bald H that resembles Noah, LOL._

_Manhattan SVU- I love protective Horatio. He is just great. And I wish NY had more Vicaro. I think he'd had been a good addition. And Eric is like Flack, you just have write ex stories, LOL. _

(Morning, Miami-Dade Crime Lab)

"So we found Diaz's prints on the cocaine found at the crack house?" Aurora asked Speed as they walked down the hall.

"Yeah, Horatio is filling in Tripp right now." Speed said.

They walked into the break room.

"You guys walked under the mistletoe. Kiss her Speed." Calleigh laughed.

"Why is there mistletoe in the doorway?" Speed asked.

"Because it's Christmas….and Alexx did the decorating." Eric said.

"Kiss her." Calleigh said.

"She's a married woman." Speed rolled his eyes.

"Just a kiss not a roll in the hay." Delko rolled his eyes.

Aurora leaned over and kissed Speed really quick. Speed blinked.

"I like mistletoe." she shrugged. "And you're cute, so it all worked out."

Speed gave a small smile.

"Detective Messer?" Aurora turned around and saw a tall man with dark hair behind me.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"Rick Stetler, IAB." he smiled.

"What do you want with me?" she asked.

"I need to ask you a few questions." he said.

Aurora sighed and followed him into the hallway. Eric, Calleigh and Speed exchanged glances wondering what Stetler could want with the NYPD detective.

"Now what is this all about? I have a drug dealing murderer to catch." Aurora said.

"I see that you're pregnant, yet working actively in the case….is Horatio Caine looking out for your condition?" Stetler asked.

"I see what this is. You're on some kind of witch hunt against Horatio, and you want me to complain that he isn't accommodating me enough since I am pregnant." she glared. "You can forget it."

"I am concerned for your child." Stetler said.

"My baby is fine. And for the record, I chose to work this case which I why I flew in from New York. And since I have been here Horatio Caine and his entire team has been wonderful to me. They make sure I rest when I need to, make sure I eat when I need to, and so on. So if you're looking to hang Horatio, I won't tie the rope for you." Aurora said.

"I meant no…."

"Don't give me that. I hate IAB in New York, and looks like its just as bad here in Miami." Aurora said and walked back into the break room.

"You okay?" Calleigh asked.

"It's like a law, if you're in IAB you have to be an asshole." Aurora sighed.

"Can we keep her?" Tyler chuckled in the corner.

"No stealing my detectives." Mac walked in with Tripp and Horatio.

"What do we got?" Calleigh asked.

"Delko and Speed, I want you to go with Mac interview some known associates of Clavo's. See if one of them will tell where Diaz is hiding." Horatio said.

"I thought the state department told us to back off of Clavo?" Eric asked, referring to the night before when the state department had shown up ordering Horatio to stop investigating Cruz.

"You let me worry about that." Horatio said. "Aurora, Frank and I are going to canvas the red light district looking for the identity of the dead girl in the crack house."

"Aurora is really good at getting hookers to talk." Mac said.

"Speedle has a way with hookers too." Delko snickered.

"You're a real riot." Speed rolled his eyes.

"Let's get going. Call if you find anything." Horatio said.

(Downtown Miami)

"Are you sure you're okay?" Horatio asked.

"Other than it's Christmas time and it's 80 degrees, I am fine." she smiled. "I need snow."

Horatio smiled. "Mac says you miss your husband."

"I do…and my best friend is carrying on about some Christmas gift he got for me. And Danny doesn't like being away from me when I am pregnant." she said. "And when I go back we're going for a sonogram."

"Mac was telling me earlier how excited Danny is to be a dad." Horatio smiled.

"He is….he makes me hold the phone down so he can talk to the baby." Rora chuckled.

"This is the methadone clinic." Tripp said.

"Lots of hookers come here for drug treatment. It's worth a try." Horatio said.

The three of them walked into the clinic and into the waiting room. Several women appeared to be hookers. Aurora sat next to a few of them. She smiled.

"Hi ladies, can I talk to you?" she asked.

"You a cop?" one asked.

"Yes, but not from Miami. I am from the NYPD." Aurora showed her badge.

"What do you want down here?" another asked.

Aurora showed them a picture of the dead girl. "Do any of you know her? She was killed recently and we're trying to identify her."

No one would say anything. Aurora saw Tripp and Horatio trying to talk to a few of the other ladies.

"Listen….I'm not here to arrest any of you. I don't need your names….I need hers. She has family out there somewhere that cares for her, and would like to know what happened to her." Aurora said.

No one said anything. Aurora tried again.

"Someone out there cares about her. Someone cared enough to report her death. I just want a name so we can call her family and give her a proper burial." she said.

"Her name is Amy. Amy Kluge. She has a little boy in the foster system." one girl finally said.

"You're sure it's her?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, I saw her a few times around town." the girl said.

Aurora stood up. "Thank you. If you remember anything else, call the Miami-Dade crime lab. Ask for Horatio Caine. He is a wonderful man and will honor your privacy."

She walked over to Horatio. "Girl says her name is Amy Kluge. She has a child in the foster care system."

"Little kid without a mom anymore." Horatio sighed.

"We need to run her information and contact her family." Aurora said.

Horatio nodded. "I'll call Speed."

Tripp walked over to them. "You're really good with street people."

"It's all about not intimidating and a little respect." she smiled.

"Want to come to Miami? We could always use another good detective." Tripp said.

"You heard Mac." Aurora giggled. "Besides, I move here I have to bring Aiden with me, Don would follow her. Then Sheldon and Emily would move down here. And I ain't leaving Mac behind…..nah I'll stay in New York."

Horatio hung up his cell phone. "Let's head back to the lab. Speedle and Delko are getting no where with Clavo's associates."

Aurora nodded. "Yeah, and I'll call Danny. Check in with him."

The three of them walked out of the clinic and headed down the street towards the parked Hummer.

"Any cravings today Aurora?" Tripp asked.

"I don't know if it's a craving or what, but I want a hoagie with banana peppers." Aurora said.

Horatio laughed. "I think we can find a delicatessen on the way back to the lab."

Gun shots rang out in the street. All three grabbed their guns as more shots were fired from a green sedan parked nearby. They began returning fire as people fled from the street.

Aurora screamed out and dropped her weapon. She fell to the ground. Conscious of her duty, she tried looking for her gun despite pain.

"Aurora, stay down!" Tripp yelled.

The sedan took off. Horatio and Tripp fired after it, shooting out the back window and a tire. The car veered into the sidewalk hitting a telephone pole and stopping.

"Call for backup." Horatio yelled at Tripp as he slowly approached the wrecked sedan.

Horatio approached the sedan, his gun in front of him. "Miami-Dade PD, step out of the vehicle, hands where I can see them!"

No movement. Horatio cautiously looked inside. The driver was slumped forward and unmoving. Horatio checked for a pulse. There was one. He looked at the shooter…it was Carlos Diaz. Horatio didn't know if Diaz was knocked out in the wreck or if one of his bullets hit home.

"Tripp, call for rescue. It's Diaz. He is unconscious but alive!" Horatio yelled.

"Aurora has been hit!" Tripp yelled back.

Horatio looked back to see Tripp kneeling next to Aurora. There was blood on the sidewalk. Tripp was lying his jacket over her. Horatio ran over to them. Aurora was lying on the ground, awake and scared.

"How bad is she?" Horatio asked.

"I don't know. She is scared to death." Tripp said.

Horatio pulled out his cell phone. "This is Lt. Horatio Caine of the crime lab. I need rescue downtown, market street NOW. Officer down. Make EMS aware….she's five months pregnant."

"Mac…Mac…where is he?" Aurora was shaking. "If anything happens….Mac…"

Horatio took her hand. "You're going to be fine sweetheart. Everything will be okay."

"Horatio…my baby. My baby. I'm scared." Aurora started to cry.

"Hang in there sweetheart, it's going to be okay." Horatio brushed her hair out of her face. "EMS is on their way."

"Danny…..Danny…." Aurora cried.

"Shhh, try to stay calm." Tripp told her.

In the distance, they heard the sounds of sirens.

**To Be Continued……**


	142. Hospital

_LizfromItaly- I still can't watch Speed's death scene. I cry so bad. _

_StoryMage- I love cliffhangers. Sorry to make you wait. Hope you enjoy. _

_Manhattan SVU- Deep breath calm down. No panic attacks. I am glad you are so wound up in the story._

_Jordayna- Well here is the update. Hope it was fast enough._

_Truebluepatfan12- I am glad you're hanging in there even though you don't watch much Miami. _

_Aphina- I hope you make it this far. Loving all your reviews._

_Meadow567- Speaking of your Wings. They play my Wild this week. LOL Should be a good game, even though Minnesota is seriously sucking lately. And now you'll find out what happens in the story._

_Mac's Girl- Well here is more of the story. I love how you are so into it and give good reviews. Enjoy._

_Trizzy- Don't pull out your hair, you'll look like Tripp. And as always I have a plan, that's why I am doing this. It's all part of the plot, things unfolding etc. Please don't make anyone lose fingers or any other body part. And I still miss Speed too._

_Emador- Well here is the update, I hope you like it. And you stayed calmer than I expected._

(Hospital)

Mac rushed into the ER, he looked around and saw Horatio standing outside the doors that led to the back.

"How is she?" Mac looked panicked.

"We don't know. They took her right back. But the EMS seemed optimistic." Horatio tried to reassure him.

"The baby?" Mac was nearly shaking.

"I don't know." Horatio said honestly.

"This is my fault, I should've been with her." Mac said.

"This is not your fault. She would've been shot whether you were there or not. Tripp and I both pulled our weapons and tried to protect her. It was an ambush." Horatio said.

"I promised I'd look after her. I am the baby's godfather." Mac looked to the doors.

"Mac, this was not something you could control. Right now you need to be strong for her, whatever happens." Horatio said.

"Where is Tripp?" Mac asked.

"Guarding the room that Carlos Diaz is being treated in. He sustained a head injury when his car crashed. We're not taking a chance of escape." Horatio said.

"God, someone has to call Danny." Mac looked around.

"Calm down. She is in good hands. We'll call Danny when we know the prognosis." Horatio said.

"They want this baby so much. They've been so happy." Mac sat down.

"Aurora is a wonderful woman. She is a great cop and a good person." Horatio sat beside Mac.

"Aurora….she has helped me in my own grief. She just opens her heart and welcomes people in." Mac said.

"I noticed. It took her all of 5 minutes to make friends with my staff." Horatio smiled.

"Who is handling the case now?" Mac asked.

"Detective John Hagen is at the scene of the shooting. Calleigh is doing the ballistics and forensic evidence. Delko will be assisting her." Horatio said.

Speed walked in. "any news yet?"

"Not yet." Horatio told him.

Speed lowered his voice. "Is Mac okay? He has been very upset since we heard the call."

"He's very scared right now." Horatio said.

"How's Tripp?" Speed asked.

"Pissed as hell. I would not want to be Diaz." Horatio said.

"How could anyone do this? I mean she is pregnant." Speed shook his head.

"He was desperate. He knew we were closing in and that Clavo couldn't help him forever." Horatio said.

A doctor walked out. "Are you the detectives here with Aurora Messer?"

"Yes, how is she?" Mac jumped up. "The baby? What's going on?"

"Mrs. Messer and her baby are going to be just fine." the doctor assured them. "Aurora was shot in the arm. The bullet grazed her, but caught a vein causing the excessive blood loss. Quick response made a big difference."

"The baby?" Horatio asked.

"We ran tests to be sure. The baby is just fine. Slightly stressed from the trauma to Aurora but will be fine now that Aurora is relaxed. Her baby is very healthy." the doctor smiled. "Aurora was very panicked when she was shot, had a lot of adrenaline rushing…she was very scared for her baby. If you hadn't kept her calm she probably would've gone into premature labor. But both are fine. We want to keep her overnight just to be sure."

"When can we see her?" Mac asked.

"She is being moved upstairs now and she is asking for you." the doctor smiled.

"Mac, why don't you go on up and see her? We'll be up shortly." Horatio said.

"Yeah, I want to see her." Mac nodded.

"Tell her we'll be there soon." Horatio smiled.

Mac nodded and walked towards the elevators. Horatio turned to Speed.

"Speed, call the lab and let everyone know Aurora and her baby are fine." Horatio said.

Speed nodded as Horatio walked down the hall. He found Tripp standing outside the room Carlos Diaz was being held in.

"How is Aurora?" Tripp asked.

"She took a bullet in the arm, severed a vein. But mama and baby are both gonna be fine." Horatio said. "What's the deal with Diaz?"

"Mild concussion from the accident. He's awake." Tripp said. "Doctors are gonna release him soon."

"I want him taken directly to be booked, and he is not allowed any kind of contact with Clavo Cruz." Horatio said and walked into Diaz's room.

Diaz was sitting on the edge of his bed, a bandage on his forehead. Horatio put his hands on his hips and stared at him.

"You caught me, alright. You win." Diaz said.

"Yes I do. I have you for the murder of Amy Kluge, numerous counts of drug trafficking, the attempted murder of an officer and child endangerment." Horatio said. "And that doesn't include what the state of New York has on you."

"What the….what do you mean child endangerment? Because that bitch was pregnant?" Diaz asked.

Horatio looked at him. "You could've killed her child in your effort to kill her. And you should thank God Aurora wasn't killed. Because if you kill an officer it's an automatic death penalty."

"Luckily for me then the bitch survived." Diaz smirked.

Horatio glared at him then gave a small smirk. "However, you may not survive when the boys in prison hear you tried to kill a child."

Horatio turned and walked out of the room, nodding to Tripp as he passed.

(FPPOV)

I was lying in bed, semi-asleep when I heard the door open. I looked up and saw Mac standing in the doorway.

"Mac." I reached for him.

He came to my side and hugged me tight. I hugged him with my good arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just caught one in the arm. Guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. I've never been shot on the job before." I said.

"God, I was so scared. I haven't been this scared since….well since 9/11." Mac said.

I squeezed his hand. "I'm okay."

"The thought of losing you and the baby…" Mac looked down. "I didn't know what I'd do."

"We're okay. The doctor said the baby is fine. They ran all kinds of tests and the baby is okay." I reassured him.

Mac sat down on the edge of the bed. "Aurora…when Claire died…..I shut down a part of myself, of my heart. I was hurting so much….I didn't want to let people in. And part of me was afraid if I loved anyone….I'd get hurt again."

"Well Mac, you loved Claire a lot. She was the love of your life." I held his hand in mine.

"But then you came along……so open and so loving. You give so much and ask nothing in return. You wouldn't let me retreat into myself, but gently nudged me towards living again. You've come to mean so much to me….and then today when I heard you were shot, my heart stopped. All I could think was you would die and not know how much you mean to me." Mac said.

"Oh Mac…I know how much you care." I smiled.

"That's not the point. You tell people how you feel all the time. You never want to leave doubts in their mind. And with our jobs, something can happen anytime." Mac said. "And I found it so hard to say how I feel…but not anymore. You've shown me how easy it is to love someone and how important it is to tell them. I love you Aurora."

"I love you too Mac." I wiped my eyes and hugged him. "I love you so much. And thank you so much for taking such great care of me and being here now."

Mac smiled and gave me a quick kiss. "It's where I need to be."

"Sit with me awhile?" I asked.

Mac shifted until he could hold me without hurting my arm. I leaned against him.

"The doctor said he knows what the baby is, but I told him not to tell me." I giggled.

"You're going to be such a wonderful mother." Mac said.

Speed walked in. He raised an eyebrow. "Danny know about you two?"

"Yeah, he knows Mac is my other man." I chuckled. "It's a long running joke. But Mac and I are very close."

"Well, we've called everyone and let them know you are okay. And we called Danny in New York." Speed said. "Remind me to never make this Aiden chick mad."

"How is everyone?" I asked.

"Aiden was screaming something about wanting Diaz's balls on a platter. Your partner was upset and wanted to fly down here. Emily somebody was crying. And then there was the guy with the fat lesbian porn." Speed rolled his eyes.

I laughed. "Oh Vicaro…he never changes."

"How do you feel?" Speed asked.

"Sore…but okay. Glad my baby is okay." I said.

"Me too. The call scared the hell out of me." Speed nodded. "Can I get you anything?"

"Is there somewhere to get hotdogs nearby? I could really go for one covered in chili sauce with onions." I said.

"Shot, but still having pregnancy cravings." Speed was exasperated. "I'll get you a couple."

"Thank you." I smiled.

Speed nodded and walked out of the room, passing by Horatio who was walking in.

"Aurora, how do you feel?" Horatio asked.

"Not bad all things considered." I said. "What happened out there?"

"Carlos Diaz was trying to subdue the investigation by taking you out." Horatio said. "When we returned fire, we caused him to crash his car. We got him."

"We got him….he's off the streets." I was relieved.

"You just worry about healing and your baby." Horatio smiled.

"Where is Frank?" I asked.

"He's escorting Diaz to be booked." Horatio said.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked.

"I'll give you two a minute." Mac said. He squeezed my hand, then stood up and walked out of the room.

"Something wrong?" Horatio asked.

"No, I just wanted to thank you. The doctor told me that if you and Tripp hadn't kept me calm and acted fast, I would've gone into labor. You saved my baby. I can never thank you enough for that." I said and took his hand.

"There is no need to thank me. You just have a healthy baby and I'll be happy." he smiled.

"You're a wonderful man." I smiled. "You know, Danny and I haven't talked much about a name for a baby boy…might have to name him Horatio….. after all, you saved him."

Horatio smiled. "You don't have to do that."

"It's better than Dante…that's what Danny wants." I rolled my eyes.

"Get some rest. I'll be back later to check on you." Horatio said.

"Oh, one more thing. If that Stetler asshole from IAB starts sniffing around to blame this on you….tell him that I will shove a microscope up his ass." I said.

Horatio gave a small laugh. "If you and Danny ever want to leave New York…there is a place in my lab for him and Tripp would love to have you as a partner."

"Don't let Mac hear you say that." I winked.

"Get some rest." Horatio said and walked out of the room.

(Midnight)

I was sleeping when I heard a noise in my room. I opened my eyes and saw Danny standing in the doorway.

"Danny….oh baby." I sighed as he rushed to hug me.

"Thank god you're alright." he hugged me tight.

"You didn't have to come. I am okay." I said even though I was so happy to see him.

"You're my wife and you're pregnant…where else would I be?" Danny looked me over. "My god I was so scared."

Danny leaned down and kissed me.

"We're okay. I am so glad you're here." I said and kissed him again.

Danny touched the baby. "My baby…"

"They have been monitoring the baby very close. It's fine." I assured him.

"Danny?" Mac woke up from the chair next to my bed where he'd fallen asleep.

"Mac, I made it in. You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mac said.

"Thanks for looking after her. It helped knowing you were with her until I could get here." Danny said.

Mac nodded. "No problem…I wanted to be here for her and the baby."

"They'll probably release me in the morning." I said.

"I am so glad you're okay." Danny sat down on the bed with me.

"Hold me?" I asked.

"Of course." Danny scooted so he could hold me. "Get some sleep. You need rest. I'll hold you."

I snuggled up with Danny careful of my wounded arm. "I love you."

"I love you too." Danny kissed me. "Get some rest. I'll still be here in the morning."

I smiled and closed my eyes.


	143. Going Home

_Trizzy- Well of course Danny is going to Miami. His pregnant wife was shot. Any man worth much would do the same thing. And I think Danny is going for Dante because you know DANiel, DANte. And it's Italian. And Aurora could have twins and Danny would be thrilled, triplets he'd be okay. Quadruplets he'd be signing up for a vasectomy. Anymore than that and he would jump off the Brooklyn Bridge no matter who the babies looked like._

_Mac's Girl- Can I join the conga line? Those are fun. And if they punched Diaz they would've been in trouble no matter how much he deserved it. LOL_

_Jordayna- LOL, sorry no Diaz getting in prison story. But I hope you like what I do have planned._

_Manhattan SVU- You gotta love Vicaro, he is a hoot to write. And I have mixed emotions about Stetler on the show but that is a whole other story. Glad you liked it._

_Truebluepatfan12- I am glad you liked it. I can't believe how much more of the story there is before she has the baby._

_Meadow567- The Sharks are a great team this year. The Wild beat Chicago last night in an awesome game that had me on the edge of my seat. I heart Ralston._

_Emador- You are the only person that commented on the possibility of the baby being named Horatio. Hmmm. Anywho, hope you enjoy this chappie. It's not what I expected, but it's ok._

Horatio and Tripp walked Danny, Mac and me through the airport. We were headed back to NYC. Diaz was going to be prosecuted in Miami for the death of Amy Kluge with the agreement that if he did not receive the death penalty, they would allow him to be extradited to New York to stand trial for multiple murders.

I had been released from the hospital the day before. My arm with stitched and sore, but both me and the baby was fine. Danny had not left my side anymore than he had to. The Miami staff had been in and out of the hospital often to check on me.

"Do you want anything before the flight?" Danny asked me.

"I could really go for a soft pretzel and a slushy." I said.

"And the cravings are just starting." Tripp laughed.

"I'll get it for you." Danny said and took off for the concessions. I smiled.

"You know he really is crazy about you." Horatio smiled.

"I know. I'm so lucky to have him." I said.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." I smiled. I turned to Tripp. "Thank you so much for everything. You were right there when I needed you."

"I'm just glad I could help." Tripp said.

"Take care Frank." I hugged him.

"You too. Let us know about the baby." Tripp said.

"I will." I smiled. "Horatio, you have a minute?"

"Always for you." he smiled.

We walked on ahead of the others. "Horatio, I can never thank you enough for everything. For helping with the case, for being there when I was shot….I owe you so much."

Horatio stopped. "Friends look out for one another."

I smiled. "Thank you….you're a great man Horatio Caine."

"Thank you. I think you're a great person too." he said.

"Keep me updated on how Diaz's trial goes." I said.

"Of course." Horatio said. "Good luck with the baby."

I smiled. "When the baby is born, I'll be sure to send some pictures for you and your team. Or you could fly up to New York and see the baby. Danny and me would be more than happy to have you."

Horatio smiled again. "I just might do that."

I hugged him with my good arm. "Take care of yourself. From the stories your team tells…you get into quite a bit of trouble."

"I'll do what I can." he said.

"No more making yourself the target for a sniper. No more ending up in the middle of a prison break. No more chasing down planes in your hummer." I chuckled.

"You've been talking to Alexx." Horatio laughed.

I kissed his cheek. "Thanks again. I don't know what would've happened without you."

Horatio looked at me from under his eyelashes. I smiled.

"I should go. Danny will be back with my food and our flight will be boarding." I said.

"Have a safe trip." Horatio said.

"Thanks. I hope you enjoy the holidays." I said.

"Danny is back." Horatio nodded to Danny standing with Mac and Tripp.

Horatio and I started to walk towards them. But I stopped.

"One more thing." I said. "Get Clavo Cruz. Find some way to get his immunity revoked and get him off the streets. He can't go on hurting people."

"I will." Horatio nodded.

"And when you do, call me. I want to watch the news and see him in shackles." I said.

"I will." Horatio said. "You have my word."

We walked back over to Danny and Mac and Tripp. Danny handed me my pretzel and slushy.

"Danny, you have a great wife. You're very lucky." Horatio smiled.

"I know it too. I don't deserve her." Danny smiled.

"Take good care of her and the baby." Horatio smiled.

"I will." Danny assured him.

"We should get going. The plane is starting to board passengers." Mac said.

(JFK Airport)

Danny, Mac and I stepped off of the plane in NYC. Back to cold weather and snowy streets. It was good to be home with cold weather while Christmas carols played.

"Aurora, there you are thank god. I was scared to death when they called and said you'd been shot." Aiden ran up and hugged me. She leaned down and hugged my tummy. "How dare anyone try to hurt my baby."

"Are you okay?" Don walked up with her.

"Oh yeah I am fine. Just sore." I said.

"Danny, you okay? You were a wreck when you left." Don asked.

"Once I got there and saw for myself that she was okay, I calmed down." Danny said.

"We're so glad you're home." Don hugged me.

"Sheldon wants to examine you himself in the morning." Aiden said.

"And I am so glad that I don't have to deal with Vicaro anymore." Don said.

"And we've missed Mac around the lab." Aiden smiled.

"I am just glad to be home. Snow and cold for Christmas." I said.

"Emily is kinda homesick. She was talking about it when we went Christmas shopping last night." Aiden said.

"We so have to go shopping this week. I need a few more things for Danny." I said as we started walking through the airport." I said.

"Emily and I are going to help you with Christmas dinner, just like thanksgiving. You shouldn't be doing that all alone. Besides, it's the baby's first Christmas." Aiden said.

"That sounds wonderful. I am going to midnight mass with Mac and Danny. The holidays is all coming together." I said.

"Wait till you see one of the presents Danny got you. It's awesome. Don and Louie went with him to get it." Aiden said.

(Pelham Bay)

"Danny, since when do you sleep with a t-shirt on?" I asked him as we were getting ready for bed.

"The urge just struck me." Danny shrugged.

"Oh." I laid down. "Man it feels good to be in my own bed again."

Danny turned out the light and snuggled down beside me. "I am so glad to have you home and safe. When they called from the hospital….I've never felt panic like that."

"I'm glad to be home. I missed you so much. It's not the same not sleeping in your arms." I said and kissed him.

"I missed you too." Danny kissed me. He traced the bandage on my arm.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I am just checking you out on my own kind of thing." Danny looked up at me.

"Believe me, Mac and Horatio had every kind of doctor possible looking at me. And Delko brought me a rosary. I swear I am fine." I smiled at him.

"I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you." he kissed me again.

"I love you too." I brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"And my baby." Danny slid down the bed so he could rub my tummy. "My little baby is still safe and healthy."

I smiled at Danny and ran a hand through his hair. Danny slid back up the bed and kissed me. I felt his hand sliding up my thigh, under my night gown.

"Danny…" I started to protest, not knowing how much I could do with my arm injured.

"Shhh, just relax and enjoy. This is for you." Danny smiled, then slid down the bed again.

I groaned and sank back in the pillows. Danny slid my panties off and nudged my thighs farther apart. Next I felt Danny licking up the inside of my thigh.

"Danny…" I moaned.

I looked down. Danny grinned up at me, licked his lips and winked. He lowered his head.

"Danny….oh fuck!"


	144. Mac Goes Back to the 80's

_Bioassy- Me too. And I loved writing the Miami parts. _

_TVJunkie323- Horatio is just so protective in general. It's great. And I just adore Tripp. And I love how Danny thinks, LOL._

_Meadow567- Your PM about Chev confused the crap out of me._

_Jordayna- Wish I could get a doctor to prescribe that, LOL._

_Trizzy- Relax, baby Messer is still a ways off. Danny is awesome though. I wish I had a man like him. Sorry about your potpie. _

_Mac's Girl- I love the conga line. Danny is great. I know if I was shot, that is how I would want to be welcomed home._

_Manhattan SVU- I loved writing the Miami stuff. The next chappie is Christmas. I hope everyone enjoys this. This chappie was just fun to relax after the recent drama._

_Emador- You and the t-shirt. And you know H is always in trouble of some kind._

_Truebluepatfan12- Umm, her last comment was…feeling good…didn't you realize what Danny as doing? LOL_

"How did those girls talk us into this just a few days before Christmas?" Sheldon asked as they got ready in the men's locker room.

"They've been wanting to do an 80's night for awhile now. We were supposed to go to one hit wonders from the 80's night, but Rora got shot." Flack said.

"Mac, how did they con you into this?" Sheldon asked.

"Aurora asked me to go and she's been so emotional lately, I was afraid if I said no, she'd cry. So I figured I could at least go and grab a beer or something." Mac said.

"She has cried so much this week…Sheldon should I be worried?" Danny asked.

"No, its just her hormones. She'll have spells of this until the baby is born." Sheldon said. "Just be patient with her."

"Rora has been craving beef jerky all week." Flack said. "I've been to that little snack shop on the corner so much, they just hand me a bag now when I walk in."

"Has Aurora seen her gift yet?" Mac asked.

"No, I plan on showing her soon." Danny said.

"How's her arm?" Mac asked.

"Good, most of the stitches are out." Danny said.

"I need you guys' help with Emily's gift." Sheldon said.

"Are you gonna propose?" Mac asked.

"No, not yet at least. But I have something special planned. I am afraid if I tell the girls, they'll let it slip." Sheldon said.

"Okay, I suppose we can go find the ladies." Danny said.

"Mac, you gonna do the electric slide?" Flack snickered.

"Maybe they'll play some Springsteen." Sheldon laughed.

Mac rolled his eyes as they filed out of the locker room. They found the ladies waiting in the hall for them. They were dressed up to go out for the evening. Even Aurora had found a nice maternity dress she liked and was showing it off.

"Are we ready to head out?" Flack asked and kissed Aiden.

"Yeah, it's gonna be fun. We're gonna request Def Leppard." Emily smiled.

(80's Night)

"I have missed coming here." Aurora said as they plowed their way through the crowd.

"Yeah, it's been awhile." Aiden said.

"I see a big booth in the back." Sheldon said.

They all made their way to the booth as Van Halen's 'Panama' played throughout the club. They sat down in the booth and sent Sheldon and Emily to the bar for the drinks.

"There are a lot of people here tonight." Aiden said.

"Yeah, I am so excited. The holidays are here." Aurora snuggled on Mac's arm. "I want everybody at out house Christmas for a light dinner with drinks…casual get together. Big dinner on Christmas day."

"You sure you're up for all that?" Aiden asked.

"Oh yes, I am very excited about it. It's the baby's first Christmas. Louie and Donald will be there. I can hardly wait." Aurora smiled.

"So Mac, this bring lots of memories? Did you Wang Chung back in the 80's?" Flack laughed.

Mac shook his head with a laugh. "Not quite."

Sheldon and Emily came back with the drinks. A few pitchers of beer for the group and a pitcher of soda for Aurora. Aurora leaned on Mac, Mac lifted an eyebrow but said nothing.

"So Flack, you done Christmas shopping?" Emily laughed.

"Yes, believe it or not. Of course Aiden kept after me." Flack said.

"Well last year it was December 23rd and you called me griping about the crowds." Aurora giggled.

"I was in line behind this old woman who had a rug with no price tag so they had to run this price check. Well it took like ten minutes to run the check, meanwhile we're all standing there waiting. Well they tell her the price and she didn't even buy it. After all that she didn't want it and made them take it back." Flack said. "I wanted to shoot her."

The group laughed.

"How about you Mac?" Sheldon asked.

"Yeah, I finished. Aurora made me give actual gifts this year. I'd gotten so used to just buying everyone gift certificates. She insisted I get in the spirit and buy real gifts." Mac smiled.

"How's the baby?" Flack asked.

"Fine, we have a sonogram next week. Sheldon checked me yesterday and said everything was fine." she said.

"Is the baby moving yet?" Mac asked.

"Not yet. Sheldon says it could anytime." she answered.

"Have we agreed on names yet?" Aiden asked.

"Taylor." Aurora said.

"Gianna." Danny said.

"Taylor." Aurora said.

"And for a boy?" Emily asked.

"Horatio." Aurora said.

"Dante." Danny said.

"I don't like that name." Aurora said.

"What kind of name is Horatio?" Danny asked.

"It's a wonderful name. Lt. Caine was named after Horatio Alger." Aurora insisted.

"I'm going to start a betting pool on which one of them wins and ends up naming the baby." Flack said.

"Give me ten bucks on Rora." Aiden said. "I know Danny loves her too much to deny her anything. Besides, one look at her holding that new baby he'll get all sappy and wouldn't care if she named it OJ Simpson."

"Speaking of Horatio, he called today." Mac said. "He said that Carlos Diaz's trial date is set for February and wanted to check on the baby."

"I really liked the Miami team." Danny said.

"Me too. They were really nice and friendly." Aurora smiled. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"I'll go with you." Aiden jumped up.

"Me too." Emily joined them.

"What the hell do you women do in there?" Flack asked.

"Squat to pee." Aurora said as they walked off.

Flack rolled his eyes. "Those girls."

"Danny, Aurora is clinging to me a lot. Are you okay with that?" Mac asked.

Danny nodded. "Oh yeah. She's always found in you somewhat of a older brother figure. I think she gets from you what she never did her real brothers."

"How are you holding up Danny?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm fine. She's had a rough week so being there for her is the most important. But she's been better today and is looking forward to the holidays." Danny said.

"You're handling everything well." Sheldon said. "Some men lose patience and get angry with their wives when they're going through this."

Meanwhile in the ladies room, Aurora was standing in front of the mirror making a face.

"I am getting so fat." she frowned.

"You are not. That's the baby. You look great." Aiden hugged her baby. "Besides, Danny hasn't changed towards you has he?"

"No, and he still initiates sex." Aurora said.

"See, he still thinks you're beautiful." Aiden said.

"Okay, you're way too happy today. What happened last night? I know you were supposed to go out with Don." Aurora said.

"He took me to a nice dinner…I mean a fancy place, dress up the whole bit." Aiden smiled.

"Don? Don Flack?" Aurora was shocked.

"Yeah, it was great. Well we ended back at my place…" Aiden nearly had stars in her eyes.

"And?" Emily asked.

"And that man does things in bed that should be illegal they feel so good." Aiden smiled.

"That good huh? Maybe I should've pulled Don into a dark corner at that rave last summer." Aurora giggled.

"And how's things with our favorite ME?" Aiden asked Emily.

"Great….really great." Emily smiled.

"And what's our medicine man best at in the bedroom?" Aurora asked.

Emily blushed slightly. "Well Sheldon gives great massages…and when you're naked in the middle of the bed…I swear one of these days I'm just gonna melt into a puddle."

"I could so see Sheldon giving good massages." Aiden said.

"Sometimes he goes all out, you know oil and all….it's amazing." Emily said.

"I can't believe Christmas is almost here." Aiden said.

"I know, I wish I'd been able to go home for Christmas." Emily said.

"I know you've been homesick. Maybe you could plan to go out to California for Easter. Take Sheldon with you and meet your folks." Aurora said.

"In the meantime, we'll have a great Christmas here. And we'll all be with you." Aiden said.

"We should probably get back to the guys before they draw straws to see who has to venture in looking for us." Aurora said.

They walked out of the restroom and through the club back to the table.

"Are we ever gonna dance?" Sheldon asked.

"You gonna moonwalk for us?" Aiden giggled.

"Let's go request Michael Jackson. Sheldon can moonwalk for us." Aurora giggled.

"Ladies…." Sheldon started but the three had taken off.

"You know they're gonna make you get out there and moonwalk." Danny laughed.

"I know, I know." Sheldon groaned.

A few minutes later, the three girls came back giggling. They grabbed Sheldon and pulled him out of the booth.

"Come on, they're gonna play Michael Jackson next." Aiden said as they pulled him towards the dance floor.

"Guys?" Sheldon looked over his shoulder.

"We're coming to watch." Flack laughed and got up.

The girls dragged Sheldon to the center of the dance floor and they danced to whatever was playing waiting on Michael Jackson to start. Sheldon looked over and noticed Mac standing along the edge.

"Et tu Mac?' Sheldon asked.

"Are you kidding? My ME doing the moonwalk…I wouldn't miss this. I wish you had a sequined glove." Mac snickered.

Emily got out her cell phone. "I am so taking pictures of this."

Aurora snuggled closer to Danny and kissed him. "I'm gonna dance a few slow songs with Mac." She said.

"That's fine. Just have fun." He kissed her again.

'Billie Jean' started playing. The girls all giggled and turned to Sheldon.


	145. Christmas Eve

_Trizzy- I think it would be hilarious to see Sheldon doing the moonwalk. And Rora just feels close to Mac. And I love the Danny/Rora fighting over the baby name. Its so fun to write. Keeping everyone in suspense as to the baby's name. I would love to go to an 80's night. That would be fun._

_Manhattan SVU- I think Mac was more slow dancing, just there to have fun. And I could see Sheldon moon walking, he has the personality for it. _

_Meadow567- Wow, that was a quick review. Is it me or does Vs. not show nearly enough hockey?_

_Jordayna- You find out in this chapter. Hope you like it._

_Mac's Girl- I can't picture Mac doing the electric slide no matter how vivid my imagination gets. LOL Don't worry, when baby Messer gets here, it will have a name._

_Truebluepatfan12- I am glad you knew, I was afraid I'd have to draw a diagram, LOL. _

_Emador- I hope you enjoy this chappie. I finally got it done. And relax about Mac and Rora, LOL. _

I was lying napping for an hour or so before I had to get ready for the Christmas eve party that evening. Danny came into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Baby, you awake?" he asked.

"Yeah, I should get up and start getting dressed. I have all the platters made up and in the fridge. Mac is making the eggnog as is tradition." I said.

"I wanna give you one of your Christmas gifts now." Danny said.

"It's only 4PM on Christmas eve." I said.

"I know, but this is a special one and I want to give it to you now." Danny said.

"Okay, if you want to." I smiled and sat up in bed.

Danny stood up and pulled his shirt off and turned so his back was to me. One the left side of his lower back was a new tattoo, a rather large and extensive one. I moved closer and gasped.

"Danny….its….how did you?" I reached out to touch the delicate lines.

It was a tattoo like a portrait of me. It was done in black ink, and looked like a real picture.

"I got it while you were in Miami. Louie and Flack went with me. Louie knew this really good tattoo artist in Queens that specializes in portrait tattoos." Danny explained.

"It's so beautiful. I can't believe you did that." I said.

Danny sat down beside me. "I wanted to. At first I was just gonna get your name. But when Louie told me about this guy…it was exactly what I wanted. Something to show much I love you, and how proud I am that you're my wife."

"Danny, I don't know what to say. I love it." I kissed him. I could feel tears coming on.

"I'm glad you like it. It's why I've kept my shirt on to sleep the past few weeks. I was letting it heal." Danny said.

"I don't recognize the picture. Where did you find it?" I asked.

"The artist designed it. I took him a few pictures of you. And he came up with this. I thought you looked beautiful, your hair in the wind, smiling." Danny said.

"I love you so much." I told him.

"I love you too." Danny kissed me. "We got time for a shower before guests start arriving."

"Well then we shouldn't waste time." I said and kissed him again.

(6PM)

Everyone had arrived. Mac was making his special eggnog. Emily and Aiden were in the kitchen with me. The guys were hanging out in the living room.

"I can't believe how much you got done on the nursery." Stella said. "It looks great."

"Danny has worked so hard getting it painted and putting the furniture together." I said.

"I hear he showed you his new tattoo." Aiden chuckled.

"It's so beautiful. I think it's the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given me. I just can't get over it." I said.

"I thought it was awesome." Aiden said.

"I saw it the day after he got it done. I thought it was scary looking. I mean it was still seeping blood and ink." Stella said.

"And he couldn't lean back against his chair for a day or two." Aiden giggled. "And complained he couldn't sleep on his back."

I laughed. "Okay the wassail is hot. If you ladies can grab the appetizer trays."

We walked out into the living room where the guys were sitting around. All the decorations were lit.

"Aurora, I made two things of eggnog. One with rum and one with just rum flavoring." Mac smiled.

"Yeah I don't want anything hurting the baby." I smiled at him.

"Heaven's no. We've had enough drama this year." Flack said.

"Yeah, Danny's hit and run. Dustin Nelson trying to kill Mac, and then trying to run down the girls. Then Rora gets shot." Sheldon said.

"But it's been a good year too. Danny and Aurora got married, now they're having a baby." Donald said.

I snuggled down beside Danny. "It has been a good year."

"And next Christmas we'll have the new baby here." Louie smiled.

"Maybe they'll have agreed on a name by then." Flack laughed.

I sipped some of Mac's famous eggnog. It was really good.

"Rora, where did you find that sweater. I love the snowmen." Stella asked.

"I was lucky, it stretched enough I could get it over the baby without looking tacky." I said.

"I think she's a gorgeous pregnant woman. She glows." Donald said.

"Thank you." I smiled.

There was a knock at our front door.

"Oh, I'll get it." I said and stood up.

"Who is it? We're all here." Emily asked.

"Might be Vicaro. We told him he could stop by if he wanted." Danny said.

I walked into the hallway and opened our front door.

"I am so glad you made it. How was the flight in?" I asked in a whisper.

"Great, does she know?"

"Doesn't suspect a thing. I'm Aurora Messer." I introduced myself. "Come on in, we're all here."

I helped them inside the house and took their coats to be hung up. I motioned for them to follow me into the living room.

"Emily, there was this big Christmas present for you left at the door. It's from Sheldon." I giggled.

Emily looked up. "Mom? Dad?"

"Merry Christmas sweetie. Sheldon flew us in." her mom said.

Emily looked at Sheldon. "What?"

"I knew you were homesick and with the caseload and stuff you couldn't go home. So I made arrangements for your parents to come to New York and spend Christmas with you." Sheldon kissed her cheek.

Emily was in tears. Aiden and me weren't far behind. Emily ran and hugged her parents. I moved to lean against Danny, watching the touching reunion.

"Everyone, these are my parents Steve and Paula." Emily turned to us.

"It's so nice to meet you finally. Emily has told us all so much about you." I said.

"She's told us all about you guys too." Steve said.

"Join the party. Get some food, something to drink." Danny smiled.

"I am so excited you guys are here." Emily said.

"Sheldon was very nice about everything. I like him already." Paula said. "And a doctor."

"Make sure you get some of Aurora's cookies. I have gained weight this month from eating them." Donald said.

"We need pictures of Danny and Rora by the Christmas tree. To show how pregnant she looks at Christmas." Aiden said.

"Danny took me to see Santa the other day." I pointed to the picture of me sitting on Santa's knee.

"I know, but we need out picture to show how you look in your 5th month." Aiden said.

Danny and I walked over to the Christmas tree as Aiden jumped to get her camera.

"Rora, turn to the side so we can see the baby better." Stella said.

I turned and Danny put his arms around me. Aiden clicked off a few pictures.

"Okay, everyone enjoy the food. Have fun. I'll turn on some Christmas music." I said.

"No country. I don't wanna hear any 'my wife left me on Christmas day and took my best hunting dog'." Flack called out.


	146. La Maz

_Soccer-bitch- Thanks for the review. I hope you continue reading the story. _

_Snowbear96- There you are, back and hugging again._

_Manhattan SVU- Yeah, they seem like guys that would be great to their ladies. Well this is the baby's first Christmas, but they meant more the baby's first Christmas out of the womb, LOL. _

_Truebluepatfan12- Thanks, I hope you enjoy this. Some humor._

_TVJunkie323- I really wanted Sheldon to do something big and special for Emily. Helps bring them out in the story a bit._

_Meadow567- A friend of mine has his son tattooed on the middle of his back. Looks like the Pens are leaving Pittsburgh. Mario has given up and is looking outside the state now._

_Mac's Girl- I love writing Flack humor. He is so much fun. I hope you enjoy the humor here._

_Trizzy- Flack is fun to write humor for. I am glad you explained things so no one thought you were crazy. And I wanted Sheldon to shine a bit so I did the big gift thing. And I loved the tattoo idea and could see Danny doing it so I wrote it. Also, I already know baby Messer's name and can promise it's not Emerson._

_Emador- Well you're home now. I hope you enjoy this. It was written in kinda a hurry, LOL._

_**Author's Note- **Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you have a great holiday. _

"Flack, will you come on. This is our first childbirth class and I don't want to be late." I said as we walked in carrying pillows.

"But wouldn't you rather have a woman as your backup coach? Like Aiden?" Flack asked.

"No, I am with you more." I said. "Besides, what is the big deal? I'll be the one giving birth. You just hold my hand, tell me when to breathe and count." I told him.

"I am the only guy here that isn't with his wife or girlfriend." Flack looked around the room.

"You'll be fine. Besides, you're the baby's godfather." Danny said.

"So is Mac, he'd be better at this anyway. You know he is always so calm and collected and could probably deliver the baby himself. He's like MacGyver, he can do anything. Build a nuclear bomb out of a book of matches and stick of gum. Deliver a baby, and then head home for dinner." Flack said.

"I am not with Mac as much." I said as we took a seat on the floor.

"So how did Aiden like her Christmas gift? She hasn't stopped smiling yet." Danny said.

"She loved it…I mean jumping up and down loved it. Sex was great too." Flack smiled.

"Yeah, she told me all about it." I said.

"We all going to Times Square again for New Years?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, Emily is insisting." I said.

"Sheldon loved her parents. I need to get in on that betting pool for when he buys her a ring." Flack said.

"She told me her parents loved him. We could be hearing wedding bells soon." I said. "Remind me to talk to Sheldon. He is not allowed to propose until after the baby is born. There is no way that I am going to be a bridesmaid and walk down the aisle looking like a whale in an evening gown."

"Will you quit worrying about your weight? The doctor and Sheldon said that you are doing great with your weight gain." Danny said.

"Well it's hard. I mean…I was always so pretty and thin that now that nothing fits….I feel very awkward." I said. "And not being able to move as fast….it's a hard change for me."

"And in a few months we'll have a new baby and it'll all be worth it." Danny said.

"Yeah, I know." I sighed.

"Do you realize we look like a weird threesome?" Flack said.

"YES! After Danny saying for MONTHS he was having a threesome with me and Aiden after that fetish case……I get a threesome with the two of you." I laughed.

"I just feel a bit out of place." Flack said.

"Well don't. We want you here. The baby needs you in case Danny can't be here. I need you too." I hugged him.

"Oh sure, play sense of friendship card." Flack sighed.

"You know you love that baby already." Danny said.

"Yeah I do." Flack said.

The class instructor stood in front of the class. "Welcome everyone and especially you new mommies to be."

Danny squeezed my hand as the class instructor droned on her big welcome speech and started what we would cover in class over the next few months.

"First, let's start with making mommy comfortable so daddies and coaches get the pillows, make sure mommy is comfortable." The instructor said.

Danny put the pillow in front of him so I could lean back on him. Flack helped fluff a few pillows for me to hold.

"Okay, now it's important to make sure mommy is comfortable as possible. The more relaxed she is, the easier labor will be." The instructor said. "So rub her shoulders and arms, talk in soothing tones."

Danny rubbed my shoulders. "You okay so far?"

"She's not in labor yet." Flack said.

"Just making sure she's comfortable. Besides, you're going to have to let her lean on you and you rub her shoulders too." Danny said.

"What if I have to be in the actual delivery room with her?" Flack asked.

"You'll coach me and do just fine." I smiled.

"But what if I see…you know…."

"The baby being born?" I asked.

"No your lower half. I mean you're my friend and partner and….it'd be weird." Flack said.

I laughed. "First of all, you can stand by my head. Second, it's a baby being born, the most beautiful thing ever."

Flack didn't look convinced.

"Not like you've never seen a vagina before Don." Danny rolled his eyes.

"I've never seen Aurora's!" Don said and I swear almost blushed.

"Son of an NYPD legend, one of the best detectives in New York state, and gets nervous and uptight about childbirth." I laughed.

"Okay, now coaches and daddies, its very important that throughout the whole labor, you be very very supportive of mommy." The instructor continued. "No matter how much she is crying or screaming or whatever….tell her she is doing great and that you're proud of her. If you're married or in a relationship with mommy, tell her you love her."

"Just think Don, someday you get to do this all again with Aiden." Danny smiled.

"Has my dad been talking to you?" Flack asked.

"He really likes Aiden." I said.

"I know. I know." Flack said.

"Now, during labor, mommy can't eat or drink. So daddies and coaches have ice chips on hand to help keep mommies mouth moistened." The instructor said.

"My baby is Italian, it's has to eat." I joked.

"Since you're nursing, you can feed it as soon as it's born. Sheldon said that fluid you produce before your milk comes in is healthy for the baby." Danny said.

"You're nursing? Won't that cause sagging?" Flack asked.

"It's better for the baby. And hell that is why they invented breast lifts." I said.

"I am having a conversation about tits and vagina and can't even enjoy it!" Flack rolled his eyes.

"Look at the bright side Flack, when Aiden gets pregnant, its nine months of blowjobs." Danny smirked. "Gotta make sure the baby is getting plenty of protein."

"With this conversation its no wonder people think we're having a threesome." I winked at Flack.

"You're not giving birth in one of those bathtubs are you?" Flack asked.

"No, a regular bed, feet in stirrups, screaming that all men should be castrated." I smiled.

"Hey, you enjoyed getting pregnant." Danny said.

"Yeah…you're very good at that part." I kissed his cheek.


	147. Sonograms

_Trizzy- Wow you just like all the chapters. This is turning into the story that never ends, lol. I know how it will end its just getting it all written, LOL._

_Meadow567- I don't want them to move. Just because I am pouting that they let go of my Craig Patrick doesn't mean I want them to leave. _

_Emador- LOL, Donnie sees Aurora different now that she is married to his best friend and all. Not like she is some stripper who lets all men see her business, LOL. _

_Truebluepatfan12- I am glad you liked it. I want to write Don as excited about the baby but grossed out at childbirth itself._

_Mac's Girl- Mac is one of these Jack of All trades that could deliver a baby. He can probably cook, work on cars, be president, LOL._

_Soccer-bitch- I am glad you liked it. Hopefully with the holidays over, I can write more regularly now._

**Author's Note- **_Special Thanks to Emador who helped write parts of this chapter while I was off at New Years events. _

"Danny are you alright?" I took his hand. We were sitting in the waiting room to Dr. Lacy's office to have our first sonogram.

"I am just excited. We're about to see our baby for the first time." Danny said.

"I know, I just hope everything is fine." I said.

"You're healthy and have had no bad effects from the shooting. I am sure our baby is fine." Danny smiled.

"I hope so." I said. "And I hope this goes fast I have to pee. I never drank so much water in my life."

"Aurora Messer, the doctor will see you now." The nurse said.

We stood up and walked to the back. I squeezed Danny's hand slightly. He smiled at me as the nurse led us to the back to an exam room. She had me sit on a table.

"How is everything going?" she asked as she took my blood pressure.

"Good, no problems since the shooting in Miami." I said.

"Any bleeding or cramps?" she asked.

"No, I'd have her at the hospital right away if there were." Danny said.

"Good. Well the baby is certainly starting to show. Felt any movement yet?" she asked.

"No, we keep waiting." I said.

"Well it could be anytime now. Let's get your measurements." She said and started measuring how much my stomach was swelled with the baby.

"Looks good, your baby is really growing." She said.

"Our ME keeps a close eye on me." I said.

"Okay, you can put on that gown and hop up on the table. Dr. Lacy will be in to examine you soon." She said and walked out.

I began putting on the gown. Danny sat nearby.

"In all honesty do you want a boy or girl?" Danny asked.

"I just want a happy healthy baby. I don't care what gender or hair color or eye color, as long as its healthy and happy." I said.

Danny smiled. "Up on the table." He helped me up.

"Damn, I gotta pee." I said. Danny smiled.

Danny sat close to me and held my hand as we waited to the doctor to come in. I was nervous and could tell Danny was still anxious. We had decided not to find out what the baby was.

Dr. Lacy walked in. "Well how are we doing?"

"Good, we're excited to see the baby." I smiled.

"Looking at your charts, it looks like everything is fine." Dr. Lacy said.

"Is there anything else we should be doing right now? We started child birth classes. Aurora gets plenty of sleep. She doesn't work long shifts." Danny said.

"Sounds like everything is great. The baby should start moving actively soon. Just keep taking good care of her is all you can do." Dr. Lacy smiled. "Ready to see your baby?"

I nodded.

"Alright, let's get started. Aurora, lay back on the table. Just relax." Dr. Lacy said. I did as he asked. Danny sat down near my head.

Dr. Lacy opened the front of my gown. "Okay the jelly is going to be a bit cold." He spread the goo on my belly.

He then took the thing and moved it around my belly for a few seconds and soon an image popped up on the screen.

"There is your baby. There is a head and a hand." Dr. Lacy pointed out.

"Oh Danny," I said, squeezing his hand. "That's our baby."

I smiled and fought back tears. It was the most wonderful thing I ever saw. Danny smiled, and I could see he was misty eyed. He didn't take his eyes off the screen.

"It's amazing that something like that is growing inside me right now," I said. I was so in awe of that little baby.

"It's beautiful. That's our baby." Danny smiled and kissed me.

"I can see what the baby is. Do you want to know?" Dr. Lacy asked.

"No, we still haven't changed our minds. We want to be surprised." I said.

"Is the baby okay? Is there any problems?" Danny asked.

"The baby is very healthy. It's developing normally, everything looks great. No signs of a problem, strong heartbeat." Dr. Lacy said.

"That's great." I said and leaned against Danny. "Our baby is healthy."

"I can't believe that is our baby. I mean...we did that." Danny smiled.

"I'll print out a picture for you." Dr. Lacy smiled.

(Later, Station)

"Horatio, the baby is beautiful. Well of course I think so because I am the mommy. But you can see a little mouth and eyes." I said over the phone.

I had called Lt. Caine to tell him about my sonogram and to check on the Diaz case.

"I am sure the baby is cute. The doctor said everything was doing well?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, they gave us a picture from the sonogram. I am faxing you a copy. You can see the baby's face pretty clearly. I thought you and your team would like to see it." I said as I scanned the picture.

"I am glad everything is okay. Did you have a good new years?" Caine asked.

"It was great. We went to Time's Square and saw the ball drop. It was cold as can be." I chuckled. "How was yours?"

"Alexx had a party, but we ended up having to call it short when someone was found dead in a pool at a party near Biscayne." Horatio said.

"Yeah, I've had plans interrupted by calls before too. Part of the job. How is the Diaz case going?" I asked.

"He is being held without bail. His attorney is trying to delay as much as possible. We're hoping to be in court by March." Horatio said.

"You make sure the charges stick on that bastard." I said.

"You know I will." Horatio said. "So, do we have a name for the baby yet?"

"No…we'll probably still be fighting about it in the delivery room and nurse will name the baby Bob to keep things simple." I chuckled.

"Danny still like the name Dante?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, so I asked him if we could consider other Italian names because he wants an Italian name…..my partner says name this baby Mario and the next one Luigi after the video game." I rolled my eyes. "I still say we're naming the baby after you if it's a boy."

(8PM, Morgue)

That night after Sheldon finished his shift at the morgue, he had all of us gather down there. He had a 3D sonogram machine that he used for autopsies that he was going to use on me to see the baby, get a clearer image and so everyone could see.

"You moonlighting as an OB/GYN now, Hawkes?" asked Flack.

Sheldon smiled. "Well, I doubt this is Rora and Danny's last baby. Not to mention there is still Emily and Aiden to go," joked Sheldon. Aiden caught Emily's eye and they both shared a smile. I then caught their eyes and smiled at them.

"Why do you girls do that?" asked Flack.

"Do what?" asked Aiden.

"That eye…smile…silent talking thing," he said.

"It's a girl thing," Aiden shrugged.

"I don't get it," said Flack.

"Don't worry about it, Don," I said. "You're a man, you're not supposed to."

"Aurora, did you drink enough water?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, twice in one day I had to do that. My bladder is gonna think I am becoming a camel." I said.

"Danny has been showing that picture of the baby Dr. Lacy gave you to EVERYBODY. I think even Thacker got a look." Flack said.

"He is a proud papa, leave him alone." Aiden punched Flack's arm.

"Can we do this before I pee all over the autopsy table?" I asked.

"Sure, the machine is ready." Sheldon said.

I leaned back and pulled my shirt up enough so Sheldon could do the sonogram. Danny held my hand and the rest of them gathered around the monitor.

"Sheldon, don't you have any KY that is warm?" I asked as he spread cool gel across my stomach.

"Sorry, Emily used up the last of my KY Warm Sensations." Sheldon winked.

"Sheldon!" Emily blushed.

I giggled. "It's okay. That's good stuff for massages."

Sheldon turned on the machine and started a scan of my abdomen. Slowly a 3D picture of the baby started to show on the screen.

"Wow, he looks like Danny already," said Flack.

"We don't know the sex yet, Don," I said. "It could be a girl."

"Besides," said Sheldon. "The facial features aren't fully formed."

"Fully formed or not, the baby is adorable!" said Aiden, beaming. "Rora, your baby is beautiful."

"I don't care what you say, that is Danny's nose." Flack said.

"So are we looking at the next hot shot CSI who's going to take the NYPD by storm?" Mac joked.

"With Rora's stubbornness, and Danny's cockiness, look out New York City," said Flack with a laugh.

"Look at those little fingers….the baby is making a fist." Emily smiled.

"You do have a beautiful baby. Everything is forming perfect." Sheldon smiled.

"It's legs are crossed, we can't see what it is." Mac said.

"Yeah, babies do that sometimes." Sheldon said.

"Must have done it since we were at the doctor's. Dr. Lacy said he could see the baby's gender." Danny said.

"And your next sonogram the baby could be spread eagle and you see everything." Sheldon said.

"I still can't believe that is growing inside of me." I smiled looking at the screen.

"Wait till you feel the baby move." Mac smiled.

"Have you guys decided on a name yet?" asked Emily.

"Taylor for a girl, Horatio for a boy," I said.

"No, Gianna for a girl, and Dante for a boy," said Danny.

"I'll take that as a no," Emily laughed.

"I thought we were away from Dante?" I asked.

"But with Dante, me and the baby would have the first 3 letters of our names the same." Danny said.

"My kid is not something that pops out of an inferno." I insisted.

"Don't worry little baby, I'll make them name you something good." Aiden said to the screen.


	148. Three Bodies

_Jordayna- Well you can send a gift after the baby is born! LOL_

_Emador- Glad you liked the KY jokes. I just had to sneak those in there. And I figured you'd want Tyler on the line instead of Horatio._

_Trizzy- Yeah the site has had some bugs lately. Yes, Thacker is the detective that checked out Aiden's butt. Yes I do know what the baby is going to be and I know the baby's name already. _

_Mac's Girl- Sorry to say the name debate won't end for awhile yet. And Mac is just fine. LOL_

_Truebluepatfan12- The name debate will go on for awhile, but when the baby actually is born, it'll have a name, don't worry._

"When are you leaving field duty?" Flack asked.

"End of the month. I hate the thought of desk duty, but I understand why it's necessary too." I said as we rode to a crime scene.

Flack and I had got called out to the Bronx where it was reported three nude male bodies had been found in a small wooded area. It was still early in the morning. Mac and Danny were taking the case as Stella and Aiden had been called to a double-stabbing in Queens.

"You take it easy. If you need to be off your feet, you just say so." Flack said.

"I'll be fine." I said as he stopped the SUV and we climbed out.

I pulled my coat around me tight as we walked up to the scene. In the woods not far from the road were the 3 bodies. The men looked young, early twenties. They each had their hands and feet tied and seemed to be carefully placed.

"We'll need to see if they have been reported missing." Flack said. "I'll check missing persons when we get back."

"I'll make sure Hawkes prints them." Mac said walking up to us with Danny.

"Uniforms said a jogger found them." Danny said.

"There doesn't seem to be any footprints." Mac said.

"Whoever placed them here, either had help or took a long time. These are full grown men, took some strength." I said.

"Place is out of the way. In the dark of night, you'd have time." Flack said.

"This doesn't look like our crime scene. No blood, no signs of a struggle." Danny said.

Mac walked around the bodies. "Looks like ligature marks around their necks."

"Strangulation." Flack said. "We'll know more after autopsy."

"Danny, I want a 100 feet perimeter of the bodies searched for anything the killer may have left behind." Mac said.

Danny nodded.

Mac leaned down and started taking pictures of the bodies.

"This one has been dead longer than the others." Mac said. "He is starting to decompose. Cold weather has probably slowed the process a bit. He could've been kept somewhere cold before being dumped."

"They were killed at different times?" Flack asked.

"From the looks of their states of decomp, I'd say yes. Sheldon will be able to tell us more." Mac said.

"Maybe we should run DNA, see if they are related to each other. It could lead us to something." I said.

"That is a good idea." Mac nodded. "We'll process the rope."

(Morgue)

"How are you doing?" Mac asked as we walked in.

"Craving cream cheese." I said.

Mac chuckled then looked up at Sheldon. "What do you have on our three bodies?"

"All three were strangled. I sent the prints up already. But they were all three young. None of them had tattoos to help in identifying them." Sheldon said. "You were right. They were killed at different times."

"Do we know how long they've been dead?" I asked.

"Well, the weather is working against us. But this guy definitely died first. He is well into decomp. I'd estimate he has been dead a week. He was stored somewhere animals could not get to him before he was dumped." Sheldon said referring to the blonde male victim.

"The other two?" Mac asked.

Sheldon moved to the body next to the blonde. "He has been dead I'd say 3-4 days. He put up a fight. Bruising on his arms and legs."

"And our third victim?" I asked.

"I'd say he's been dead 24 hours. He is the most recent of the three to die. He had some bruising on his shoulders." Sheldon said.

"Did you find any trace evidence?" Mac asked.

"Here is where things get interesting. All three men have been sodomized." Sheldon said. "I sent samples of semen to DNA."

"Consensual sex?" I asked.

"No, this was rape. In all three cases there was severe damage to the rectum. Tearing, bleeding…..these men suffered." Sheldon said.

I sighed. "Great, a sodomizing serial killer with three victims already under his belt."

"I'll get back to the lab. Check and see where Danny is on the rope and if anything shows up in CODIS about our DNA samples." Mac said.

"I'll see what Flack found in missing persons." I said.

(Station)

"We got a hit on our second victim." Flack said. "His prints were in the system for disorderly conduct. Drunk outside a bar last year."

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Robert McComptom, 20 years old, he's from Long Island." Flack said. "Sheldon called the family, they are on their way to the morgue to make an ID. I am going there to interview them."

"Let me know what you find out. I am gonna call the lab and see if they found anything." I said. "When I was at autopsy, Sheldon told us that all three victims have been brutally sodomized."

Flack frowned. "As if this case wasn't bad enough."

"We have to find this guy Flack. He has killed three men in the span of a week." I said.

"You grab some lunch and call the lab. I'll let you know what I find out from McComptom's family." Flack said and pulled on his coat.

"I will." I smiled and watched him walk out.

I sat down and ran a hand over the baby. I wondered when the baby would move. I saw that Flack had left a sandwich for me. I picked it up to nibble while I called the lab.

"Messer."

"Danny, it's me. What have you found from our crime scene?" I asked.

"DNA showed that none of the three were related. Mac went to the morgue again to question the family of the identified victim. The rope is new and very common. It's sold in any hardware store in the city." Danny said.

"That isn't much to go on. Anything else?" I asked.

"No hits on the other victims DNA in CODIS. The semen found in all three victims is from the same person, but no hit in CODIS on him either." Danny said.

"The media is going to be all over this." I said.

"Mac already received a call wanting a statement." Danny said. "He is going to get pictures of the unidentified victims on the news to see if anyone recognizes them."

"That's good." I said.

"This bastard didn't even use lube….he dry raped them." Danny sounded disgusted.

"But he didn't use a condom. He left behind biological evidence…makes me wonder what kind of person we're dealing with." I said.

"How are you and the baby?" Danny asked.

"We're eating lunch." I smiled. "Flack left me a chicken salad sandwich."

"I told him that is what you were craving over the weekend." Danny said. "How about if we get to leave at a decent time tonight, we go out for Mexican food?"

"Sounds great." I smiled.

"I better finish these results and get my reports done." Danny said. "I'll see you later."

"Ti amo." I said.

"Ti amo anch'io." Danny said.

I hung up. I wondered if maybe there had been any cases over the past few years with similarities. I started running a search on my computer. I was looking for any murders of males that had been sodomized and/or dumped nude in secluded area.

It didn't take long to realize there were no similar cases. The killer was either just starting out, or was new to the area.

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Rora, its me. Listen, I just talked to McComptom's parents. They don't know the other two victims." Flack said.

"What else did they tell you?" I asked.

"The last time they saw Robert was 5 days ago. He was going out clubbing for the night. He never came home." Flack said. "Also, they were adamant that he was not into any kind of homosexual activity. The sodomy was definitely forced."

"That goes along with Sheldon's findings. Did they know of anyone who might be responsible for this?" I asked.

"No, no one they could think of. This family is devastated." Flack said.

"Such a stupid crime. I haven't found anything new. We could be at a dead end for now." I said.

"I am on my way back to the station." Flack said.

"I'll see you when you get here." I said and hung up.

(6 PM)

"What a long day….we got no where on this case." Flack stretched out in his chair.

"So what are you and Aiden doing tonight?" I asked.

Don smiled. "I am thinking a quiet evening in. I didn't see her much over the weekend, she was home with her family."

"Just make sure she can walk tomorrow." I winked. "And by the way, I didn't realize that tongue of yours could do more than be a smartass."

Flack nearly choked on his soda. I chuckled. He glared at me.

"Oh don't even act like you didn't tell Danny about her reciprocating. And don't act like Danny hasn't told you about some of our personal life." I giggled.

"This women's network. It's why us men can't get away with anything." Flack shook his head.

"What are we not getting away with?" Danny walked in and kissed me.

"Oh Aiden told Aurora about last Thursday night." Flack said.

"She told Emily too." I chuckled.

"I knew that was coming." Don rolled his eyes.

"At least we're bragging on you guys and not griping that you're bad in the bedroom." I said.

"Come on Rory, I am taking you and my baby out to dinner." Danny helped me with my coat.

"Good, we're hungry." I said.

Mac walked in. "Sorry guys, case just broke wide open."

"What's up?" Flack asked.

"Another of the victims was identified based on the pictures aired on the evening news. His family is on his way down here to confirm ID and give a statement." Mac said. "We also got another body."

"Already?" I asked.

Mac nodded. "Was just called in out of Staten Island. Nude male found in wooded area."

"Let's get going." Flack said.

"Gonna be a long night." Danny said.

"I'll ride out with Danny." I said.

"You're not going. You've worked all day, you need to rest." Danny said.

"This is my case!" I insisted.

"Danny's right." Mac said.

"I am not going home. This is my case to work. Someone is out there killing young men and if I don't help find him, how many others will he kill?" I said.

"There is no arguing with her." Danny sighed.

"Aurora, you stay here at the station. Interview the family coming down here to confirm the ID of the victim and take their statements. We'll stay in touch." Mac said.

I nodded. "I will. I'll call you as soon as we know the identity and have some information."

"And when you're not busy, go rest in the break room. Put your feet up on the couch and make sure you get dinner." Danny said.

I nodded. "I will."

"We'll call as soon as we know something." Danny kissed my cheek.

"See you later. Love you." I told him.

"Love you too." he walked out with Don and Mac. I turned and headed back to my desk.

**To Be Continued…..**


	149. The Investigation

_Snowbear96- It's cool. I know the site has had some bugs lately. _

_Jordayna- Well here is some more on the case. I hope you enjoy._

_Soccer-bitch- I hope you like where I am taking this case. I got the idea for it while watching tv at work._

_Mac's Girl- Well, they are just being protective. And she feels the baby move VERY soon._

_Meadow567- I don't really hate Stella, I just ignore her more or less anymore. But she is around every now and then._

_Truebluepatfan12- Well I hope this update was soon enough. I wrote all day to finish this chappie._

_Emador- I knew you'd like that line. And it's so Flack. Now I am getting hot and bothered, LOL. _

I sat at my desk with the family of the victim that was identified from the pictures shown on the evening news. Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien had seen the news and recognized one of the sketches as their son Stephen who had been missing for over a week. Stephen was a 21 year old student at community college. He worked evenings busting tables. They did not know the other two victims. I felt so sorry for his parents. They were older and completely devastated.

"I am so sorry for your loss." I said. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No thank you. How? How did this happen?" Mrs. O'Brien asked.

"We're still investigating. Early findings seem to point to Stephen being the first victim of several killed by the same person." I said.

"You mean, a serial killer?" Mr. O'Brien asked.

"That is what we're starting to believe. The case is very unusual." I said.

"Well, what is being done? I mean my son was killed." Mr. O'Brien said.

"I assure you that we're doing everything we can. And that is not the standard BS answer that some cops will give you. My partner and I will do everything we can to get justice for your son. And our crime lab is working on the case, and they are the best. Our lab supervisor is a no nonsense former marine…and I would bet on him against the most cunning and evil murderers." I said, wanting to give them assurance.

"Stephen was our only son." Mrs. O'Brien said. "He was a good boy. He never gave us any trouble. He wanted to go into nursing."

"Again, I am so sorry for you loss." I said. "I need to ask you a few questions."

"When can we have Stephen? We want to bury him next to his grandparents." Mrs. O'Brien said.

"Our ME will release him as soon as he can. We need to hold him until all evidence from his case is processed. But in the meantime, Dr. Sheldon Hawkes is a wonderful, kindhearted professional, and I promise that Stephen is being treated with the utmost care and respect." I told her.

"Did Stephen suffer?" Mr. O'Brien asked.

I knew to I had to keep their minds as ease as much as possible. "We're still investigating, we don't know the entire details of his death yet. So I want you to focus on just answering some questions for me."

"What do you need to know?" Mr. O'Brien asked.

"Did Stephen have any enemies? Anyone that might want to hurt him?" I asked.

"Oh no. Stephen had lots of friends, he was a good boy." Mrs. O'Brien said.

"Had Stephen been in any trouble recently?" I asked.

"No, he was never in trouble. He worked to put himself through school." Mrs. O'Brien said.

"When was the last time you saw Stephen?" I asked.

"He went to work last Wednesday. He didn't come home that night. When he still wasn't home the next morning, we started to panic. We called all his friends, but no one had seen him. We called the restaurant where he worked…they said he finished his shift and left at the usual time." Mr. O'Brien said. "Then we called the cops, but they told us that because Stephen was over 18, there was nothing they could do until he had been missing 10 days."

"I mean no offense at this question, but I need to ask….was Stephen gay or bisexual? Was it possible he was involved in any such activities?" I asked.

"No, why would you ask such a thing?" Mr. O'Brien asked.

"Just part of the investigation. We need to cover all bases." I said, not wanting to upset them.

"Stephen was not gay. He dated girls. He didn't have a steady girlfriend because he was focusing on school." Mr. O'Brien said.

"Did Stephen mention any new friends? Maybe someone he had just met." I asked.

"He didn't mention anyone new, but Stephen had a lot of friends at school." Mrs. O'Brien said.

"That is all we need for now. I will call you if anything new should come up." I said. "What you should do now is go home, and get things in order for when the ME is able to release Stephen to you."

"Will you find who killed my son, Detective Messer?" Mrs. O'Brien asked.

"I am going to do everything that I can." I told her.

"Thank you. Someone will call us when we can have Stephen?" Mr. O'Brien asked as he stood up.

"Dr. Hawkes will call you." I said.

I watched the O'Brien's walk out of the station. I felt so sorry for this family. I could tell how much they loved their son. I wanted to do all I could to help them. I stood up and stretched my back. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was getting late and Mac, Don and Danny were not back from the new crime scene yet.

I walked to the break room in the back. It was empty at this late hour. I grabbed a bottle of water and sat down on the couch. My feet were starting to swell from being on them all day but I was not going to let the guys know that. I wanted to be on the case. I kicked off my shoes so my feet could rest, and then laid down on the couch.

(3AM)

"Rory, Rory. Baby wake up." I heard Danny say.

I opened my eyes. Danny was kneeling in front of the couch smiling at me. I had fallen asleep.

"I fell asleep. What time is it?" I asked and sat up.

"It's about 3 in the morning. Are you okay?" Danny sat next to me.

"Yeah I am fine. What is going on with the case? What did you find at the new crime scene?" I asked.

"Young male, found nude. We're trying to ID him now. Mac is running prints and DNA." Danny said. "We just came from autopsy. Vic was strangled just like the first three."

"Was he raped?" I asked.

"Same as the others. Rectal damage and semen left behind. We're pretty sure it's going to match the DNA left in our other three victims." Danny said.

"Time of death?" I asked.

"Hawkes says he was most likely killed early yesterday morning. Probably shortly after he dumped the other three bodies." Danny said.

"This guy is killing at a rapid rate." I sighed.

"How did it go with Stephen O'Brien's family?" Danny asked.

"That family is devastated. And after talking with them I realized there is no reason for Stephen to have been killed. He was a good kid, worked a job to help put himself through school. Never was in any trouble, didn't have any enemies." I said.

"So both victims that have been identified didn't have any clues in their past to suggest why they were murdered." Danny stated.

"I think all 4 victims were chosen at random. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most serial killers are opportunistic." I said.

"How is the baby?" Danny asked and touched my tummy.

"Oh the baby is fine." I smiled.

"That's good. Are you okay?" Danny asked.

"I'm fine too. I ate dinner, I got some sleep. Everything is fine." I smiled at Danny.

Danny brushed a few hairs away from my face. "You're so pretty. The longer you're pregnant, the more you glow."

"You're so sweet." I leaned over and kissed him

"Will you two at least get this baby here first before you start trying for the second one?" Don asked as he walked in.

"Excuse me for kissing my wife." Danny rolled his eyes.

"Any word on the ID of our 4th victim?" I asked.

"Mac hasn't called yet." Don said as he went to get some coffee.

"Have you heard from Aiden?" I asked.

"Yeah, she called me earlier. She's at home. She and Stella finished their case. It was an open and shut case." Don said. "We'll go out when ever we get the chance."

"Sheldon had to cancel plans with Emily when the 4th body was found." Danny said. "They were supposed to go out tonight."

"We're all used to putting plans on hold when cases come up." I said.

"How are you doing Rora?" Flack asked.

"I'm okay. I got some sleep." I told him.

"The media is aware we found a fourth body. If we tell them we have a serial killer on our hands, there is going to be widespread panic." Flack said.

(7AM)

I walked through the halls of the lab going towards Mac's office. He had called me and told me he had something for me. I walked in and found him sitting behind his desk.

"Hey Mac, what did you need?" I asked.

"I wanted to go over some things from the case with you. Have a seat." Mac smiled.

"Where is Danny?" I asked as I sat down.

"I sent him back out to the new crime scene to see if he could find anything new now that it was light outside." Mac said. "Have you had breakfast?"

"No, I was gonna go grab some doughnuts later." I said.

"Well, I ordered us some real food." Mac smiled. "I wanted to treat my godchild to breakfast."

I smiled as Mac placed a white Styrofoam container in front of me. He had one for himself as well.

"I ordered from that diner on the corner. I got you biscuits and sausage gravy." Mac smiled.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do that." I said and opened the box.

"It's my godchild and I'll spoil them if I want." Mac smiled.

"And feeding mommy has nothing to do with it, right?" I giggled.

"Would I do that?" Mac winked. "Besides, I do want to go over a few things about the case."

"What's up? Have we identified the other two victims?" I asked.

"Not yet, we're gonna keep running pictures on the news. Maybe someone will recognize another one of them." Mac said. "The 4th victim didn't show up in CODIS or AFIS. But the semen found in his rectum is a match to that found in the other three victims."

"We definitely have a serial, Mac." I said.

"I know, that is what I wanted to talk to you about. I know you're not a trained profiler, but you're very knowledgeable about profiling and serial killers. What kind of killer do you think we're dealing with here?" Mac asked.

I thought a moment. "His victims are chose at random. Our victims have nothing in common. They don't work the same profession, they don't have the same hobbies. He is choosing them based on age and race. All four were young white males."

"Do you think the killer is Caucasian?" Mac asked.

"Most likely. African-American serial killers are rare, although becoming more prominent than they used to be. I'd say our killer looks unassuming, like a regular guy. He probably blends in very well so that people don't suspect they are in danger. He is probably very easy to talk to…striking up conversation with his victims to lure them away from the public eye." I said.

"So you think he befriends them and when their guard is down, attacks?" Mac asked.

I nodded. "Many serial killers have been able to kill so many because they were able to blend in and gain people's trust. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Wayne Williams- if you believe he is guilty. Gary Ridgeway would go as far as to show hooker's his driver's license and pictures of his son to gain their trust and get them in the truck with him. Then he'd kill them. He went as far as to bring his son along a few times, really appear like a harmless family man."

"What about the sodomy?" Mac asked.

"I'm not sure. The victims were heterosexual……John Wayne Gacy." I said.

"What?"

"John Wayne Gacy, he raped and murdered boys because he was having homosexual thoughts and attractions but he couldn't admit it, not even to himself." I said.

"Right, so he killed straight men he was attracted to because in his mind he was punishing them for making him feel attracted to them." Mac said. "You think that is what we have here?"

"It's possible. The victims are straight. The killer could be fighting his own homosexuality. Rape is about control, but he kills them after he rapes them." I said.

"I am going to start contacting other jurisdictions and see if they have any cases that fit this MO. It is unlikely this guy is a new killer at the rate he is killing." Mac said.

I nodded and felt a tickle in my tummy.

"Aurora? Are you okay?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, I just oh wow." I said as I felt definite movement. I placed my hand on the baby.

"Is something wrong? Are you in pain?" Mac stood up.

"No, no the baby is moving. I can feel it moving." I smiled. "Wow, the baby is strong."

Mac smiled at me.

"Come here Mac." I stood up and walked over to him. I took his hand and placed it on my tummy. "Feel right there. The baby bas been kicking that spot."

After a few seconds the baby kicked again. I could see Mac's face light up.

"That is amazing." Mac said.

"I can't believe it. Now I can feel them moving in there." I smiled and hugged Mac. "My baby is moving."

"I think you have a kicker in there." Mac smiled as the baby kicked him again.

I smiled. "I think that is the most amazing thing I have ever felt. My baby is moving, it's kicking." I smiled.

"Danny is going to be thrilled when he gets back." Mac said.

"Yeah he is. If he couldn't be here for the first time the baby moved, I am glad you were. I know how much you love the baby." I smiled and kissed Mac's cheek.

(6PM)

"We got nothing new on the case. We can head out." Don said.

"I wish we could do more." I said.

"We're all tired. Let's just go home." Don said.

Danny walked in. "Ready for that Mexican dinner now?"

"Yeah. I guess we'll just have to keep working the case tomorrow. I just hope we're not at a standstill." I said as Danny helped me with my coat.

"The baby moved anymore?" Danny touched my tummy.

"Not yet, but Sheldon said the baby will start moving more and more now." I smiled.

"My little baby is moving." Danny smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Night Don." I said as we walked out.


	150. Another Victim

_Soccer-bitch- I hope you enjoy this. I added some humor._

_Meadow567- Looks like the Pens might get to stay. I just wish all this was over so I could either be happy or in mourning, LOL._

_Snowbear96- Wow, the baby moved and you didn't hug anyone….I am shocked, LOL. _

_Mac's Girl- I wanted Mac to be there for that, I could just see him being happy at the baby moving._

_Jordayna- I never saw Little Shop of Horrors. But I am glad you like the case._

_Trizzy- Hey I am on a 'The Longest Yard' kick myself lately. I have done a lot of research and work on serial killers in my undergraduate studies, so that is a lot of my basis for this case._

_Emador- That is what you are always hoping for. That and that a marine is found dead so we can call you know who! LOL _

I was woke up from a sound sleep by Danny's cell phone ringing. I snuggled closer to him, feeling warm and content. Danny reached for his phone.

"Messer." he answered. "Yeah Mac…….yeah I'll be there in a half hour." Danny hung up.

"What's up baby?" I asked.

Danny kissed my forehead. "A security guard at a mini mall in Queens just found a dead body dumped behind it. Mac says it looks like the 5th victim of our serial killer. Young male, found nude appears strangled."

I groaned and rolled away from Danny as he crawled out of bed and began getting dressed. It had been four days since we'd found our last victim. The case was going no where.

"I'll go with you." I said.

"No, Mac and Flack are going to the scene and autopsy. They want you to get some rest and come in at your usual time. We'll fill you in then and take it from there." Danny said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"You and the baby need some rest. We won't get much done tonight with this bad weather anyway." Danny said.

"I'll be in around seven. If you need me before that, give me a call." I said.

Danny finished dressing and climbed back on the bed. "Get some rest. I'll see you later." he kissed me. "I love you." He patted my tummy. "Love you too little one."

"I love you too." I said as he walked out of the bedroom.

(station)

I was sitting at my desk having my first glass of orange juice when Flack and Danny walked in. They both looked cold.

"What is going on with the case?" I asked.

"Our victim is definitely the latest of our serial killer. He is a young male, about 20. He was strangled and sodomized." Flack sat at his desk.

Danny sat on the edge of my desk. "Mac had the DNA rushed. Semen is the same as was found in our first four victims."

"The media is already all over this case." I sighed. "The city isn't in full-blown panic yet, but it's getting there."

Danny threw the morning paper on my desk "It's on the front page of the paper. Five victims in less than a week. Big news."

I read over the article. "What moron wrote this?"

"He certainly sensationalized didn't he?" Flack rolled his eyes.

"He took the facts of the case and wrote a lot of assumptions to accompany them. Like this statement 'the killer is obviously a homosexual who is unsuccessful in relationships'. That isn't true. The more I study this case, I really believe the killer is fighting his homosexual urges."

"Didn't Jeffrey Dahmer kill because he was unsuccessful at relationships?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, he killed men so they couldn't leave him. He killed his first victim because the kid tried to leave. It was a fear of being alone kind of thing." I said.

"Why didn't you become a profiler? You're so good at it." Don smiled.

"It was sort of a hobby. I thought it went well with my job." I shrugged.

"If this guy is trying to fighting being attracted to men, could we be looking at someone who had a strict religious upbringing?" Danny asked.

"That's possible. Of course, despite the progress of the gay community, there is still a big stigma that comes with being gay. He could be fighting his sexual urges out of fear or self-hatred." I said.

"Mac is trying to ID the latest victim now. He had a couple of tattoos, that should help us." Don said.

"Paper says that in response to the killings, NYU is tightening up security on campus including hiring more campus police." I said. "Good idea considering how many college kids fits our killer's victim type."

"Are you okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I am fine. I am gonna expand our search on other areas that this killer could've hit. At this rate its unlikely that these are his first victims. Have Mac call me if he identifies the victim." I said.

(Later)

"Mac, what do you got?" I asked when he walked into the station.

"ID on the victim we found last night. He is 22 year old, Brian Salinet. Worked nightshift at a plastic plant in Jersey. He never showed up to work two nights ago." Mac said. "He was married."

"Have you talked to the widow?" I asked.

Mac nodded. "She has no idea what happened. She doesn't know how Brian could've been in a place to meet a violent person. She insists no one would want to hurt him."

"Our killer has to be someone who blends in, that easily strikes up conversations with strangers. He doesn't give the impression of danger." I said.

"How is the MO search coming?" Mac asked.

"I've expanded the search to the entire state and all surrounding states. My next move is to alert major cities across the US." I said.

"Sounds like a good idea." Mac said.

"Mac….I don't want this guy to be one of those serial killers that kills 40 victims." I said.

"I don't either. Hang in there, we'll get him." Mac said.

I nodded as Mac left the case file with me. I rubbed my forehead and started reading the file. My cell phone rang.

"Messer."

"Aurora, how are you doing?" Horatio Caine asked on the other end.

"Horatio, I am fine. How are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine. I've seen on the news that New York City has an active serial killer on the prowl. I saw Mac with the chief of police on a press conference on CNN last night." Horatio said.

"Yeah, I am working on that case." I said. "It's a rough one. The killer is vicious and moving at a rapid pace."

"You getting enough rest?" Horatio sounded concerned.

"Yeah, We're all resting when we can and working hard." I said.

"How is the baby?" Horatio asked.

"Finally moving. Danny got to feel the baby move for the first time the other night. I've never seen him so excited." I said.

Horatio chuckled. "Calleigh has the sonogram picture of your baby hanging up in the break room."

"Aiden hung one up in our break room." I said.

"Is there anything I can do to help with the case?" Horatio asked.

"Not really. We seem to be getting no where with the case other than recovering bodies. The killer is leaving behind no evidence but his DNA. Two of our victims are still unidentified." I said.

"You hang in there." Horatio said.

"I will. I appreciate you calling. It's good to hear from you." I smiled.

"It's what friends do." Horatio said.

"Tell your team I said hi. Oh and Danny loves the article on new lab equipment Speed sent him. He even tried getting me to read it, but I was lost." I giggled.

Horatio chuckled. "I will. Take care of your baby."

(6PM)

I walked into the morgue looking for Hawkes. It was time for our weekly check up that he had been giving me since I got pregnant. I looked around but the morgue was empty.

"Sheldon?" I called out. I heard nothing. "Sheldon, I am here so you can check the baby."

I still heard nothing. I was beginning to wonder if he had gotten called out to the field on a case. I noticed the door to Sheldon's room he kept a bed and TV in was closed.

I walked over and knocked on the door. "Sheldon? Are you taking a nap? I'm here for my weekly exam."

The door opened. Sheldon was standing there looking surprised. Behind him I saw Emily combing out her hair.

"Aurora, I am sorry. I lost track of time." Sheldon said.

I chuckled. "I can see why."

"Oh, I was just leaving. I stopped by to…." Emily blushed.

I laughed. "Nice try. But you don't get one of these." I patted my baby. "Without doing a little bit of what you two were just doing."

"How did you know?" Emily blushed worse.

"Oh quit blushing, we're all adults not to mention close friends. And I'm a detective, I know how to figure things out. But you don't exactly have to be Columbo to notice your nylons draped across the TV." I laughed. "Might wanna put those on, the temperature has dropped even more outside."

Sheldon laughed and Emily glared at him.

"What? It's funny admit it. And it's just Rora." Sheldon smiled.

"But…oh I guess it is funny. It's just funnier when it happens to someone else." Emily shrugged.

"Hey if Danny or me had a bed at work, we'd take advantage of it." I chuckled. "Besides, why are you embarrassed? Your boyfriend is about to poke and prod at me."

"I was thinking a pelvic exam today." Sheldon winked.

"Nah you just finished one of those." I smirked.

"Aurora!" Emily glared at me.

I laughed. "I had to. I'm sorry. You know I love you."


	151. Escalating

_Trizzy- I have a cat named Church after the cat in 'Pet Semetary'. He is Siamese. I am glad you like the case. I am really enjoying writing it. _

_Truebluepatfan12- I am glad you like it. I have been meaning to ask, is your name about the New England Patriots?_

_Meadow567- I am pouting, but I don't want them to leave. I will be done pouting eventually, but getting rid of Craig Patrick is a big sin! LOL_

_Soccer-bitch- I thought we needed some humor among such a serious case._

_Emador- No one loved the little sex scene more than you. LOL Glad you liked it._

Flack and I walked out to the middle of the empty field that we'd been called to. A possible 6th victim of our serial killer had been found in a vacant field that was soon to be developed. Surveyors had found him early that morning.

"What did the uniformed officers say?" I asked.

"Could be a sixth victim, but the body is badly damaged." Flack said.

"Decay?" I asked.

"No, badly beaten and mutilated." Flack said.

"Possible copycat killer?" I asked.

"Mac and Danny are on their way." Flack said.

We walked up to the body. The body was badly mutilated. The young man was nude, but had suffered tremendously. The victim's throat had been cut and his penis had been cut off. The face was badly bruised and partly caved in.

I looked away and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, I just needed a deep breath." I said.

"This is brutal." Flack said.

Mac and Danny walked up.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting this." Mac said.

"I don't think this is related to our serial killer." Danny said.

"I do...he's angry." I said.

"What?" Flack asked.

"Our killer is angry, his violence and brutality has escalated as a result." I said. "Every newspaper in the city is portraying him as a homosexual…he is angry about that because he is trying to deny he is gay. And now he is punishing the young men he is attracted to more than ever."

"But the throat was cut, he wasn't strangled." Flack said.

"Have Hawkes check during autopsy, I am willing to bet his throat was cut post-mortem." I said.

"Are you sure you don't wanna become a profiler?" Mac looked at me.

"I'm sure. I am happy with profiling as a hobby." I said. "Right now I just want to catch this bastard."

"We'll know for sure if this victim has been sodomized and the DNA matches." Mac said.

"We need to search for his missing…….little buddy." Flack finished.

"Danny, you do that. And search for anything the killer might have left behind, even footprints." Mac said.

Danny nodded.

"If your right. This is going to send the city into a full blown panic." Mac said to me.

(Morgue)

I walked into the morgue with Danny for autopsy. Sheldon was standing over the body of our victim.

"Sheldon, what can you tell us?" Danny asked.

"This is one of the nastiest cases I have seen in a few months." Sheldon said.

"Is it related to our serial killer?" I asked.

"You mean the one the morning papers are dubbing 'The Sodomy Killer'?" Sheldon frowned. "I think this is another of his victims. He had been brutally sodomized before death. I rushed the semen to DNA for confirmation."

"What about his other wounds?" I asked.

"He suffered a severe beating. I'd say he was bound and beaten. He has 4 cracked ribs and was bleeding out from his spleen. Several bones in his skull and face were broken. All peri mortem." Sheldon said. "As was his castration."

Danny groaned in sympathy. "Damn harsh way to die."

"What was the cause of death?" I asked.

"Rora was right. He was strangled like the others and his throat was cut post-mortem." Sheldon said.

"Time of death?" Danny asked.

"Late last night. I'd say around 11." Sheldon said.

"Did you send his prints to Mac?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. Are we any closer to catching this guy?" Sheldon asked.

"He is not leaving behind any evidence other than his DNA. He is not in CODIS and no helpful leads are coming in." I sighed.

(Station)

Mac walked into the station and sat down on the edge of my desk. He frowned down at me.

"I know that look. The DNA matched, didn't it?" I asked.

Mac nodded. "You were right. It is our serial killer. DNA matched the semen found in him to that found in our other victims."

"What about identifying him? Did you get a hit in AFIS?" I asked.

"No, he's not in the system. Danny is looking through missing person's now." Mac said.

"Mac we're getting no where and he keeps killing." I sighed.

"I want you to go on the news tonight." Mac said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Maybe we can take away some of victims. He is preying on young men, let's warn them, formally." Mac said.

"And you think that will help?" I asked.

"I am willing to try anything." Mac said.

"I'll do it. I want to keep the men of this city safe. And I want to catch this bastard." I said.

Mac looked at me. "Is this stressing your baby? Are you sure you're handling this case well?"

"Sheldon checked me a few days ago. I'm fine. I go to Dr. Lacy at the end of the week, I will be sure to talk with him and make sure everything is fine." I said.

"You only have two more weeks of field duty. I just want to make sure you're okay. I know what a case like this can do to a person." Mac said.

"I'm fine. I know that my baby is the most important thing." I said.

"Have your statement to the press ready for five o'clock." Mac said.

"I will Mac. Anything else you need?" I asked.

"When we find this guy….is he going to be a monster?" Mac asked.

"Not in the way you think. It takes a monster to kill like this. But when we find him, he's going to be a regular Joe. He's not going to be like Harold Genott." I said.

Mac nodded. "I'll see you later."

(5PM)

Mac stood on the steps of the station with me. The chief was somewhere. Media was everywhere as this was the hottest story in the city and gaining notoriety across the country. Mayor Bloomberg was speaking to the media…the usual politician spiel about how its terrible that such a crime is going on and that he assures the public that the best officers are on the case.

I stood closer to Mac. I was cold and tired and worried for the city. I could tell that he was tired and not sleeping. Just another reason to hate this killer. Mac had gotten over his grief enough to sleep regularly again, and now this.

"And now Detective Aurora Messer from the NYPD homicide unit has a few words to say to the people of New York." Mayor Bloomberg said.

Mac walked with me to face the cameras.

"Good evening, I will keep this brief. As the mayor said we are all working hard to catch this killer. The crime lab is running every bit of evidence we can find. My partner and I are tracking every lead that comes in. Right now I would just like to speak to the young men of the city. The killer now being called the Sodomy Killer targets young men. Of our identified victims, none have been over 25 years old. The NYPD is asking for young males in the city to take extra precautions. Do not be alone on the streets at night if you can avoid it. If you must be out at night, try to have someone go with you. Always make friends and family aware of your plans so they know where you will be. Be wary of any strangers that approach you. We believe the Sodomy Killer fits in easily and seems harmless, causing others to let their guard down. And if you should see anything suspicious please call the police." I read from a prepared statement.

I walked back over to Mac. "Do you think it did any good?"

"Let's hope so." Mac sighed.


	152. A Note

_Meadow567- No worries about when you reviewed. Also, PA governor is optimistic about the latest offer to keep the Pens here. BTW, Wrestlemania coming to you town soon._

_Trizzy- Yeah, I wanted to do a case that didn't end quickly because it isn't like that in real life. And I like criminal profiling so I decided to make Rora good at it. Glad you're so excited about the case._

_Soccer-bitch- I like writing humor. It's fun. I hope this update was quick enough. Life has been a bit hectic._

_Emador- Well I was looking for a polite but humorous way to say that. And it just seemed so Flack. Hope you enjoy this. 'REALLY' enjoy this _

I walked into the station late in the morning. I had been to Dr. Lacy that morning. Danny and I had took the morning off. He was now at the lab.

"There is little mama…how is the baby?" Flack smiled as I sat at my desk.

"Dr. Lacy says the baby is fine and growing." I smiled.

"You need to call your brother. He has called here seven times this morning." Flack said.

"Which one?" I asked as I sat down.

"Russ. He is very upset and has to talk to you." Flack said.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"He is worried about you. He sees you on the news talking about a serial killer and it scared him. And I tried everything to explain to him that you were fine. That you were just an officer investigating the serial killer. But nothing is going to calm him until he talks to his baby sister." Flack said.

"He worries about me being a cop. It's no surprise that when he sees me on the news talking about something so horrific that it upset him." I said. "I'll call him."

"I laid your mail on your desk. I am meeting Aiden for lunch." Flack stood up to put on his coat.

"You know she already asked me what to do for you for Valentine's Day?" I chuckled.

"I have no idea what to do for her. I mean I want to do something more than my usual Valentine's Day 'flowers, dinner and sex' that I have done with other girlfriends." Don said.

I smiled. "You went and fell in love."

"Damn, I owe Danny fifty bucks." Flack said. "I swore it'd never happen."

"Yeah…didn't Danny say the same thing?" I giggled.

"Two years, a house in the suburbs, wife and baby on the way later…" Flack rolled his eyes. "Mac was right all along. He said it'd happen."

I chuckled. "Tell Aiden I'll call her later. If this case is ever solved, maybe we can go shopping or something."

Flack nodded and walked out of the station. I picked up my phone and dialed Russ's number at the home he stayed at in PA.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey Russ. Detective Don said you were trying to call me." I said.

"Aurora, are you okay? I saw you with Big Mac on TV talking about a killer." Russ gushed.

"Yeah, I am fine. I was just talking to the public about taking precautions." I assured him.

"Did you catch the bad killer yet?" Russ asked.

"Not yet, but we're all working on it." I said. "Don't get upset if you see us on the news. If one of us was hurt we'd call you."

"You're all okay? Detective Don said he was okay. Is Big Mac okay?" Russ asked.

"Big Mac is fine." I smiled.

"Sheldon the morgue guy okay?" Russ asked.

"He's fine. I promise Russ, we're all okay. Danny is just fine too." I said.

"That's good. I was worried. I saw the baby when you were on TV." Russ said.

I smiled, knowing that he meant he could see my growing tummy. "I just came from the doctor. He says the baby is growing fast and very healthy."

"Miss Lynn marked on my calendar when the baby is due, so I know when the baby is coming." Russ said. I smiled, glad his counselor helped him so much.

"Danny and me want you to fly out and see the baby when it's born." I told him.

"What are you going to name the baby?" Russ asked.

"Well, I finally got Danny talked out of Dante. He still wants to name a baby boy something Italian; honestly I think he wants something named after himself, a father-son thing. I still want to name the baby after Horatio Caine. And if it's a girl….I think we'll probably flip a coin at this rate." I chuckled.

"Can I get the baby a teddy bear? Every kid needs one to help them feel safe." Russ said.

I smiled. "I think that would be wonderful."

"You sure you're okay?" Russ asked.

"I am fine. We're all great. I'll tell Danny you called." I said. "But I need to go. I have work to do if I am going to catch the bad guy."

"Make sure you use your handcuffs." Russ said seriously.

"I will. I'll call you this weekend." I said and hung up.

I turned to go through the mail Flack had left lying on my desk. There was a magazine advertising guns and maintenance equipment. An envelope that suspiciously looked like a birthday card, postmarked Miami. I wondered which one of the Miami team it was from. I had been so busy with the Sodomy Killer case, I hadn't thought about my birthday coming up. I laid the card aside for later.

The next letter caught my attention. It was a small envelope with no return address. I didn't recognize the handwriting and the postmark was Queens. I opened the envelope and started to pull out the paper I saw inside when I stopped short.

The folded paper seemed to have blood on it. I frowned and opened my desk and rifled around until I found a pair of rubber gloves I kept in there. I pulled them on and slowly pulled the folded paper out of the envelope. I carefully unfolded it and stared in shock.

The note was simple. Written in black were the words 'Coney Island Boardwalk'. But written in blood were the words 'Nice Try'.

I laid down the note and grabbed my phone and dialed Mac's number.

"Taylor."

"Mac, you need to get down to the station. I just got a letter. I am pretty sure it's from the Sodomy Killer. It's written in blood." I said.

"I am on my way." Mac said and hung up.

I stared at the note. I picked up the envelope again. It was clearly addressed to me at the station. There was no blood on the envelope. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

Mac walked in and part of me wondered if he had ran over to the station. He hurried to my desk.

"Mac, I was just going through my daily mail and….found this." I said.

Mac pulled on rubber gloves and picked up the note. "This was addressed to you?"

"Yeah. Here is the envelope." I handed Mac the envelope.

"Does the Coney Island Boardwalk mean anything to you?" Mac asked.

"Mac, I think this is from the Sodomy Killer. We need to have the boardwalks at Coney Island checked. There is either a body already there or it is where he picked up a new victim." I said.

"What makes you think this is from the sodomy killer?" Mac asked.

"Many serial killers send letters to the police and media. They want to brag about what they are doing. Its part of their arrogance." I said. "A few days ago I went on the news warning the men of this city how to avoid becoming victims of this guy. Now he is bragging to me and showing me that he was still able to find a victim."

"A serial killer that taunts the police." Mac frowned.

"The Zodiac, BTK, David Berkowitz….its even believed Jack the Ripper taunted police." I said. "He wants me to know that I didn't stop him from killing."

"I am going to get this back to the lab. I am gonna make sure this is blood and run DNA. See if it matches any of our victims or if we get a hit in CODIS. I am going to check the letter and envelope for prints. And see if we can get anything from the handwriting." Mac said.

I nodded. "Let me know if you do."

"I just don't understand why this killer is singling out you…if it is from the sodomy killer." Mac said. "I mean I was on the news too talking about this case, and I haven't received anything."

"But I tried to take away his supply of victims. You discussed the case, but I took steps to prevent further murders." I said.

"This is just going to cause further media attention." Mac said.

"I know." I sighed.

"Have patrol check around Coney Island and see if they find anything." Mac said.

"I will. Let me know what you find on that note." I said.

(3PM)

I called Mac. "Taylor."

"We found a body. Patrol just called it in. A nude male was found partially buried in the sand under the boardwalk at Coney Island. MO looks like the Sodomy Killer." I sighed.

"I was about to call you. The note did have blood on it. No hit in CODIS and no match to previous victims. But the DNA is male." Mac said.

"You can check the DNA of our latest victim. Any prints?" I asked.

"No, he was careful about prints." Mac said.

"Flack and I will meet you at Coney Island." I sighed and hung up. So much for getting home early tonight.


	153. Maybe A Break

_BevG- I am glad you reviewed. I hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Trizzy- Wow, now people are dreaming about my fic, that is awesome. Sorry this update took so long but my life was turned upside down._

_Snowbear96- She needs one here too._

_Meadow567- But is there a rule that says only one life threatening event, per person, per story?_

_Jordayna- Here is more, sorry it took so long._

_Emador- You are like Russ's biggest fan. Well his and the ME's. meanwhile I FINALLY got this written._

_Soccer-bitch- I know all about hectic. I had to move and stuff in a hurry. So that is why this took so long, I am sorry._

_Bioassy- When my mom was pregnant with me, I would kick so hard that I would kick dad in the back and he'd make mom turn over in bed._

_**Author's Note**- I am SO SO sorry this update took so long. I got a new job and had to start right away. So I had to move to NC in a hurry, move into my new apartment, start a new job and so on. Things have been crazy. But I should be able to update more now! _

"Baby why are you crying?" Danny asked me and tried to hug me as I sat on the edge of our bed crying.

"Why? I have a serial killer that I can't catch running all over the city killing at will. My back is killing me. And I am so fat that I'll never fit in my regular clothes again!" I cried.

Danny kissed my shoulder. "Baby, you're not fat. You have a baby inside you. It makes you beautiful, its my baby."

"Well I feel like I should be sharing clothes with Shamu." I snapped.

Danny sighed. "You're hormonal…."

"Quit saying that! Aren't I allowed to feel fucking miserable without having it blamed on being pregnant?!" I yelled.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" Danny asked.

I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. I slumped against the sink and cried. Having no reason to really be upset just feeling angry and upset. I wasn't mad at Danny, but didn't want him pitying me.

I took a shower. I wanted to unwind and relax a bit. The warm water was soothing and I was able to stop crying. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I knew a lot of it was just hormones and mood swings from being pregnant but I was tired of hearing that.

I stepped out of the shower and changed into some pajamas. I walked back into the bedroom. Danny had shut the lights off and gone to bed. I climbed into bed and tried to get comfortable. I felt the bed shift and Danny snuggled up to me.

"You feel better?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just haven't felt like myself lately." I told him.

"It's okay. I know you're going through a lot." Danny nuzzled against my shoulder.

Danny brushed the hair off my neck and started nuzzling my neck.

"Danny, can you just hold me?" I asked.

Danny sighed. "Of course I will."

I snuggled closer to him. "Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you too." he said.

(Morning, Lab)

"Danny, have we found anything new on this serial killer case?" Mac asked walking into the lab where Danny was bent over a microscope.

"No, I came in early this morning and I have been over and over every piece of evidence we collected from every victim. The ropes, the DNA, all of it. Mac there is just nothing there." Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Security told me you were in early. Everything okay?" Mac asked.

"I was hoping I could find something to help progress the case along. Aurora is so frustrated with the case right now." Danny said.

"Is she okay?" Mac frowned.

Dr. Lacy says she is fine. Sheldon is going to check her later today. She is just very stressed and moody. I feel helpless because there is nothing I can do to help her." Danny sighed.

"It's to be expected as she gets further along in her pregnancy." Mac said.

"I know, but I hate seeing her so miserable." Danny said.

"She'll be okay. Sheldon said there would be ups and downs." Mac said.

Danny nodded. "I just wanted to find something to help her case along. I think if there was a break in this case, it would be a big load off her mind." Danny said.

"I know, this case is driving me crazy too." Mac sighed. "We'll find something. Just hang in there with her."

Danny nodded.

"Go grab some coffee and take a break. You need it." Mac said.

Danny took off his lab coat and headed to the break room. He walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee. He sat down on the couch and leaned back, closing his eyes.

Sheldon and Flack walked in.

"Danny, what's up with you?" Flack asked. "Rora is down in the station being strangely quiet."

"She is having a rough period in her pregnancy." Danny said but didn't open his eyes.

"Anything I should be worried about?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't know." Danny rubbed his eyes. "I think its just a phase."

"What's going on?" Flack sat down on the couch beside Danny.

"I am not sure how to help Rora. She cries a lot. She is having mood swings worse than I expected and…"

"And what?" Sheldon asked. "So far everything I am hearing is routine pregnant woman."

"She doesn't want sex anymore." Danny sighed.

"What? Why not?" Sheldon asked.

"I dunno. The last couple times I have tried to initiate….she doesn't want to." Danny said.

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" Flack asked.

"I don't know how. I don't want to upset her and I don't want her to feel pressured." Danny said.

"Be patient, I am sure it'll pass." Sheldon said.

"I am, its just frustrating…and not just because I ain't getting laid. It's because something is obviously bothering her." Danny said.

"Aurora will talk to you about it soon. You two are very close and she can't keep anything from you for very long." Flack said.

"But is everything else okay?" Sheldon asked.

"Yeah, the nursery is nearly done. Louie was over on the weekend helping me finish with the wallpaper trim. The girls from the Miami team sent Rora a shopping gift certificate for her birthday. They said for her do something fun for herself." Danny said.

"Her birthday…..I forgot….I hope Aiden bought something I can write my name on." Flack said.

(Evening, Morgue)

I walked into the morgue. Sheldon was spreading a clean sheet over one of his exam tables. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Right on time. I was getting the table ready for you." he said.

"I wanted to get home and get dinner cooked for Danny." I said.

"Hop up…here I'll help you." Sheldon said and took my arm to help me get on the table.

"Thanks. I am getting too fat to move it seems like." I grumbled.

"You're doing great about your weight. And you still have a long way to go. You're going to get bigger before this is over." Sheldon said. "I want you to be prepared."

I nodded. "I know, but I used to….well I just feel….I don't want to get fat."

"Being pregnant is not getting fat. Your baby has to grow and you have to gain a certain amount of weight in order to keep your baby healthy." Sheldon said.

"I know." I sighed.

"How is your appetite?" Sheldon asked as he put a blood pressure cuff on me.

"I am eating okay. Don makes sure that I eat despite the insanity of this case." I said.

"That is good. The baby moving?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, quite often. The baby is especially active in the mornings." I said.

"Blood pressure is good. Are you watching what you eat and drink?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, I am still careful about salt, sugar, caffeine." I said.

"Good, that helps a lot." Sheldon said. "Any other problems?"

"No, everything is fine. I am just a bit stressed about the case." I said.

"I talked to Danny earlier….he is a bit concerned about you. Said you aren't interested in sex anymore." Sheldon said.

I sighed. "I am not surprised. I know this has to be rough on him. I just don't want him to see me as fat."

"Danny knows your pregnant." Sheldon sat on the table beside me.

"I know…but I am getting to where I don't feel attractive anymore…and I don't want Danny to start thinking that." I said.

"I am sure Danny thinks no such thing. And if he is the one initiating sex…don't you think that means he still finds you attractive?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't know." I sighed.

"Try talking to Danny about it." Sheldon took my hand. "And you know that sex can't hurt the baby."

"I know." I said as my cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Is this Aurora Messer?"

"This is Detective Aurora Messer, NYPD homicide. Who is this?" I asked.

"This is Sheriff Jason Tanner of Osceola, Iowa. I think we should talk." he said.

"What can I do for you Sheriff?" I asked.

"The PD in Des Moines forwarded a bulletin to me that you had sent out regarding a serial killer in New York City. Kills white men, sodomized them, leaves little evidence behind. I saw you all on the news talking about it." he said.

"Yes, we have tried sending bulletins to all major cities hoping for a hit on similar MO." I said.

"That is why I am calling. Three years ago we had a serial killer with the same MO. He was leaving bodies along our train tracks. We had a good suspect but before we could investigate too much, he left town. And the killings stopped when he did." Tanner said.

I hopped off the table. "I am glad you called. I want you to fax me everything you have, I am calling my partner and the crime lab now. We'll have a conference call in an hour." I walked out of the morgue.


	154. Matter of Time

_Kasmith101- Glad you liked it._

_Bioassy- I love Flack and I just saw him being a typical guy about something like that._

_Trizzy- Yeah, but things are looking up for Danny. Rora is lucky to have such a great guy._

_Meadow567- Nope, the minute people here find out I am from Pittsburgh, Sidney is what they want to talk about. I tell them I am still pouting over Craig Patrick. _

_Jordayna- All moved in, just busy as can be._

_Soccer-Bitch- Thanks, going well so far._

_LadyBrady12- Flack is everyone's favorite. He's just so sweet._

_Emador- Maybe Sheldon and Emily should have a baby. Sheldon would know all that pregnancy sex stuff. _

"Danny, Mac…glad you're here." I said as they walked into the station.

"We came as soon as we could. Think this sheriff knows anything?" Danny asked.

"He has looked over the case and says that he had a killer with a similar MO a few years ago. The guy left town before they could prove anything." I said.

"You said that he fit the profile of someone who had killed before." Mac said.

"I hope this is it. I want to catch this guy." I said and sat down. Danny walked over to me and gently rubbed my shoulders.

"When is he calling?" Mac asked.

"Any minute now. That is why I wanted you guys to bring the files." I said.

"Just take a few breathes, you're on edge." Danny said.

"I know…it's been a rough couple of days." I said.

My phone rang. "Messer."

"This is sheriff Tanner." he said.

"We've been waiting on your call I am gonna put you on speaker phone." I said and hit the button. "Okay, you're talking with my partner Det. Don Flack. Mac Taylor and Danny Messer from the crime lab."

"Glad I can help. I got the file…the guy I was looking at was named Shawn Saunders. He worked at our local textile mill." Tanner said.

I wrote notes as he talked. "Can you describe him?"

"He is young, in his late 20's. He flunked out of college. He never had an official police record. Never had so much as a parking ticket." Tanner said.

"What brought him to your attention?" Mac asked.

"Our victims were all being dumped in the railway yards. Over two years we had four victims. All young white males. They had been sodomized and left nude." Tanner said. "We got reports of Saunders hanging around the railroad tracks on nights that we were finding victims."

"What happened when you confronted him?" Flack asked.

"He denied it of course. He kept going on and on that he was not gay." Tanner said.

"Classic move for someone who is trying to deny their true sexuality." I said. "Did you ever search his home or vehicle?"

"We couldn't get enough for a warrant so we put him under surveillance." Tanner said. "He didn't like that. He would purposely drive around the city for hours just to annoy the police following him. He made it known that he was giving us a hard time."

"How soon after that did he leave the area?" Danny asked.

"About a month. His actions grew very agitated. He would stand in his yard and yell at the officers watching him. He would throw things at their vehicle. After watching him a month with nothing, we had to pull surveillance. He was gone within three days." Tanner said. "We then searched his empty house. He left nothing behind to hint at where he had gone and he didn't tell anyone we talked to either."

"Did you try tracking him?" Mac asked.

"We did, but there has been no activity on social security number." Tanner said.

"Aurora, what do you think?" Mac asked.

"I think it's worth looking into. I mean nothing else is coming along. And the murders in Iowa are very similar to ours." I said.

"Can you send us the DNA profile from sodomy that was collected?" Mac asked Tanner.

"I have a deputy faxing them now." Tanner said.

"If Saunders is the killer, we'll prosecute." Flack said. "I don't want a pissing contest over extradition and jurisdiction."

"We have the right to prosecute." Tanner said.

"New York has the death penalty. Iowa does not." I said. "And if Iowa insists on prosecuting after New York does, all it will do is prolong his court process and appeals."

Tanner was silent a minute. "You'll make sure he is convicted and gets the death penalty?"

"If Shawn Saunders is our killer, I promise I'll make sure that he is found guilty and that the DA seeks the death penalty." I said. "Our crime lab is the best in the country and they'll find any evidence there is and make sure the charges stick."

"I'll do anything I can to help. I have grieving families that want answers and justice." Tanner said.

"You got it." Danny said. "We'll let you know what we find."

"I'll be in touch." Tanner said and hung up.

I finished my notes based on what Tanner had told us.

"Okay, I'll run a check with the NY DMV and see if they have anyone listed as Shawn Saunders or anything close to it." I said.

"Do you need to rest?" Danny asked.

"No, I am fine. Let me know what you find about the DNA profile." I said.

"Let's get going before he kills someone else." Flack said.

(11:30PM)

I had spent the past two hours going through DMV records looking for any name that could be an alias for Shawn Saunders. My gut told me he was our guy and I wanted to get him off the streets as soon as possible.

Danny walked in. He was carrying a few folders.

"What did you find?" he asked me.

"Nothing. I have gone through every Saunders in the state of NY. I have made up possible aliases, it all comes back to nothing." I said. "How about you?"

"We got a DNA match. The killer in Iowa is the same as the Sodomy Killer. Shawn Saunders is our man." Danny said.

"Now we just have to find him. He has obviously changed his identity." I sighed.

"Sheriff Tanner sent us some pictures of Shawn Saunders. Flack is getting them to the press now. By morning he'll be on every news channel and in every newspaper in the city." Danny said. "We're gonna get him."

"That should flush him out. It's how they got Richard Ramirez." I said and rubbed my lower back.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Just tired and my back hurts a little." I said.

"Come on, I'll take you home." Danny said.

"But we might be needed here." I said.

"Go on home. There is nothing more we can do until someone calls in with information about Saunders. You need to rest." Flack said.

"I am fine." I insisted.

"Then take my godchild home so it can rest." Flack smiled. "Go on, if anything happens I'll call you."

"Come on, let's go." Danny smiled. "That gives us some time together."

"Okay, but you call me the minute something happens." I said as I stood up.

"I will, now get or I'll call Aiden." Flack winked.

(Pelham Bay)

I climbed into bed and lay down. Danny was already in bed, waiting for me before turning out the lights. Danny turned out the lights and spooned up behind me. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, even after Sheldon had talked to me.

"It's okay baby. I just wanna hold you. Be close to you." Danny said and kissed my shoulder. "Your back still hurt?"

"A little. It's just the baby growing." I said.

"Here, let me rub your back for you." Danny said and I felt his hands on my lower back, rubbing at the tired muscles.

"Thanks, that feels great." I said.

"Wow, you're really tense." Danny said. "Just relax. Take a few deep breaths."

I nodded. "Its just the case and everything."

"Well we got a major break and its only a matter of time now. Just relax." Danny said.

I nodded again. Danny's touch was starting to affect me. I relaxed and took a deep breath, letting him rub my back a few minutes more.

"Feeling better?" Danny asked.

"Much better." I rolled over and kissed him long and deep.

"Baby, you sure you're okay with this?" Danny ran a finger down my cheek.

"Do you still think I am pretty?" I asked.

Danny smiled and kissed my forehead. "Baby, you're gorgeous. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. My beautiful wife, carrying my child. Do you know how much I love you?"

"I'm sorry I have avoided you lately. It's just I don't want you to think I'm not attractive." I said.

"That isn't gonna happen." Danny ran a hand over the baby. "Part of me is in there. You're doing the most amazing thing in the world by giving me a child. Do you know how much I love you for that?"

"I love you too." I kissed him.

Danny leaned over and gently pressed me against the mattress. "Just lay back. I am going to show you how attractive I think you are."


	155. Final Victim

_Bioassy- Yes, I understand about Flack. He is cute as can be._

_Trizzy- Well here is your next fix. I hope you enjoy the rest of this case. Your review cracked me up. I enjoy them so much. _

_Snowbear96- Yeah I knew there was a problem with alerts._

_Meadow567- I am still mad at Bertruzzi for his little stunt a few years back. I thought he should've been banned from the NHL for that._

_Soccer-bitch- Well here you go and I hope you enjoy. Loved your review._

_Emador- Too long that is for sure. Maybe I can sneak in some Emily and Sheldon stuff soon, LOL._

Danny and I walked into the station the next morning. I was snuggled on his shoulder, feeling much closer to him after the night before.

"How about this weekend I take you out to dinner?" Danny asked.

"You don't have to. I mean with my birthday and Valentine's day so close and all." I said.

"I want to. Better yet, why don't we stay in and watch a few movies. Just me, you and the baby." Danny smiled.

"I'd like that." I kissed him.

"Nice to see Danny got back in your pants." Flack rolled his eyes. "Are you two done?"

"How did you…." I looked at Flack.

"Because Danny is all smiles, you're all sappy…didn't have to become a detective to figure that one out." Flack smirked. "And Aiden was at my place this morning when you called."

"The precinct is turning into a hotbed of romance." I chuckled. "Me and Danny, you and Aiden, Emily and Sheldon."

"Here is the morning paper." Flack handed it to me. There was a large picture of Saunders across the front of it. The headline read "Sodomy Killer Identified"

"We saw the story all over the news this morning." Danny said. "The city is in chaos."

"You wouldn't believe the string of calls we've been fielding already this morning." Flack said.

"Anything credible?" I asked.

"A few are completely ridiculous, including one psychic who claimed she could find him. But we have had more than one caller ID Saunders as Randy James. Mac is running a check on the name now." Flack said.

"What have they said about this Randy?" I asked.

"The callers that talked about him said that Randy is quiet, never had any problems with him. Apparently he works at a bottling plant. Mac is looking into that too." Don said.

"Sometimes the most dangerous killers are the ones that are the least suspicious. They are the ones that stay anonymous so long because they are like everyone else and don't stand out." I said.

"How is my godchild?" Flack asked. "Danny give it a black eye?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, it is awake and kicking. Little guy is a morning person." I took Flack's hand and put it on the side of my tummy. "There…feel that."

Flack smiled. "I say it's a girl. And the way she kicks she's got her mom's spirit."

"Well if it is a girl it's Taylor." I glared at Danny.

"Gianna." Danny said.

Flack leaned closer to the baby. "If you think they're bad now, wait till you walk in on them screwing…and it'll happen with the rabbits that they are. Not to mention all the siblings they plan on giving you."

I rolled my eyes at him as Mac walked in. He had a few files in his hands.

"Mac, what do you got?" Danny asked him.

"Randy James is registered to live in an apartment in Queens. Talking to his landlord, he says that Randy never causes any problems, rent is always paid. I talked to Randy's boss at the plant. He said that Randy has never caused problems at work but lately has seemed irritable." Mac said. "And his boss said Randy called off work today."

"The story has hit and if he's our man…." Flack started.

"He knows we're looking for him." I finished. "We gotta get to Queens."

"Let's go." Flack stood up and grabbed his coat.

(Queens)

We pulled up to the apartment building. It was a nice neighborhood with a low crime rate. The building seemed quiet. We walked up the stairs to Randy's apartment.

"Be ready for anything." I told them. "If he is agitated and stayed away from work…who knows what kind of mindset he has if he is in here." I said.

"Stay behind me." Flack told me. "Remember, you start desk duty next week."

I nodded and kept a hand on my gun as Mac knocked on the door. "NYPD!"

We heard a sudden clash from inside the apartment. A few more loud thuds.

"NYPD! We'll break down the door if you don't open it!" Flack yelled.

We heard a scream. We'd heard enough. Flack broke through the lock and shouldered the door open. We rushed inside, guns drawn. Saunders was in a struggle with a naked man.

"Saunders hands in the air!" Danny yelled.

Saunders turned and saw the four of us had guns on him. He still held the man.

"Let him go or we'll shoot. It's over Saunders." I said.

Saunders seemed to recognize me. "Its you…from the press conference and the papers!"

"Let him go!" Flack yelled and stepped closer.

Saunders threw the man to the floor and raised his hands in the air. Mac and Flack rushed forward to cuff him while Danny and I kept our guns on him in case he made any sudden moves.

"You lied about me!" Saunders yelled as Flack cuffed him. "I'm not a faggot."

"He tried to kill me." the guy on they floor finally found his wits to speak.

I put my gun in its holster and approached him. "Sir, what's your name?"

"Danny, call for EMS the start processing the house." Mac said.

"We need a blanket for this gentleman." I told Danny.

Flack pulled Saunders towards the door.

"Sir, I'm Detective Aurora Messer, NYPD. Can you tell me your name?" I asked and kneeled next to him. He was desperately trying to cover himself.

"Josh….Josh Stevens." he said.

"Josh, it's okay. You're safe now. We're calling EMS for you. You need to go to the hospital." I said seeing rope marks on his neck. "Have you been raped?"

Josh nodded and looked away.

"It's alright Josh. You have nothing to be ashamed of. We're going to take good care of you." I said. "None of this was your fault."

Mac walked over and handed me a blanket. I carefully wrapped it around Josh, moving slowly so that I would not spook him. He had just been through a terrible ordeal.

"Aurora, go to the hospital with him." Mac said. "See if you can get him to consent to a rape kit. Flack is taking Saunders downtown. Danny and I are gonna process this apartment."

"I'll let you know what happens." I said. "The media is going to be all over this."

Mac nodded. "Look after him." Mac motioned to Josh.

I could hear EMS approaching in the distance. I stayed close to Josh without touching him as I didn't want to startle him. He was quiet and I worried he was too traumatized to give a statement.

"Josh, EMS is going to take you to the hospital. I will be right with you. I know you've been through a lot but I am going to stay right with you." I said.

Josh nodded but didn't say anything further. I heard EMS outside and knew that they would be taking charge of Josh. Loading him on a stretcher and such. I stayed near him until EMS walked in.

Flack walked back in. I joined him across the room, watching EMS attend to Josh.

"What's going on with Saunders?" I asked.

"Screaming that he isn't gay and boy does he hate you and Mac." Flack said.

I looked over where EMS were trying to comfort and tend to Josh. I shook my head.

"I am just glad that we caught him. I was a mess while he was free and on the streets." I said.

"You okay?" Danny checked on me.

I nodded and smiled at him. He winked at me. I saw EMS had got Josh on a stretcher.

"I will call you from the hospital." I said.

(Memorial Hospital)

"Detective…are you sure about this?" Josh asked me as the doctors had left him for a few minutes to prepare the rape kit.

"Josh, its your decision. But if you get this done…we'll have evidence and it'll make our case against Saunders stronger." I said.

"He really hurt me." Josh looked away.

"I know he did…I know his MO. But you survived, you can help put him away. You can speak for the victims that can't anymore." I said.

"What if….I mean did he have anything?" Josh closed his eyes.

"The doctors are going to give you medicine to combat that." I assured him.

Josh looked at me for a minute. "If….if you weren't married…would you date a guy that had been raped?"

I nodded. "I would. My husband had his own demons in the past…none of which he could help. This isn't your fault…and a girl worth your time will understand that."

Josh nodded. He looked at me again. I understood and took his hand.

"It's okay. I am right here. And the hospital is going to set you up with counseling." I said.

Josh closed his eyes in an obvious attempt to relax. "Tell me about your baby."

"Why?" I asked.

"Just talk to me about something. Something good and happy. What is your baby?" he asked.

"We don't know. We decided to wait to find out. My husband is so excited I don't know if he can wait another three months for the baby to be born." I said.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter. I just want a healthy baby. And either way I get to name the baby after people special to me. If it's a girl I am naming her Taylor after one of my best friends in the world. And if it's a boy, I am naming him Horatio after someone who has come to mean a lot to me." I said.

"Was the baby an accident?" Josh asked.

"Oh no…we planned on it. We had talked it out, threw away the birth control. We were very excited when we found out we were pregnant. I think I cried all the way home from the morgue." I said.

"Morgue?"

"Don't ask. Long story." I said.

The doctor and nurse walked in. I squeezed Josh's hand to let him know that it would be okay.

(Station)

I walked in to the station. Danny was talking to Flack. They looked up when they saw me coming towards them.

"Did he do the rape kit?" Danny asked.

I nodded. "I was able to convince him of the reasons why he should. He's humiliated and ashamed. It's worse when a man is raped. They always feel like people will see them as weak or gay."

"But he's alive." Flack said.

"He's going to need a lot of counseling before he feels like himself again." I sighed.

"Did he give a statement?" Flack asked.

I nodded again. "He says that he was coming out of a bar last night at closing time. He noticed this guy working on his car, like under the hood. He offered to help. It was Saunders."

"Let me guess, Saunders then offered him a ride home for helping." Danny sighed.

"Yeah, he says he got nervous when Saunders missed the exit to drive to his place. In the course of struggling with him he was chloroformed. The next thing he remembers is waking up, screaming in pain. The rape had started." I said.

"How badly was he injured?" Flack asked.

"He needed stitches. Saunders as usual didn't use lubricant or do any stretching prep." I said.

"I'm going to the lab. The hospital will be sending the rape kit over and I wanna get it processed." Danny said. He turned to me. "See you at home later?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

"We'll relax together this evening. You need a break. We'll just watch a movie or something." Danny kissed me.

"Sounds good." I smiled and watched him walk out.

"Newlyweds expecting a baby." Flack groaned.

"Wait till you and Aiden are newlyweds." I said.

"Quit joking about that." Flack glared at me.

I chuckled. "Where is Saunders now?"

"Interrogation with Mac." Flack said. "He is very tight lipped."

I nodded. "I am going to talk to them. How is the media circus going?"

"The press has been calling all afternoon and a few reporters in here. All want exclusive statements and interviews. You know how it is." Flack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah I do. Let me know if there is anything I can do." I said and walked to the back for interrogation rooms.

I found the one that Mac had Saunders in. Saunders was sitting not saying a word while Mac was trying to prod him into talking by telling him what evidence we already had.

I walked in. "You got a thing for raping men."

"Bitch….you're the one that told the world I was a faggot." Saunders snapped.

"I never said the word 'faggot'. I don't believe in that word. You used that word yourself. All I did was present the facts to the media. We had young men being raped before being killed." I said.

"Why rape them?" Mac said as I sat down beside him.

"They made me feel like a faggot!" Saunders said.

"How?" Mac asked.

Saunders wouldn't answer.

"None of your victims in New York or Iowa were gay. You were attracted to them because you are." I said.

"I am not! Quit saying that!" Saunders yelled.

"You are! You're in denial about your own sexuality. You didn't want to feel attracted to other men. So when you were attracted to a man, you killed them." I said.

Saunders glared at me. "It was their fault."

"It was not their fault that you were attracted to them. And judging on your MO…the type of man you were attracted to was young, white and good looking." I said.

"They knew it was you in Iowa. You left town to avoid prosecution. You moved here and changed your name." Mac said.

"But you were still attracted to men and you struggled with that. Soon the killing started again." I said.

"I wasn't going to be a faggot!" Saunders yelled.

"Being gay is not a crime. Murder is." I said.

"You'd have been better off to accepted your sexuality." Mac said. "Now you're looking at murder one."

I stood up with Mac and walked out of the interrogation. We looked in to see Saunders who started looking defeated.

"You okay?" Mac asked.

"Now that he is off the streets….I'm fine." I said.

"Go home and get some rest. You've had a hard time lately." Mac said.

I smiled. "Thanks Mac."

"Take care of my little lady." Mac smiled.

"What if it's a boy?" I asked.

"The take care of my little soldier!" Mac winked.

I chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Mac."

I turned and headed down the hall. I was going to stop at my desk, grab my coat and head home. An evening with Danny sounded wonderful.

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"I see you caught the Sodomy Killer." Horatio Caine was on the other end.

"Yes, news travels fast." I said.

"It's all over CNN. My team has been watching it for the past half hour." Horatio said.

"I am so glad it's over." I said.

"How is the baby?" Horatio asked.

"Good, very active. We were on our way home….."


	156. Baby's First WWE Event

_Bioassy- Geez, I love it when the rabid Flack fans come out. Flacktuition, I like that. Could be used as a term for his instinct as a detective too. And we'll have to wait and see what happens before Baby Messer arrives._

_Trizzy- I agree with you, but I feel like something is gonna big happen because the season finale is just like 8 weeks away. Then again I haven't watched the show in over a year. So it doesn't matter to me really that much. But I am glad you are excited about my story. Hope you enjoy and easy on that room mate._

_Mac's Girl- Here is more. I hope you like it. It's some fun after the long serial killer case. _

_Snowbear96- You can hug whoever you want. _

_Abbeguytje- The baby will be here soon enough and it'll be a surprise as to what it's named when it is born._

_Soccer-bitch- Yes, I have decided what the baby will be. I have known since I started writing the story a year ago. Scary thought, I have been on this story a year!_

_Jordayna- Well this is just some fun after the long serious case. I hope you like it._

_Meadow567- Hey at least your goalie didn't get stabbed in the butt by his wife when she caught him with the babysitter! LOL_

_Emador- You're the only one that read way too much into that. It was just tapering off, end of the day thing. And I knew you'd love the Flack stuff. Enjoy this chappie. I cracked up writing parts of it. _

"How did we get talked into this again?" Flack asked as the guys were in the locker room getting dressed to go for the evening.

"The girls asked us and we can't deny them anything." Sheldon said.

"But wrestling? Rora dragged us to this once before." Don said.

"You owe her for her birthday." Danny snickered. "That was too funny."

"How was I supposed to know Aiden got her a breast pump for her birthday?" Don sighed.

"Aiden tried to tell you not to put your name on the card that it was a girly gift." Sheldon laughed.

"Well I had forgot about her birthday with the Saunders case and all. I thought I'd just add my name to Aiden's gift." Don said.

"I wish you could've seen your face when Rora opened it and there was a breast pump." Danny laughed. "Your dad is never going to let you hear the end of it."

"Aurora is on full time desk duty now. How is she handling that?" Sheldon asked.

"Well she would rather be in the field but knows its best for her and the baby." Flack said.

"Sheldon…do pregnant women…are they…" Danny couldn't quite find the words.

"Something wrong with Aurora?" Sheldon asked.

"Not wrong, I guess. It's just…well she seems to get off so easily lately. I don't have to do very much and she has an orgasm." Danny said.

Sheldon snickered. "That is very common for pregnant women. The extra fluid in the vaginal area makes the vagina and clit very sensitive."

"So what Aurora has been doing is normal?" Danny asked.

"Completely normal. Some women who have never had an orgasm before will have them while pregnant. And some women learn to have multiple orgasms while pregnant." Sheldon said.

"That is a relief…although I think the neighbors are going to start to think I am abusing her." Danny said.

"Let's go already. Cena, Batista, the Hardys are waiting!" Aurora yelled into the men's locker room.

"Why oh why did the WWE have to have an event at MSG?" Flack sighed.

"I still wanna know how Mac got talked into going." Sheldon said.

(Madison Square Gardens)

"Baby's first wrestling event." Rora giggled as they took their seats.

"Is there one of those bra and panties matches tonight?" Flack asked.

"I don't think so. The current women's champion is nasty. I hate her." Aurora said.

"Mac, how did you get talked into this?" Sheldon asked him.

"Aurora asked me. I was going to politely say no but she said that it would be so much fun for us all to be there." Mac shrugged.

"Don't you hate how these girls get us wrapped around their fingers." Sheldon smiled. Mac smiled.

"Tell me that Cena guy isn't going to be here tonight." Flack said.

"Of course he is, he is the champion." Aurora said.

"I saw his movie. That is the worst movie I have seen since I can't even remember." Flack said.

"Hey…okay so the movie wasn't that great. Cena is hot so it's all okay." Aurora said.

"Oh yeah, he could do CPR on me anytime." Emily said.

"I liked that movie because his wife was a porn star." Sheldon said.

"She was so not suited for that role." Aiden said. "It was not at all believable that she could fight and had the brains to figure out possible ways of escape."

"Wait till Batista walks out here in dress clothes….he is so gorgeous it ought to be against the law." Aurora said.

"Again, how did I get talked into this?" Flack asked.

"Quit complaining, when we get home I'll…" Aiden leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

"I'll hold you to that." Flack smiled.

"I hope Bobby Lashley is here. I just love him. Mac he's your kinda guy. Was in the military." Rora said.

"Sheldon, is she so excited she could go into labor?" Danny joked.

"No, but it is good to see her so happy after the stress of the Saunders case." Sheldon said.

"How about our next group outing is a hockey game?" Flack said.

"Only if we can see the Wild play." Rora giggled.

"Mike Ramsey, I know, I know." Flack laughed. "I'll see what the Rangers have on their schedule."

"He's cute. Who is he?" Emily said as a guy in a suit climbed in the ring.

"Emily! That is Todd Grisham…he interviews everyone." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"I don't care. He is still cute." Emily insisted.

"Yeah, he was real cute last week when he was wearing a pink tie and looking at Ashley's Playboy spread." Rora said.

"I have to get that." Flack said. Aiden glared at him. "I love you, but it's…..Rora help me out here."

"It's a guy thing. I bought Danny a copy just because I wanted to see if the pictures were as good as Ashley was bragging." Rora said.

"You actually looked at it?" Emily was surprised.

"What? I am six months pregnant. I know what boobs are." Aurora said.

Mac groaned and slid down in his chair.

"Mac, you know you love me." Aurora giggled and laid her head on his shoulder.

"So who is in the opening bout?" Danny asked. "She makes me watch this stuff and after awhile it gets half interesting."

"Jeff Hardy. He is who I am gonna marry if I ever leave Danny and Mac is dead." Aurora said.

"His brother is hott." Aiden said. Flack looked at her. "Aurora is my best friend, she gets me to watch enough that I know who's who."

"Mac, if you wanna trump up charges against Randy Orton, I'll help you." Aurora giggled.

"Why would I want to do that?" Mac looked at her.

"RKO went AWOL from the marines in real life. Even spent time in the brig." Aurora said.

"Aurora, sometimes I think your wet dream is for there to be a murder backstage at a WWE event so we have to investigate." Flack said.

"I'll start with John Cena's locker room." Aurora winked.

"I'll assist her." Aiden said.

"Damn Sheldon. You should've put salt peter in these girls coffee today." Flack said.

The lights dimmed and the pyros went off to start the show. Soon Jeff Hardy's music hit and Jeff Hardy came to the top of the ramp, doing his entrance routine.

"That is bad dancing." Sheldon said.

"That is so cute. And boy is he hott!" Aurora said.

Danny looked at Don. "At least the girls are having fun."

"Yeah, by the way…have you heard what Sheldon has planned for Valentines Day?" Don asked.


	157. Murdered Baby

_Snowbear96- It's okay. We all need hugs. Hope you enjoy._

_Bioassy- Well I hope you enjoy this even though it's not quite Valentine's Day yet._

_Emador- How did I know you would want more Todd? And it's so something Flack would do. Forget to buy a gift and just stick his name on the tag. And Rora and Aiden are close enough to buy baby gifts and girly gifts, LOL. _

_Meadow567- Tom Barrasso, his wife caught him with another woman on the couch and stabbed him in the butt with scissors. It was quite funny at the time when the news reported it. Be looking for those wrestlers. Wrestlemania is April 1._

_Trizzy- Take a deep breath. I just recently got into the Hardy's. I never liked them the first time around when they were Team Extreme. Lita was why I didn't like them and looks like I was right all along. And I am glad that I am not the only person that wishes ill upon her. And I wouldn't have left Matt…and I agree Edge is nasty. If I was gonna cheat it'd be with someone hott…like Cena, Batista, or Lashley. _

_Aphina- I am so glad that you have caught up with the rest of the story. I love your reviews. Yeah, she is having a baby. I want to show all aspects of pregnancy. And sometimes its funny to write._

_Jordayna- I am glad you liked it. I enjoyed writing it. I hope you like this chappie too. It's more serious._

_Soccer-bitch- I could just so see his face when she opened that and is all "Don…a breast pump?" _

_**Spoilers- **Slight for CSI:Miami episode "Ashes to Ashes"_

"…..and then Aunt Aiden helped pull us all off stage, even though she was laughing so hard she was crying." Danny said. He was laying in bed with his head on my lap telling the baby stories.

"I can't believe you're telling the baby a story about you, Sheldon, and Don getting drunk and singing karaoke." I laughed.

"Would you rather I tell the baby the story of the first time we met?" Danny laughed.

"We were at a crime scene and you decided to be a smartass." I said.

Danny rubbed the baby. "Your mommy was the prettiest thing I had ever seen. She had this pretty smile and these bright eyes. And her coat was open enough that I could tell she was cold."

"Danny!" I giggled.

"Well it's true." Danny said. "And I had to give her a hard time, so I kept getting her name wrong. And then there was the time I had a threesome with mommy and Aunt Aiden."

"Danny, you're gonna scar our baby before it even gets here." I laughed.

Danny sat up and kissed me. "I am sure the baby is fine. You were the one reading the sports page to it."

"My baby is coming into the world knowing who Craig Patrick, Mike Ramsey, John Smoltz and Richard Petty are." I said.

Danny's cell phone rang. He looked at it. "Mac's number. Messer."

I sat quietly and listened as Danny talked to Mac. They had a call. Danny hung up.

"I gotta go. We got a call. Mac wouldn't go into details but I have to meet him at Memorial Hospital." Danny said.

"Call me if you're gonna be gone all night." I said.

"I will. Get a good night's sleep." Danny kissed me. "Take care of my baby." he kissed my tummy.

"Be careful." I said as Danny climbed off the bed.

"I will. Love you." he grabbed his gun and badge.

"Love you too."

(7AM)

I walked into the station. Flack was already at his desk, looking as if he pulled an all-nighter. Danny had worked all night as well, calling me at 1AM to say he'd be out the rest of the night.

"What's going on?" I asked Don.

"We got a messy case." Don sighed. "We're all a bit edgy."

"What's up?" I asked.

"This guy beat his pregnant wife until it killed the baby." Don sighed. "Mac is watching Danny close because Danny is wound tight as a drum."

"The wife survive?" I asked.

"Yeah, she took one hell of a beating. She is still in the hospital. Investigation shows there is a history of domestic violence." Don said.

"How far along was she?" I asked.

"About four months. Doctor said it was a baby girl." Don said. "Because she was past 12 weeks pregnant, New York law requires there be a death certificate. Doctors called the police."

"Where is the husband?" I asked.

"In custody. I arrested him last night. He is not the least bit sorry. He says he didn't want the baby to start with." Don sighed.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Of all the cases for us to get while you are pregnant." Don said.

"What can I do?" I asked.

"Right now we need to finish the paper work. You might want to call and check on Danny. Oh and the husband is trying to get his charges down from murder one to improper abortion." Flack said.

"Improper abortion is only a class D misdemeanor." I said.

"Could work. With the abortion laws what they are today, its very hard to give rights to a fetus." Flack said.

I sat down and started to call Danny when I saw him walk into the station. He walked over to my desk.

"I was just about to call you. How are you?" I asked.

"Bastard killed his baby. He took a 2x4 and beat his wife until it knocked the placenta loose." Danny said. "I'm pissed."

"It's rough." I said. "Makes me so thankful that you're a good dad and love your baby."

"Is my baby okay this morning?" Danny gave a small smile.

"The baby is awake and moving." I smiled. "Very much a morning person. Worse than Mac."

Danny smiled and leaned over and kissed me. "I love you."

"Love you too." I said. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, now that I have seen you." Danny said. "I got to get back to the lab."

"Dinner tonight? I'll fix something nice." I said.

Danny nodded and headed back to the lab.

"Valentine's Day is at the end of the week and I have no idea what to get Aiden." Don sighed.

"Oh, if you want to buy me something, I could use some nursing pads." I snickered.

"I am never going to live this down." Flack groaned. "I wanna get her something nice."

"You know….if you want a little more of a romantic Valentine's Day, you could get her lingerie." I said.

(3pm)

"Have you seen this guy's rap sheet?" I asked Don. "The wife has called the cops out there 3 times in the past year. The neighbors have called the cops 5 times. Why won't these abused women just leave?"

"I don't know. But with his history of violence, It should help our case." Don said. "I just hope we don't get any liberals on the jury that don't want to find him guilty because the baby wasn't full term."

Danny walked in. He looked tired.

"Baby, you should rest. You look tired." I told him.

"I am headed out of here in a bit. Right now I have to go take a final statement from the husband before he is moved to central booking." Danny said. "How's my baby?"

"Sleeping, after kicking at me all morning." I chuckled.

"I'll see you later tonight at home." Danny said. "I gotta go finish this."

I nodded and watched as he walked down the hall.

"Have you heard what Sheldon is doing for Valentine's Day?" Don asked.

"Yeah…I am not sure how to take it. I wasn't expecting it. But I guess if it's what he wants." I said. "I just hope Emily doesn't end up…well I hope she doesn't get disappointed."

"Aiden said the same thing. Meanwhile, Sheldon is like thrilled to death." Don said. "Difference in men and women."

"Well it's just, I am pretty sure Emily was expecting….." My cell phone started ringing. "Messer."

"How are things in New York City?" Horatio Caine was on the other end.

"Busy, like Miami, we never close." I chuckled.

"How are you enjoying desk duty?" Horatio asked.

"It's driving me insane, but considering it's below 0 outside, I don't mind too much." I said.

"Just wanted to let you know the Diaz trial has been delayed. He has the best attorneys paid for by Clavo Cruz of course. They managed to get a continuance pending further investigation." Horatio said.

"Why am I not surprised?" I sighed. "Well as long as he is off the streets, I can deal with the mess of a trial."

"How's the caseload?" Horatio asked.

"We got a case today that is killing us. A pregnant woman's husband didn't want the baby so he beat her so bad she lost the baby. Danny is ready to rip the guy limb from limb." I said.

"I had a case similar to that." Horatio said.

"Really? What happened?" I asked.

"This girl had gotten pregnant but for the boyfriend, she was just a fling and he didn't want a baby to deal with or pay for. So he killed the mother and tried to make it look like a car accident. Delko worked the case with me. We found her charred remains over an embankment inside a burned out SUV." Horatio said. I knew how sensitive he was to cases involving children.

"That's terrible. Were you able to bring charges against him for the death of the fetus?" I asked.

"We weren't able to bring charges against him at all. There just wasn't enough evidence to prove that he killed the mother. And of course he had the best lawyer money could buy." Horatio said.

"What did you do?" I asked, knowing that Lt. Caine wouldn't have liked not closing a case.

"I had our forensic artists do a computer sketch of what his daughter would've looked like if she had lived. I showed it to him…I wanted him to see what a beautiful child he had killed. Then I told him that I would haunt him until I had enough to put him away." Horatio said.

"Do you still investigate her case?" I asked.

"Every year on the anniversary of what should've been her birthday. I pull out her file, ask more questions, follow new leads." Horatio said.

"You'll get him Horatio." I said.

"Well, I should let you get back to work. I just wanted to let you know about the Diaz trial." Horatio said.

"Thanks for calling. I appreciate it." I said and hung up.

"Hey Don, I think I got an idea how we can bring the baby more to life when we go to trial. I got the idea when I was talking to Lt. Caine…" I started but Danny came out of the back and grabbed my hand. "Danny?"

"Come on." Danny was pulling me to the back.

"Where are we going?" I asked starting to wonder what Danny was up to.

"Just come with me." Danny said and pushed me into one of the interrogation rooms.

I looked around and saw that seated at the table was the husband that had killed his baby. I knew that Danny was supposed to be talking to him.

"See this." Danny held up my left hand. "I put those rings on her hand and it was a privilege to do it. I vowed to love and protect her. What the hell is wrong with you?" Danny leaned over the table. "I don't know about you, but before my wife came along… I was an asshole. She makes me want to be a better man, not less of one. And you see that baby she is carrying…..see that. That is my baby. That is the most beautiful thing she could ever do for me. I look at her and I want to keep her safe, love her and my baby. Not hurt them. What the hell got in your mind?"

The husband looked between Danny and me.

"That's fine. You killed your baby. And you'll have the next fifty years in prison to think about it." Danny stood up. "And just so you know….baby killers don't do so well in prison."

Danny and me walked out of the interrogation room. I looked over at him.

"Danny, are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just had a few things I had to say to him." Danny nodded. "Are you ready to head home?"

"I have some paperwork to finish…but it can wait till tomorrow. Let's go home." I said.

Danny hugged me. "I love you so much."

I smiled. "I know you do."


	158. Pregnant Valentine's Day

_Snowbear96- Yeah, I am glad you liked it. Surprised you didn't hug anyone. _

_Mac's Girl- Love the happy dance. I have one too. Danny is awesome daddy to be._

_TV Junkie323- Well here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I know it's sad what people can do to each other…even their own children. _

_Trizzy- Don't faint or anything but remember when I said I was moving to NC for a new job……I kinda moved to coughCameroncough. So the Hardys are HUGE around here. And Danny couldn't shoot the guy, no matter what. He wants to be there for his new baby. And I have a few ideas myself how to improve CSI:Miami, LOL. Like most of season 4 should have never happened!_

_Oddie33325- Well I am glad you liked it._

_Meadow567- Have you seen any of the wrestlers yet? I know they are all over the place up there. _

_Aphina- Well this chapter should explain everything for you. And Danny knew he had to stay calm because getting in trouble means problems for him and his new baby._

_Soccer-bitch- I know what you mean. I used to be a nanny for a infant…I was so protective of him. I miss him a lot since I got a new job._

_Emador- Well now this should answer all your questions and no killing me if you aren't happy. And no getting even by giving Frank a gf that doesn't teach school or something! LOL_

_Jordayna- I hate dads that just don't want their kids. It drives me insane._

(Valentine's Day, Pelham Bay)

Aurora walked downstairs after a nap. She was going to talk to Danny before taking a shower and getting ready to head out for the evening. Danny was sitting in the living room watching TV. He smiled when he saw her walk into the room.

"Hey baby. Did you have a good nap?" Danny asked her as she sat down beside him on the couch.

"Yeah, but the baby started kicking and woke me up. It's unusual for the baby to be active in the evenings." she said. "I just thought I'd come see you for a bit before I took a shower and got ready for tonight."

"I got a surprise for you." Danny kissed the back of her hand.

Danny helped her off the couch and holding her hand walked her through the house. In the dining room Danny had laid out the dinnerware for two people, he had unlit candles on the table.

"I thought we could stay in and have dinner for two at home. I even got us sparkling grape juice instead of champagne." Danny said.

"Stay in?" Aurora was confused. "You're not taking me out?"

"I thought it'd be nice to stay in…just the two of us and the baby. We could have dinner, just us and then watch a movie. I rented a few for us." Danny said.

"You're not taking me out?" she asked again.

"I just thought this would be more relaxing for you. This way we don't have to fight with crowds or go out in the cold. And it would let you rest more after working all week." Danny said.

Aurora started to cry. "You don't want to take me out for Valentines Day."

Danny stood confused as she ran back upstairs. He shook his head realizing she was pregnant and hormonal. He sighed and walked up the stairs, wondering what he could say to make her feel better and calm her down.

When he got to their bedroom the door was closed and he could hear Aurora inside crying. He sighed and opened the door. She was sitting on their bed crying. He walked over and sat next to her on the bed.

"Do you want me to take you out? You know I'd do anything to make you happy. I thought you'd like this, but if you want to do something else we will." Danny said.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asked.

Danny groaned hoping they weren't back to that. He was patient remembering what she was going through.

"Of course I do. I've told you before that you being pregnant doesn't ruin your looks. You're gorgeous…and that's my baby." Danny told her.

"I know, but I used to be so thin and I could wear sexy clothes and now I can't even fit into your clothes." she cried.

"And if you could fit in your old clothes or even my clothes at this point it would mean that you're too thin for the baby to be healthy." Danny said. "And why won't you believe me when I tell you how pretty you are while pregnant?"

"Because I feel miserable. My back hurts, my feet hurt, my head hurts…I feel like a whale." Aurora said.

Danny smiled. "Whatever you want me to do to make you feel better I'll do. You're my first priority…you and the baby. I can't understand everything you're going through, but I want to help you."

"I don't know. What you planned sounds so nice…I don't know why I am crying." She said.

Danny pulled her against him. "This is to be expected. Sheldon said you'd go through this."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get upset…I still don't know why I am. I mean a night with just the two of us sounds nice." she said.

Danny rubbed her back. "Why don't you go ahead and take that shower? You'll feel better and it'll help you calm down. When you're done come downstairs and I'll have dinner ready for us."

Aurora nodded. "Okay…I really do want to spend the evening with you."

Danny kissed her. "I know. Just another 10 weeks and the baby will be here. I'll make it."

(Later)

"Danny, who taught you to cook stuffed Cornish game hen?" Aurora asked as he walked with her from the dining room to their living room.

"Sheldon….he watches a lot of Emeril and other cooking shows. He can cook really good stuff." Danny said.

"I wonder how things are going with Emily." Aurora asked.

"I am sure you'll be getting a call either way before too long." Danny told her as he helped her sit down on the couch.

"What movie do you want to watch?" she asked.

"I have something for you first." Danny said. He handed her a small box.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Open it." Danny said as he sat next to her.

Aurora lifted the lid off the box and pulled out a baby sized Atlanta Braves jersey.

"Danny, its adorable. But what if the baby is a girl." She asked.

Danny laughed. "Like that is going to stop you from dressing the baby in sports clothes. You'll probably bring the baby, boy or girl home from the hospital in hockey jersey."

Aurora smiled. "Not a Yankees jersey for baby's first baseball jersey?"

"Oh I'll buy one later…..this was for you." Danny kissed her. "There is something else in there…its more for mommy."

Aurora looked in the box and found a card. "A gift certificate to a spa?"

"This is a spa for moms-to-be. They specialize in pregnancy massages." Danny said. "Sheldon found the place and told me about it."

"Thank you…you're so good to me even when I am going crazy." Aurora said.

"Hey, I knew to expect this when we decided to have a baby." Danny put his arms around her. "And I know it will happen with any other children we have."

"I love you." she kissed him.

"I love you too." Danny kissed her.

"What movie do you want to watch?" Aurora asked him.

"Why don't we delay the movie a bit?" Danny kissed her again.

"You're horny again?" she giggled.

"Of course, I am with you." Danny said and gently leaned her back on the couch. "Besides, Sheldon told us that you having an orgasm is healthy for the baby."

"All the protein I've been getting and orgasms I've been having…I should have the healthiest baby ever born." Aurora said.

Danny chuckled against her neck. "And that is after all the fun to get pregnant…having babies is lots of fun."

Danny kissed her again and pushed up her shirt a bit. He slid down and kissed the baby.

"Don't watch what I am about to do to mommy." Danny told the baby and kissed her tummy again.

He leaned up and kissed Aurora again and worked at getting her shirt off of her, finally pulling back long enough to pull it over her head. She reached for his shirt and her cell phone rang.

"That's got to be Emily." Danny sighed.

"Don't go anywhere, if she's not in crisis, we'll pick up again in a minute." Aurora said as Danny let her up from the couch.

Aurora grabbed her cell phone. "Messer."

"Aurora, Sheldon asked me to move in with him." Emily said on the other end of the line.

"Well…how do you feel about it?" Aurora asked, not sure what Emily would think.

"I told him yes. I mean yeah I was kinda expecting to get engaged before living together. But Sheldon said he wanted to see how well we could live together with our busy schedules and all. So I guess that makes sense. I think it's going to work out great. I mean we've been together almost a year and made it work." Emily was talking a mile a minute on the other end of the line.

"Well if you're happy about it, I couldn't be happier for you." Aurora said.

"I am very excited. We're going to start moving some of my stuff to his place next weekend. This has to be his last step before proposing." Emily said.

"Seems like it." Aurora said. "I am just glad you're happy."

"I am thrilled. I got to go. By the way, I just called Aiden….Don got her a naughty cop outfit lingerie thing for Valentine's Day." Emily said.

"Oh dear…I won't call them for awhile." Aurora said.

"Talk to you later. Sheldon is giving me that 'hurry-up-and-get-off-the-phone-so-we-can-screw-already' look." Emily said.

Aurora laughed. "Have fun." she said and hung up her cell phone.

"I take it she is happy?" Danny walked up behind Aurora and wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah. That is a relief. I was afraid she would be expecting him to propose and when he didn't but just asked her to move in that she would be upset. You know see it as a sign of not wanting to get married kind of thing." Aurora said.

"Sheldon will propose to her eventually. He just wants to be sure everything is right." Danny said.

Aurora turned around and kissed Danny. "Now where were we?"


	159. Class With Donnie

_ShannonG- I hope you got my private message. Loved your reviews._

_Aphina- I wanted to show both sides with that chapter. It can't be easy on Danny._

_Bioassy- Me too, especially from Flack. He's got amazing eyes._

_Trizzy- When I moved here I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't bother them because they want to relax when they come home, not be pestered. Besides, if anyone is getting Jeff it's me, LOL JK. _

_Meadow567- It was a great PPV._

_Mac's Girl- Well even tough guys have to show a softer side when expecting a baby._

_Soccer-Bitch- Sorry you had to wait. The site had fits._

_Emador- We're all adults, why keep it G-rated, LOL. And have you seen Danny? You'd have sex too._

_**Author's Note-** I am sorry this chapter took so long. I have been trying to post it for a week but the site was having problems. _

"I still can't believe I am left to do this on my own." Don said helping prop me up on pillows at La Maz class.

I chuckled. "It's not that big a deal. Danny had a call last minute. This is why we have a backup coach. What would you do if I was actually in labor?"

"Be speeding a precinct vehicle to the hospital and have Sheldon on the phone." Don said.

I rolled my eyes. "You'll do fine. You've been to all the other classes. And tonight we're watching a video of a live birth."

"This baby stuff is gross. I mean I know its something women have been doing since Adam and Eve….and getting babies is fun….and you and Danny seem to be having fun while pregnant, you know protein and all. But…the actual birth….ugh." Don made a face.

I laughed. "Donnie, it's a beautiful thing. I'll have the baby, you'll get to be the godfather…you'll forget all about the birthing process."

"But…I mean your…..you know is gonna get all big…."

"My vagina and cervix are going to contract." I said.

Don scowled. "Do you have to say that?"

"Donnie, I don't get it. Long time on the force, son of an NYPD legend…can do anything as a cop and child birth grosses you out." I chuckled.

"If it was a woman I didn't know…it wouldn't bother me as much…but its you." Don said.

I took his hand. "You're going to do just fine. The baby needs you if Danny can't be there."

"Oh sure, play the godfather card on me." Don sighed.

"I am glad you're here as my backup coach…I trust you to be here for me and my baby." I said and kissed his cheek.

"Nine more weeks." Don smiled.

"Okay class, we're getting started. I am glad to see all you mommies back this week." the instructor started. "Daddies and coaches make sure mommy is comfortable. Remember, the more comfortable she is, the easier labor will be."

I leaned back against Donnie and took a deep breath.

"Before we get to the video, let's review our breathing and counting techniques while keeping mommy calm and comfortable." the instructor said.

"Oh good, I'd love to have my shoulders and back rubbed." I said.

"Wait…rub your back…lower back." Donnie looked unsure.

"Need I remind you that you had your tongue in my mouth my lower back shouldn't be a problem…especially when its part of the class." I rolled my eyes.

"After all this I won't need these classes when it's my own babies coming." Donnie said as he started rubbing my shoulders.

"You could ask Aiden to marry you and start having those babies." I smiled.

"One crazy pregnant woman at a time is enough." Don said.

Don rubbed my shoulders and told me to breathe. I relaxed against him. I had been more tired lately as Sheldon had told me to expect.

"If you start moaning I am out of here." Don said. I chuckled.

"You do have wonderful hands. Good hands…I know you're a good kisser. Aiden is very lucky. Looks like the stories she has been telling is true." I swear Donnie blushed a bit. "Honestly…feels great. Very soothing." I said.

"Danny owes me so big for this." Don said.

"He couldn't help that they found a woman dead in a dumpster." I said.

"I know, I know." Don said and kept rubbing my back.

"You'll do great if you're there when the baby is born….I feel very relaxed. And a tad horny." I chuckled.

"Aurora Dawn!" Don said. I giggled again.

"Relax I said the same thing to Emily when she rubbed my shoulders yesterday at work. Sheldon offered to video tape if we did anything."

"Okay mommy should be nice and relaxed by now. Everyone's technique looks good." the instructor said. I snuggled closer to Don. "We're going to watch an actual birth on video today. This will help mommy and coaches to know what to expect at different stages throughout labor." the instructor said.

"Can't you just have a C-section?" Don asked.

"The doctor says natural birth is better and hasn't found any reason for me to have a C-section. Neither has Sheldon." I said.

"Sheldon is too busy screwing Emily in every room of his house to christen the place." Don chuckled.

"Hey they are happy. I still say he'll propose before summer." I said.

"I think my dad is carrying around my mom's ring waiting for me to ask for it to propose to Aiden." Don said.

"Well hurry up, you know she's the one for you." I said. "Just wait until I am skinny again if I am going to be matron of honor."

Don rolled his eyes. The video started with images of the baby inside the womb. I settled back and watched as they went through the early stages of labor…timing contractions and using your breathing techniques. Then the video went into the delivery room with the woman on the video. I could see Don was getting squeamish.

"Don, will you relax?" I whispered.

"This is gross." Don said.

"It's a natural process." I told him.

Don didn't say anything else until they actually showed the baby being born. Then he closed his eyes and made a face.

"Donnie, stop it. This is what I am going to be going through." I said.

"That's so gross." Don said and still wouldn't look.

"Donnie, it's the most beautiful thing in the world." I said.

"I know, but it's all big and has a baby coming out of it." Don said.

I rolled my eyes.

"What were you thinking when you got pregnant?" Don groaned.

"Right there, Oh my God Danny!" I winked.

Don groaned again.

I chuckled. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Look, the birth is over. They are cleaning up the baby."

Don opened his eyes. "The baby is all slimy."

"It's covered in placenta." I said.

"Oh I am gonna be sick." Don started to turn a little green.

"Hey, you need to take care of me. I can't baby-sit you while I am in labor." I said.

"But this is all so gross." Don said.

"Amazing, you can handle crime scenes that are bloody. You can deal with people spaced out on drugs. But childbirth grosses you out." I shook my head. "Look now, the baby is clean and they are giving it to the mommy."

"Man I hope Danny isn't out on a call when you go into labor." Don said.


	160. Baby Shower

_Tinkerbell1821- Sorry this took so long but I hope you enjoy._

_Aurora- I am so glad you like it. I loved you review. I hope you keep reading._

_Snowbear96- I know about RL getting hectic. Its why this took so long._

_Almost invisible- Sorry, this is the only place this story is posted. I am glad you like it so much though. I hope you are able to keep reading._

_Bioassy- That would be funny. I love Don. Its like he loves Rora and is so excited for the baby, but is still such a guy about it all._

_Oddie33325- Well I hope you enjoy this as well._

_Aranel- Well I am so glad you finally reviewed and I hope you keep enjoying the story. It should be updated more regularly now that school is out._

_Aphina- I love writing Don. He is so much fun._

_Oscar- I am so happy you like it so much. Love reviews, so keep them coming._

_ShannonG- I know, I get frustrated with the site sometimes too. Sorry this took so long._

_Emador- Calm down about Sheldon sex. You need to be writing some redhead sex if you know what I mean and I am sure you do. No more LOTR._

_Abbeguytje- Here it is. Sorry it took so long._

_Mac's Girl- Well I could see Aiden, Emily or Stella being great to help Rora have a baby._

_Meadow567- Donnie Wahlberg…..that takes me back. _

_Trizzy- I love Don too. He is so fun to write. Sorry this took so long. I promise baby Messer is very soon. Jeff is ALL mine, LOL._

_Soccer-bitch- Good friend. I got my friend interested in a few shows. Hope you keep enjoying the story. Sorry this took so long._

I walked into the station after having lunch with Danny at the lab. He was working on a big case but we took time for lunch together. I saw Don sitting at his desk eating some kind of sub.

"Hey, what did I miss during lunch?" I asked.

"Not much. Mac says he thinks he is close to something on that case he and Danny are working on." Don said. "How was lunch?"

"Pretty good. Danny has been so busy with this case that we haven't had much time together. He didn't even make it home last night." I said.

"I know. My dad was debating coming over to stay with you. He didn't want you there alone this far in your pregnancy." Don said. "Then Aiden started worrying. Talk about a mood killer. I am kissing her and she is all 'You think Rora will be okay by herself all night? What if she falls? What if she goes into labor a bit early? What if aliens abduct her and we never see her again?' You better have this kid soon. It's starting to interfere with my sex life."

I giggled. "I am sure she'll make it up to you this weekend when she stays at your place. By the way… I heard about losing the key for two hours."

"I thought I was going to have to call a locksmith." Don sighed.

"I would've loved to seen that. A locksmith coming to cut you loose from your own bed." I laughed.

"Last time I let Aiden use cuffs on me I don't care what she is doing while I am cuffed." Don said.

"Yeah right." I rolled my eyes. "When you gonna marry her? It's obvious you two are just so perfect for each other."

"You sound like my dad. Even Stella has started asking." Don said.

"That sub smells great, what is it?" I asked.

"Salami something or other." Don said.

I sat down on the arm of his chair and grabbed his sandwich. I took a bite.

"Hey, you just had lunch." Don protested.

"I am eating for two. Your godchild is hungry." I said.

"Fine, I can share with you." Don smiled. "Can't have my little buddy going hungry."

I handed the sub back to Don and he took a few bites before handing it back to me.

"I want the number of this deli." I said. "This is really good."

Don laughed. "Its that new place down the street."

Danny and Mac walked in. I looked up at them and handed the sandwich back to Don.

"Danny, you're wife is snuggling with another man and sharing food with him." Mac said.

"At this point, as long as she is happy and not crying….I don't care if she has Vicaro in a chokehold." Danny said.

"Hey what is going on?" Don asked them.

"We're finally getting somewhere with the evidence." Mac said. "Ran some tests and it looks like our victim was beat to death with a sledgehammer."

"I knew it'd have to be something heavy from the damage on his skull." I said and took another bite.

"Are you eating again?" Danny asked.

"Well I am eating for two." I said. "I mean the baby depends on me and it makes me hungry a lot."

"Calm down, I didn't mean anything by it." Danny rubbed my shoulder.

"You think I am eating too much." I started getting upset.

"No, not at all. I was just surprised you were eating again." Danny said and tried to calm me down.

"I am eating all the time." I started crying.

Danny sighed and hugged me. "You're eating just fine. The baby needs to eat a lot."

"I even ate Don's lunch." I cried against his shoulder.

"Hey I didn't mind. I was glad to share." Don said.

"But I am eating everything in sight." I cried.

"No you're not. Just calm down." Danny rubbed my back. "Just five more weeks okay. Just think 5 more weeks and we'll have a new baby."

I nodded against his shoulder. He smiled at me and rubbed my back.

"Why don't you go to the break room and get some water? You'll feel better." Danny said.

I nodded and walked off for the break room.

"Five more weeks." Don said to Danny.

"I'll make it." Danny said. "She is just having it rough down the homestretch."

"She gonna be okay?" Mac asked.

"Sheldon says this is normal." Danny nodded.

"Well the shower should cheer her up. Stella has invited everyone in the NYPD." Don said.

"Yeah, Aiden is already decorating for it." Danny said.

"How is the baby names coming?" Don asked.

"For a girl she still insists on Taylor. But now for a boy she wants to name him Draven. She watched 'The Crow'." Danny said.

"Draven……Draven Horatio Messer?" Don asked.

"I don't like it….I still want something Italian." Danny said. "The nursery is done so now all we can do is sit and wait."

"Vicaro is starting a baby pool, taking bets on when the baby is born. I bought up everything the week of her due date." Don said.

"I talked to the counselors at Russ's home. Everything is set for him to fly out when the baby is born." Danny said. "He is looking forward to seeing everyone again. He wants to watch Big Bird with the new baby."

I walked back over to Danny. He hugged me.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just feel like a whale. My feet hurt and my back hurts." I complained.

"Just a few more weeks." Mac smiled.

(Afternoon)

Danny and I walked into the break room of the lab. Most of the staff was gathered there. Donald was talking to Mac. Louie was flirting with one of the techs. Aiden was setting out a huge cake, while slapping Vicaro away from eating the icing.

"There is the mommy to be." Stella hugged me as I walked in.

"Everything looks great." I smiled looking at the decorations they had hung up.

"Come look at your cake before Vicaro eats all the icing." Aiden yelled to me.

Danny and I walked over to the table where Aiden was with the cake. It was decorated in yellow and said 'Welcome Baby Messer'. It had little baby bottles and booties on it.

"That is adorable." I hugged her.

"I still say you should find out what the baby is." Vicaro said.

"No, we want to be surprised." Danny said. "Besides, every time we go for a sonogram, the baby is laying so we can't see what it is."

"How is my niece or nephew?" Louie asked and kissed me.

"The baby is fine." I smiled.

"A baby shower full of men, this is a first." Sheldon said.

"Hey, its free food." Chad walked by with a plate of food.

"We were all at her bridal shower, so why not the baby shower." Thacker said.

"Look at the pregnancy timeline." Danny said.

"Danny helped us make that." Aiden said. "We needed some facts to make it more funny. And Sheldon helped us with the sonogram pictures."

I walked over to the poster they had made and hung on the wall. They even had the date we were pretty sure we had conceived. Sheldon had obvious helped with that as well. They had the dates of our doctors appointments and how big the baby should be at each month. Those pictures Aiden had been taking monthly of me and Danny were on there as well.

"Did you really eat beef jerky dipped in Italian salad dressing?" Donald asked.

"Did she ever? There was a week that was all she would eat." Donnie rolled his eyes.

Beef jerky dipped in Italian dressing was listed as my strangest pregnancy craving. All the names Danny and I were debating for the baby was listed as well.

"I say it's a boy. You're carrying a lot in the hips." Donald said.

"I am? Is this going to make my hips too big?" I asked Sheldon.

"Well every woman is different. But I think you'll be fine. I mean you look great now, so I think you'll look great post-pregnancy." Sheldon tried to say.

"Oh my god now I am going to have a wide ass on top of everything else." I started crying.

"Oh not again." Don said.

"And now I am pestering Don." I cried and ran from the room. Stella close behind me.

"Why did you upset her?" Aiden punched Don's arm.

"Ouch, I didn't mean to upset her. But she is so emotional right now she would cry over anything." Don said.

"I just wish I could convince her that she isn't fat. That she looks great and I'll always love her." Danny said.

"Well before Rora you didn't have the best reputation." Aiden said.

"I know but…..I would never hurt her. That is my wife…she is the mother of my baby." Danny sighed.

"In the meantime, how do we get her through the next few weeks? She is emotional. She is miserable. And we all hate seeing her upset." Don asked.

"Danny, you need to screw her." Sheldon said.

"What?" Danny looked at him.

"Sex can induce labor." Sheldon said.

"But the baby isn't ready to come yet." Danny said.

"But this way the minute she can go into labor, you can help her along." Sheldon said. "And it's sex."

"Rora is suffering and you're trying to get Danny laid." Emily glared at Sheldon.

"But Danny getting laid would end her suffering." Sheldon said. Emily raised an eyebrow.

Stella and I walked back in as she had followed me to the restroom and calmed me down.

"Now that mommy and baby are back here. Let's cut the cake." Aiden smiled.

"And then we'll do presents." Emily said.

"Did you get Aurora another breast pump?" Donald joked at Donnie.

Don shook his head. "No, Aiden actually dragged me shopping for this so we wouldn't have that same problem."

"Mommy and daddy get to cut the cake." Aiden smiled. "Come on Danny, Aurora."

Danny and I walked over to the table to cut the cake……


	161. Godfather Flack

_Snowbear96- Well I hope you enjoy this Chapter. I am hoping I am back on my writing routine._

_Mac's Girl- LOL, its kinda funny you suggested that. I hope you enjoy this. I thought it was fun to write it. _

_Soccer-bitch- Well I am glad I could brighten your day._

_Trizzy- I love random cameos. The baby is coming soon. And Jeff is all man. And very hott. I'll let you have him if I can have John Cena, LOL._

_Aurora- I am so glad you like the story so much. This was fun to write so I hope you like it._

_Meadow567- Very hot and the men here are scum too except for the Hardy Boys._

_Aphina- I am glad you laughed. I know when my one sister was pregnant she was moody over weird things. _

_Emador- No it was just a random case. I hope you like this. And no more LOTR. I wanna see Ryan. LOL _

I was sitting at my desk going over some files Danny had left for me. Don was trying to find an address for a suspect he had been pursuing all morning. Danny was out on a case. A shooting at a fruit stand downtown. Apparently someone tried to steal from a vendor and the vendor pulled a gun.

"How did the Braves do last night?" Don asked me.

"We won of course." I smiled at him. Baseball season was two weeks under way. I don't think Danny had missed a Yankees game yet.

"I wish I could find where this guy is at." Don frowned. "I know he killed his girlfriend."

"You'll find him." I said and frowned as a sharp pain hit me.

"Aurora…what's wrong?" Don asked.

"I don't know. I just got a bad pain." I said.

"Is the baby coming?" Don asked.

"I am not due for another three weeks." I said.

"Do we need to go to the hospital?" Don asked.

"I don't think so. I just had a sharp pain." I said.

"You okay now?" Don asked.

"I think…..oh my god!" I hugged my stomach as another sharp pain hit me.

"That's it. We're going to the hospital." Don jumped out of his chair.

"But…." I started but Don was already pulling me out of my chair.

"I'll drive you there. Danny is out on a call and I am the back up coach." Don said and started directing me towards the door.

"I need a coat." I protested.

"No time for that. The baby might be coming." Don said and led me out of the building.

Don helped me down the stairs and into one of the squad cars sitting out front.

"Squad car?" I asked.

"I am running the lights and sirens to get us there faster." Don said as he got in the car beside me.

"I don't think….ow, oh my!" I gripped the door handle as I began to feel more pain.

"Just relax. I am calling Sheldon." Don said but I could tell he was starting to panic.

Don gunned the car engine and pulled out into traffic. He started the lights and sirens. It was close to rush hour and traffic was starting to get heavy as Don tried to speed through the streets. He dialed his cell phone.

"Don there is a kid on a bike!" I yelled as I saw a biker weaving in and out of traffic.

"Move it, she is having a baby!" Don yelled.

"Slow down a bit!" I told him.

"Sheldon….I think Aurora is in labor. I am taking her to the hospital!" Don said into his cell phone.

"Don, slow down. I wanna live to see my baby." I said and gripped the door as Don took a curve fast and I swear we were on two wheels.

"She is having pain." Don said to Sheldon. "No the pains just started………..what the hell is a mucous plug?...oh my god I think I am going to throw up!"

"Don watch the road!" I yelled as Don swerved to miss a pedestrian.

"I am not asking her that!" Don told Sheldon. "What…..okay FINE. Aurora have you lost your mucous plug yet?"

"No, at least I hadn't the last time I went to the bathroom." I told him.

"Oh I am gonna be sick!" Don turned a bit green. "She says she hasn't lost it."

"Someone needs to call Danny." I said.

"Sheldon call Danny. I have to get her to the hospital….what do you mean walk her around some?...I can't remember anything from La Maz right now!" Don said into his cell phone.

"Oh great. I may be in labor and the prodigy, son of an NYPD legend over there is panicked and about to kill us all." I rolled my eyes.

"Calm down? I have to deliver a baby!" Don said. "Fine, I'll call you later."

"What did Sheldon say?" I asked.

"He said that you might be in labor because first baby's tend to come when they want to. He said that if you are in labor everything should be fine. He is going to call Danny and then come to the hospital himself." Don said.

"Everything is going to be okay." I told him.

Don turned the car into the ER of the hospital. He leaped out of the car before he barely had it in park. He ran around the car and opened my door.

"Let's get you inside. Sheldon said to walk it'll help you dilate faster." Don said and helped me out of the car. "Just hold onto me. Deep breath. One step at a time."

"Will you relax? You're more panicked than me." I told him.

Don walked me into the ER. He never let go of me. We walked through the sliding doors.

"I got a lady having a baby here!" he yelled once we were inside.

I rolled my eyes. A nurse came up to us.

"Are you in labor?" she asked me.

"I am not due for three weeks, but I am having pain." I said.

"Wheelchair." She motioned to a staff member. "We need to get you checked out. Are you the father?"

"Yes….I mean no. No, I am just the back up coach." Don said.

"Very well, you stay here and give her information while we check her out." The nurse told Don as an orderly helped me into a wheelchair.

"But doesn't she need to me to huff and puff and count and feed her ice chips and all that La Mazie stuff?" Don asked.

"Let us check her out first. Once we know what is going on, we'll come and get you." The nurse told him.

The orderly wheeled me into the back as Don stayed to give them my information.

"Okay honey. What is your name and how far along are you?" the nurse asked me.

"Aurora Messer. I am about 39 weeks pregnant." I told her.

"What kind of pain are you feeling?" she asked.

"Pain in my lower abdomen and lower back." I said.

"Any bleeding?" she asked.

"No." I said.

"Who is your doctor?" she asked.

"Dr. Lacy. Would you call him?" I asked.

"We'll have him paged." She said. "Now I need to relax as much as you can. Change into this gown and an ER doctor will be with you shortly."

The nurse left the room. I felt a few more sharp pains. I took a deep breath and then changed into the gown and managed to climb up on the table. I hoped Danny would get there soon.

Don came into the room. He rushed over to hug me. "Are you okay? Is the baby coming?"

"They haven't had time to examine me yet. But I am glad you're here." I said and held his hand.

"Sheldon found Danny and he is on his way with Stella." Don said.

"Oh good." I said.

"Mrs. Messer, I am Dr. Nichols." The doctor walked in. "I hear you're having some pain, possibly in labor."

"Yes, nice to meet you." I said.

"Well, let's get you checked out. If you're in labor we'll send you upstairs to maternity." He smiled.

"Exactly how are you going to check her?" Don didn't look sure.

"I am going to give her a pelvic exam. See if she contracting." The doctor explained as he pulled the stirrups out from the table.

"I think maybe I should wait in the hall." Don looked sick.

"You can stand by your wife's head if this bothers you." The doctor said.

"She isn't my wife, she is my partner." The doctor raised an eyebrow.

"We're detectives. He is my partner on the force." I explained. I glared at Don. "You are this baby's godfather and we need you here so you stand next to my head and hold my hand and hush!"

Don didn't look so sure but stood next to me head and helped me lie back on the table.

"See you can't……" I started to say but looked at Don. "Open your eyes! From there you can't see my vagina. I have a blanket over my lap."

Don opened his eyes. "I just….well that is…..oh please lord don't let me see that mucous plug thing."

I rolled my eyes.

"Mrs. Messer, you are not dilating. And you're cervix hasn't thinned very much." Dr. Nichols said.

"Does that mean something is wrong with her or the baby?" Don asked.

"Its means she is not in labor. She is having false labor pains." Dr. Nichols said. "It's very common."

"Wait, so she isn't having that baby today? I have to go through all this again?" Don asked.

Dr. Nichols looked at Don. "But from the looks of her cervix the baby could come in about a week or so."

Dr. Nichols helped me sit up. "So everything is okay?" I asked.

"Everything is fine. False labor is very common. You and your baby are just fine." He smiled.

Danny rushed into the room. "What's going on?"

"False labor. No baby yet." Don sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Danny hugged me.

"Everything is fine. Doctor said its normal." I assured him.

"Are you the father?" Dr. Nichols asked.

"Yes, I am her husband." Danny said.

"Take your wife home. Make sure she gets plenty of rest tonight. She should take it easy until the baby is born." Dr. Nichols said. "But everything is fine. Nothing to worry about."

"What a relief." Danny breathed and hugged me. "I am sorry it took me so long to get here. Traffic was insane and Stella flipped off a delivery driver."

I chuckled. "Don here broke several traffic laws getting me here."

"Don, thanks for being there for her." Danny said to him.

"Hey, I was glad to do it. I can't believe we have to do all this again." Don grumbled.

"Mrs. Messer, you can get dressed and go home. Take it easy though." Dr. Nichols said.

"Thank you doctor." I said as he walked out.

"Danny you can help her get dressed. I'll go tell Stella what is going on." Don said.

"Thanks again Don." Danny said.

"Not a problem." Don smiled and walked out.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Danny asked me.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I said and hugged him. "I just want to go home and rest."

"Here, I'll help you get dressed and then I'll take you home." Danny said.

Danny helped me off the table and helped me get dressed again. I hugged him again, just glad that he was there and that everything was okay.

We walked out of the examining room. Don was standing with Stella.

"So no baby yet?" Stella smiled.

"Not yet. But Don nearly killed me getting me hear." I laughed.

"Come on, I am taking Rory home to rest." Danny said and helped me towards the door.

Sheldon was running in the door, still dressed in scrubs. "What is going on? How is the baby?"

"Everything is fine. It was false labor." I said.

"Oh that's good. That is common. You'll be fine." Sheldon said. "I got here as soon as I could."

"I'm fine." I hugged him.

"How is Don?" he joked.

"Pouting that the baby isn't coming today." I laughed.

Sheldon chuckled. "Go ahead and take her home so she can rest. I want to check her out day after tomorrow."

"You got it." Danny said and we walked out the door. Sheldon, Stella and Don with us.

"Do you need me to stop over and do anything for you tonight?" Stella asked.

"No, I'll be fine." I said.

"Take tomorrow off." Don said. I looked at him. "No arguments. I'll make Mac insist on it if I have to."

"Okay, okay." I said.

"I'll have my dad come stay with you during the day." Don said.

"Yes, I don't want her there alone." Danny said.

Mac pulled into the parking lot as we reached our SUV. He jumped out of the car and ran over to us.

"What is going on? I got here as soon as I heard." Mac said.

"False labor. Rora and the baby are fine." Danny said.

"I am glad everything is okay." Mac hugged me. "You need anything?"

"Someone call Aiden before she comes running over here too. Tell her me and the baby are fine." I said.

"I'm calling her now." Don said.

"Come on baby. Let's go home." Danny helped me into the SUV.

"I'll stop by tomorrow after work and see you." Mac said.

"You don't need to do that." I said. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Fine then, I'll stop by to see my little soldier." Mac smiled.

Danny shut the door then climbed in the SUV himself. He started up the engine. "Taking Gianna home."

"Taylor." I said as he backed away from the curb.


	162. Voodoo

_Aurora- I have gotten worse reviews, don't worry about it. I am glad you like the story so much._

_Trizzy- OMG I hate Christian. I wish evil upon him every week. You can have him. Your poor room mates when you read this story. You should get them to reading it so they would know what is so funny. And yes I do know what the baby will be named. I have known since last summer, LOL._

_Snowbear96- Panicky Don is hilarious to write._

_Meadow567- I do need to get back to Chev and Rizzo too. I know what to write, its just actually sitting and writing it._

_Mac's Girl- Poor Mac. He would be delivering the baby and reviving Don at the same time. _

_Aphina- I just loved the idea of Don being all nervous getting her to the hospital and it being a false alarm._

_Jordayna- I don't know if this will end your suffering but I hope you like it._

_Madison Bellows- I have been working on this story a very long time. I am glad you like it._

_Soccer-bitch- Well here is more. Its not as funny as last chapter though._

_Bluehaven4220- Don is so much fun to write and I could so see him breaking traffic laws to get to the hospital._

_Emador- So any news on Caity? You REALLY need to get working. I think I'll have to kidnap one of your muses. LOL_

"Rory…..Rory wake up. Are you okay?" I heard Danny asking.

I opened my eyes and noticed I had fallen asleep in the rocking chair in the nursery. I had come in to put a few things away. I had sat down to look around at the nursery now that it was finally complete. I must have fallen asleep.

"Hey Danny. When did you get in?" I smiled up at him.

"A few minutes ago. Louie told me you were asleep in here." Danny said.

"I came in here to put away the clothes Aiden sent over for the baby. And I sat down to relax and fell asleep." I said.

"You feel okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I am just a bit tired. The baby kept me up so much last night kicking." I said.

"The baby just wants out is all. Just over a week to go." Danny rubbed my shoulders.

"Did you finish your case?" I asked. Danny and Aiden had been working a case for the last few days and I hadn't seen much of Danny. When I had to stay home alone, Louie came over to be with me.

"We're at a standstill so Mac sent me home to get some rest and be with you." Danny said. "The victim swears voodoo is involved."

"Voodoo? He think someone used a doll and hatpins?" I asked.

"Come on, I'll get us a snack and go over the basics of the case with you." Danny helped me out of the chair. "We don't discuss work at home."

Danny and I walked downstairs to the kitchen. I sat down at the table while he made a snack. I could tell he was tired from the past few days.

"Where is Louie?" I asked.

"He headed home when I came in." Danny said.

"So tell me about this case?" I asked.

"Well the alleged victim is in the hospital. He is suffering pretty bad but the doctors can't diagnose the problem. They have run every test you can imagine and even tested him for poisoning. Nothing is coming up on these tests. Yet he suffers bad stomach cramps, headaches. He'll have spells of extreme sweating. Doctors have never seen anything like it. So the guy calls the police himself wanting us to arrest his neighbor….claims its voodoo." Danny said.

"What makes him think it's the neighbor?" I asked.

Danny sat down at the table and gave me part of his sandwich. "He has been feuding with this neighbor for awhile. Stupid stuff like the neighbor gripes about his kids music being up too loud. The neighbor has a tree that gets leaves all over this guy's yard. Just petty stuff."

"Doesn't sound like grounds to put a curse on someone." I said.

"That's what I said, but you know murder has been committed over less." Danny said. "So we started investigating to see what we could find…not that we really believe the guy is cursed."

"What makes this guy think his neighbor is into voodoo?" I asked.

"He claims he has seen weird things going on at his neighbors. He says they hang weird charms in their windows. Swears he has heard chanting coming from over there." Danny said.

"And he thinks that this petty neighborhood feud has escalated to the point of someone putting a curse on him?" I asked.

"Yeah. He says the day he started feeling sick, he woke up and there were strange symbols in chalk on his driveway." Danny said.

"Have you talked to the neighbor?" I asked.

"He refuses to speak with us. Says that this voodoo thing is ridiculous and he wants to be left alone." Danny said.

"Voodoo is not a bad religion. Voodoo is healing and good karma. A lot of people mistake it with black magic." I said.

"There is a difference?" Danny asked.

"Big difference, although many people don't know it. Even Hollywood often confuses the two. Voodoo is a pagan religion. Nothing evil. No curses, no harm. A lot of healing through herbs and blessings and such." I explained. "But black magic is different. Black magic often worships evil beings. They practice animal sacrifice. Practice curses."

"How do you know this?" Danny asked.

"I have family roots in the deep south. Voodoo, black magic is still practiced a lot in the deep south. Louisiana, Mississippi….in the delta." I said.

"Well we have no proof that the neighbor practices anything. And our alleged victim is very sick with something that doctors cannot identify." Danny sighed.

"What if the victim is making himself sick?" I asked.

"How? He has tested negative for poison." Danny said.

"No not poisoning himself. What if he really believes that he is cursed so much that he is mentally making himself sick?" I said.

"Like mind over matter kind of thing?" Danny asked.

"It's possible. The mind can be very powerful to physical health." I said.

"Maybe…but I am not sure how we fix it." Danny sighed.

"Find someone who is a priestess of voodoo to 'take off the curse'. If this guy feels that someone has taken the curse away from him he might start to heal. And if that doesn't work doctors will have eliminated one more thing." I said.

"I guess anything really can happen in New York." Danny shook his head. "I'll talk to Mac and see what can be worked out."

I smiled. "Good. Now no more talk about work at home."

"Sheldon says he wants to check you again tomorrow." Danny stood up. "I swear he is starting to get as nervous as Flack."

I chuckled and walked with Danny into our living room. We sat down on the couch.

"I am so glad to be home. I am so tired." Danny stretched out.

"Well I am glad you're home. I was missing you." I leaned against Danny. "And now the baby is waking up so I probably won't get much sleep tonight."

Danny patted my tummy. "You're keeping mommy awake."

"As long as I can feel the baby moving I am satisfied. I know everything is fine as long as it's moving." I smiled.

"When are you coming out to join us?" Danny asked the baby. "We can't wait to meet you."

"Where is Flack?" I asked.

"He has a date with Aiden. He was taking her to dinner." Danny said.

"Explains why she left me a text message saying I couldn't have the baby tonight." I laughed.

"Flack would kill you if you went into labor while he was getting laid." Danny laughed.

"Are you kidding? As excited as he is, he'd show up at the hospital naked…forgetting to get dressed." I laughed. "I could just see Donald's face if he did that."

"Man I am tired." Danny said.

"Go ahead and get some sleep. I am gonna watch some TV and wait for the baby to go back to sleep so I can get some rest." I said.

"Okay, I'll be upstairs if you need anything." Danny kissed me.

"Okay, get some rest." I kissed him again.

"Goodnight." Danny kissed the baby. "Goodnight little one."


	163. Bambino

_Bioassy- I love writing Don having a different side than the big bad cop. And don't worry, some things about pregnancy grosses me out too. I figure when I go through it I'll deal with it when I have to, LOL._

_Trizzy- Christian annoys me. But I have the hotts for Tomko. He is pretty cute. And I am having a major crush on Santino Marella lately. Now pick up the poor cat, tell it your sorry and try to stay calm while reading my story, LOL._

_Jordayna- Babies come when they're ready! LOL_

_Emador- No I got the idea for the voodoo thing from watching an old movie with Cory Feldman in it. Gotta love the 80's._

_Soccer-bitch- Well I am glad you like it. I hope you enjoy this._

_Bluehaven4220- I could just see Donald if Don showed up naked at the hospital. _

_Meadow567- I am glad you liked it. Can't wait to see reactions to this._

_Mac's Girl- Well I added more. I am anxious for your reaction to this chapter because you give great reviews._

(April 30th)

"I got a call." Don jumped up from his desk. "Triple homicide out in Queens."

"Careful driving, its almost rush hour." I said.

"That's the reason for the call….apparently its some kind of road rage." Don put on his coat. "I'll probably be out the rest of the day."

"I am headed home around five. I have to take these files to Mac and go over them with him." I said. Don nodded and headed out the door.

I grabbed the files off my desk and headed to the lab. I wanted to talk to Mac and head home for the evening. My back was hurting and I was convinced I should just move my desk into the ladies bathroom.

I walked into the lab and didn't see anyone. Not even Chad was around grabbing snacks from the break room. I walked down the hall and saw Mac sitting behind his desk. He looked up when I walked in.

"Hey Mac. Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Danny and Aiden are out on the road rage triple homicide that just came in from Queens." Mac said.

"Don just left for that too." I said.

"Stella had to appear in court today." Mac said. "And I needed to catch up on paper work."

"I wanted to run over these files with you before I went home for the day." I said. "The baby is giving me a run for my money today."

"You only have a few more days. Hang in there." Mac said.

I sat down across from Mac. "Looking over these….I don't see any new leads. I mean Mac these two cases are both 15 years old."

"I know but I really want to close them. They both involve the murder of children." Mac said.

I smiled. "You turning into Horatio Caine on me?"

"I think you being pregnant and seeing the sonograms and all…..its made me more sensitive to child cases." Mac said.

"Mac, I just don't see anything new in these cases." I said. "The best I can suggest in the case of the five year old girl is we need to get a DNA sample from the dad somehow. We need to compare his DNA to the semen found inside the child."

"I'll see if I can get his garbage or something." Mac said.

"That is a good idea. I really do think the father did it." I told Mac.

Mac nodded. "I do too. Now I just have to prove it."

"Well I am glad to help. I want this….." I started to stand up and stopped. I felt it and looked up at Mac.

"Aurora, what's wrong?" Mac asked.

"My water just broke." I said.

Mac stood up. "Just stay calm. No need to panic. Women do this every day. I'll take you to the hospital."

"Danny is out on a call. Don is with him. Don is my back up coach!" I said, suddenly starting to feel nervous.

"It's okay. I'll call them." Mac walked around his desk and took my hand. "I'll call them on the way to the hospital and I'll stay with you until they arrive. You're going to do just fine." Mac started leading me towards the door. "Just stay calm. Deep breaths."

"Sheldon, someone has to call Sheldon. And Aiden she'll want to be there. And my doctor!" I started rattling off a list.

"I'll take care of everything. You just relax and worry about you and the baby." Mac helped me down the hall. "Let me know when your contractions start. I'll time them."

Mac helped me into the elevator and we rode to the parking garage. He helped me into one of the squad cars and then climbed inside himself. He started the car and pulled us out into traffic after exiting the garage. Rush hour was in full swing.

Mac pulled out his cell phone. "Dispatch, this is Detective Taylor of the crime lab. I need you to contact Detective Danny Messer, he is on scene. Tell him his wife has gone into labor and I am taking her to the hospital. Please dispatch other officers to handle the scene for him and Detective Don Flack."

Mac flipped his phone shut. Traffic was not moving very fast. I looked around knowing that it was only a few miles to the hospital.

"We'll make it in plenty of time." Mac took my hand.

"I know. I just wish Danny were here." I said.

Mac flipped open his phone again. "St. Thomas Hospital……I am bringing Aurora Messer to the hospital. She is in labor. Her water has broke, she is not yet having contractions. Dr. Joshua Lacy is her obstetrician. I will have her there as soon as possible, we're in heavy traffic."

I watched as Mac shut his phone again. "How are you so calm? When I had false labor a few weeks ago, Don nearly killed us and several pedestrians getting me to the hospital!"

Mac chuckled. "I have been in the marines. I've seen war and men die. Having a baby is a church picnic compared."

I squeezed his hand. "Mac….I am starting to get scared."

Mac smiled. "That is natural. But you're going to be fine. You've got a great doctor. Danny will be there as soon as he can. I am going to stay with you as long as you need me."

I nodded. "Someone should call Sheldon."

Mac flipped open his phone again. "Hawkes, Aurora's water broke. I am taking her to the hospital………no contractions yet…..I am keeping her calm."

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Aurora, are you okay?" Danny was on the other end. "Don relax."

"I am in good hands. Mac is taking me to the hospital. My water broke." I said.

"Don, cursing the cars won't make them move faster. It's rush hour. Calm down! I should've driven." Danny sighed.

"Is Don okay?" I asked.

"He is going to kill us both before we get to the hospital." Danny said. "I'll be there as soon as I can….Don don't make me shoot you."

"I know. Just don't let Don hurt himself or someone else. Mac has everything under control. And you better call Aiden. Godmother will want to be there." I said.

"I will. Donald Gayle Flack, Jr…….an officer cannot flip the bird." Danny said. I laughed despite everything. "Aurora, I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you too." I said and hung up.

"We're almost there." Mac said. "I am getting us there faster."

He set the flasher on the dash board and started it up. Slowly traffic managed to pull aside and let us through. Mac pulled the car in front of the ER entrance and jumped out to help me. Before I could step out of the car I felt the first contraction, although it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

"Mac….first one." I said.

"Remember to breath. Deep breaths." Mac said.

I nodded and took a few deep breaths and waited it out. Mac stayed beside me. When the pain had passed, Mac helped me out of the car and into the building. I waited while Mac found a wheelchair at the door and helped me to sit in it. He pushed me up to the information desk.

"I brought Aurora Messer in. I called on the way. She is in labor." Mac told them.

"We've been expecting her. Dr. Lacy is on the way. We have a room ready for her in maternity. We'll take her on up. You can go with her." the orderly told him.

An orderly took over pushing the wheelchair and started towards the elevator. I looked back to make sure Mac was right with me.

"Are you the baby's father?" a nurse asked.

"No. The baby's father is on his way." Mac answered.

(90 Minutes Later)

Sheldon managed to get to the hospital. He hurried to the maternity floor. Mac was standing in the hall outside of Aurora's room.

"Mac, how is she?" Sheldon asked.

"They got her in and settled in, changed into a hospital gown. She is in labor. She is having contractions every seven minutes. They are getting more intense. She is dilated 3 centimeters already." Mac said.

"Danny here yet?" Sheldon asked.

"No. He called about ten minutes ago. They are just a few miles away. He took over driving because Flack was about to start shooting people." Mac said.

"How is Aurora holding up?" Sheldon asked.

"Really well. She has done everything the doctors asked. She is staying calm. I am helping her all I can." Mac said. "She is anxious for Danny to get here, but doing great in the meantime."

"Mac?" I called from inside the room.

Mac walked back in the room and Sheldon was behind him.

"Look who I found in the hall." Mac smiled and sat down beside me.

"Sheldon, I am so glad you're here. Where is Emily?" I asked.

"On her way. She had a murder scene that she couldn't leave. But as soon as she can get away she said she would be here." Sheldon hugged me.

"Ice chips?" I asked Mac.

"I told the nurse, she is bringing some." Mac said.

I nodded. "I feel so hot."

"I'll get a cold washcloth for you." Sheldon said and headed towards the bathroom. "Keep it on the back of your neck. It'll help keep you cool."

Sheldon ran some water and returned with two wet washcloths. He folded one and put it on the back of my neck. He handed me the second one.

"You can lay it on your forehead or wipe your face. It'll help you stay cool too." Sheldon said. "Mac can refresh them for you when you need it."

"Thank you." I told Sheldon. I dabbed the washcloth on my face.

"Are you getting an epidural?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, they are already making the preparations for that. They have to wait until I am dilated a bit more." I said.

"Yes, they prefer to wait until you're 4 centimeters along. I want to be here when they do that. Just to check everything." Sheldon said.

"Sheldon, I think the doctors know what they're doing." Mac said.

"I am not letting just anyone stick something in her spine." Sheldon said.

"Is there a baby yet?" Donald stuck his head in the door.

"Not yet." I smiled as he walked in.

"I came when Donnie called me. Is there anything I can do for you?" Donald asked.

"I am fine. Mac is staying right with me. Sheldon is here helping where he can." I said.

The nurse walked in and handed me a large cup of ice chips. I took the spoon and started eating them.

"I am so thirsty. I can't wait to have the baby just so I can have a soda." I said.

"Are you sure you don't need me to do anything? I am not used to being here for a baby and it not being mine." Donald smiled. "Of course when Donnie and his brother were born the husband wasn't allowed in the delivery room. That was back when the man had to wait in the lobby while pacing a hole in the floor."

"I am fine. Mac, time?" I asked.

"You should have another contraction in about a minute." Mac said. "Just relax, you're getting through them fine."

I nodded and ate a few more ice chips. I felt the pain coming on so I reached for Mac's hand.

"Breath in and out." Mac told me. I nodded and Sheldon took my other hand.

"You're almost through this one. You're doing great." Sheldon told me.

"One more breath and you should have it." Mac said.

I took another breath and relaxed as I felt the pain ease. Mac handed me my washcloth for my face as Sheldon checked the monitors.

"The vitals look good for you and the baby." Sheldon said. "Looks like everything is going smooth."

Danny rushed in the room with Don behind him. "Did we miss it?"

"No, she is just fine." Mac said.

"Rory I am so sorry. I got here as fast as I could." Danny ran to hug me.

"I know. It's okay. Mac took great care of me." I said.

"The baby?" Don asked.

"Just fine, I am looking at its monitor." Sheldon said.

"I am dilated 3 centimeters. When I reach 4 they are gonna give me an epidural." I told Danny.

"Dilating and sticking things in spines." Don turned green.

"I am gonna die waiting on grandchildren." Donald rolled his eyes.

"Mac thanks for being there for her. I don't know what I'd have done without you." Danny said.

"I was glad to do it." Mac said.

"Come on, let's get out of here and let them have some space. Aurora doesn't need an audience to have the baby." Donald said. "Besides, one glimpse of an umbilical cord and Donnie would pass out."

"Good luck sweetie. We'll be outside if you need anything." Sheldon kissed my forehead.

"Take care of her Danny. We'll be waiting to see the new baby." Donald said and hugged me.

"You need anything else?" Mac asked me. I shook my head. "Then I'll be outside with everyone else."

"Thank you so much Mac." I hugged him.

"Thank god this kid is finally coming." Don kissed my cheek. "Call me in after the baby is all cleaned up and you're all fixed back in place."

I watched as they all filed out the door. Danny squeezed my hand.

"Looks like we're having a baby." Danny said.

"Yeah." I smiled and leaned against him.

(6 hours later)

Louie, Aiden, Emily and Stella had joined the others at the hospital and were waiting in the lobby for the baby to be born.

"I didn't realize it would take so long." Don said.

"Babies come when they're ready. Your mom was in labor 23 hours with you." Donald said.

"How is she?" Louie asked as Aiden walked out of Aurora's room.

"She is dilated 7 centimeters. Her epidural is in and working so she isn't having a lot of pain. She is very tired." Aiden said.

"How is Danny holding up?" Stella asked.

"He is doing good. He is staying right with Rora, taking care of anything she needs. He is anxious because she is so uncomfortable but he knows that is to be expected." Aiden said.

"I just wish this were over. Aurora is tired and miserable. This has to be so hard on her." Louie said.

"All women go through it. It's part of life." Mac said.

"Good thing is she hasn't had any complications." Sheldon said.

"I can't believe you watched them put her epidural in." Don said.

"I wanted to make sure it was done right and by a good technician. No one was sticking something in her spine unless I felt they knew what they were doing and I made sure they did it right." Sheldon said.

"Are you gonna watch the birth too?" Don asked.

"No, but at least I wouldn't faint if I did." Sheldon smirked.

"You're a doctor, I should hope not." Emily said.

"What do you think they'll name it?" Donald asked.

"Twenty bucks says Rora won out and the baby will be named Taylor." Stella said.

(5 hours later)

"Mrs. Messer, you're at ten centimeters. We're going to move you down the hall to the delivery room. Dr. Lacy is already prepping." the nurse said.

I nodded as she walked out of the room and fell back against my pillows. I looked over at Danny.

"I think I am too tired. I can't do this." I said.

"You're doing great. I know you're tired. We're almost there. I'm so proud of you." Danny kissed my forehead.

"I am so glad you've stayed with me. I couldn't have done this without you." I told him.

An orderly walked in. "We're ready for you Mrs. Messer."

I nodded as he moved to take the brakes off the wheels on my bed and move it towards the door. Outside in the hall, everyone gathered around us.

"You're gonna do just fine." Stella said.

"I can't believe the next time I see you you're gonna be a mommy." Aiden was getting teared up.

"Don't cry. You'll get me started." I told her.

"Emily's crying too." Sheldon said.

"I can't help it. She's about to have a baby. And we know how much she and Danny love the baby already." Emily said.

"Don't be scared." Donald said.

I nodded as they wheeled me through the doors of the delivery room. The doors shut and I couldn't see them anymore. I looked at Danny who took my hand and kissed my forehead. Dr. Lacy walked in.

"Okay Aurora, time to have the baby. You're at ten centimeters, all the vitals are good for you and the baby. You ready?" he asked.

I nodded. I watched as Dr. Lacy pulled his stool over and the nurses moved to assist him and brought over an instrument tray. Another nurse worked pulling me up into a sitting position.

"Okay Aurora, when I tell you to push you need to sit up, hold your knees like you're pulling them back towards you and push as hard as you can. We're gonna push for 10 seconds at a time. Danny, hold her, keep her calm. Coach her just like you learned in la maz you've been doing great." Dr. Lacy said. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. Danny helped me sit up further and grab my knees.

"Okay Aurora….deep breath and push." Dr. Lacy said.

I took a deep breath and started to push. It was harder than I expected. I gritted my teeth and barely heard the doctor counting.

"Ten…sit back and relax a minute. That was good Aurora." Dr. Lacy said.

I leaned against Danny. He held me as I tried to slow my breathing.

"Aurora, ready?" Dr. lacy said.

(20 minutes later)

"Aurora, I see the baby's head. A few more good pushes and you'll be done." Dr. Lacy said.

"Wow, I can see his head too." Danny said looking down. "It's got a head full of blonde hair."

"I'm so tired." I said.

"We're almost there. Just a little bit more." Danny said. "You're doing great."

"Okay, I'll do it." I said.

"One more good one might do it, so push hard." Dr. Lacy said.

"Come on, we almost have the baby here." Danny said as he helped me sit up again and grab my knees.

"Okay Aurora, push." Dr. Lacy told me.

I gritted my teeth again and pushed as hard as I could.

"Keep pushing, the baby is coming." Dr. Lacy said.

I pushed harder despite how tired I felt.

"The head is through, just a little more." Dr. Lacy said.

I finally let out a scream of frustration and effort and pushed one last time.

"You're done, the baby is here." Dr. Lacy said. "Danny get ready to cut the cord."

"What is it? Is the baby okay?" I asked.

"It's a boy. And he is just fine. We're cleaning out his lungs and nose." Dr. Lacy said.

"A boy. It's a boy." I sighed and leaned back. "Can I see him?"

"Just a moment." Dr. Lacy said. "Danny, you can cut the cord now. Cut between the clamps."

I watched as Danny cut the umbilical cord. A nurse then wrapped the baby in a blanket. She handed the baby up to me.

I looked down. The baby had blonde hair and long fingers. He was the prettiest thing I had ever seen. Danny sat on the bed with me and touched the baby's head and fingers.

"He's here. He's finally here." I started crying. "He's perfect."

"You did a great job. I am so proud of you." Danny kissed me. "He is the most beautiful thing." Danny teared up. "I watched him grow inside of you for nine months and now he is finally here."

"He is so beautiful." I said. The baby's eyes were open and he was trying to focus his eyes. "Hello baby."

"Mrs. Messer, we need to weigh him and clean him up." the nurse said.

I nodded. "Just a minute."

Danny kissed the baby's head. "I just can't believe how much I love him already. Che bel bambino."

I started to feel lightheaded. "Danny, I don't feel right."

"Are you okay?" Danny asked.

"Danny, I don't feel good. I feel like I might pass out." I said.

"Nurse!" Danny yelled. It's the last thing I remember before everything turned black.

"Aurora?" Danny looked at her seeing her eyes were glazed over. "Aurora!"

"Doctor, she's going into shock!" the nurse yelled.

Another nurse took the baby. "Mr. Messer you need to wait outside."

"Wait, what's wrong with Aurora?" Danny asked as they pushed him towards the doors.

"Her uterus is inverted. The placenta didn't detach. Let's control the bleeding." the doctor yelled to the nurses. "Get the baby cleaned up!"

"What is going on?" Danny yelled.

"I'm sorry, you have to leave." The nurse said.

"Let's try to stabilize her." Dr. Lacy yelled.

The nurse pushed Danny out of the delivery room and shut the doors.

"Danny what is going on?" Donald asked.

"What happened? What about the baby?" Louie asked.

"What about Aurora?" Aiden asked.

"I dunno. Aurora had a boy. Everything was fine and then she….her eyes glazed over….they pushed me out. They said something about needing to stabilize her." Danny was confused and scared.

"Is she going to be okay?" Stella asked.

"I don't know." Danny said and looked at the closed doors to the delivery room.

**To Be Continued…….**


	164. Baby Messer

_**Aranel-calen**- I am so glad you like the story so much. I am not working this summer either so I know what you mean about relaxing. I hate Lindsay with a passion as I am sure you have picked up on. I am glad you like the story even without her._

_**TVJunkie323**- Oh no worries. I have had this all planned out since way before they even got married in the story._

_**Bioassay-** LOL, your review was so cute. I hope you like this chapter. I worked hard on it._

_**Oddie33325**- No I have had this all planned out for ages. Hope you enjoy the new chappie._

_**Emador**- Okay we need to get you to forget about Carl Edwards. I mean the Hardys are so much hotter. But I digress. And yes I can be quite sneaky when I try. I mean Mak might end up with Buzzy!_

_**Soccer-bitch**- I went to the drive-in a few weeks back and there were kids everywhere for Harry Potter._

_**Snowbear96**- Well take a deep breath and read this chappie._

_**Jordayna**- Actually I had how all this would go worked out for sometime. I hope you enjoy it. I am glad you caught the humor. Very few did…they were all yelling at me that Rora can't die._

_**Mac's Girl**- Well I updated as fast as I could with a trip in the middle. I hope you like this._

_**Meadow567**- Hmmm, I might have to kill off Craig and leave Chev alone then. Can't get a reputation of all happy endings, LOL._

_**Trizzy**- Let go of your hair. Sit down and remain calm. You have been waiting a long time on Little Messer so enjoy and see what happens. And Chris Harris is so much hotter than Christian._

_**Bluehaven4220**- Well now you can find out what happened. I love writing cliffhangers._

_**Aphina**- Well you know how I love cliffhangers. Hope you enjoy._

_**ShannonG**- Evil? Me? (Looks innocent) LOL_

_**Danielle**- Well I am glad you're that excited about it all. Here is more._

_**Ilovemygelding**- Long time since I heard from you. You know I love cliffhangers. Here is some more. _

_The nurse pushed Danny out of the delivery room and shut the doors._

"_Danny what is going on?" Donald asked._

"_What happened? What about the baby?" Louie asked._

"_What about Aurora?" Aiden asked._

"_I dunno. Aurora had a boy. Everything was fine and then she….her eyes glazed over….they pushed me out. They said something about needing to stabilize her." Danny was confused and scared._

"_Is she going to be okay?" Stella asked._

"_I don't know." Danny said and looked at the closed doors to the delivery room._

"Danny, did they say anything else?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't remember. It all happened so fast." Danny said. "I need to be in there with her."

"No, Danny. They want you out here. That way they can work on her without having to maneuver around you." Donald told him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If Rora is dying I wanna be there to hold her!" Danny started towards the doors.

"Danny, you need to stay here. Let the doctor's work." Donnie pulled him back. "I know it's not easy. We're scared too."

"I'm gonna throw up." Aiden said. Donald moved to hold her.

"Aurora is gonna be fine. She is such a strong person." Stella said.

"I can't believe this is happening. She was just fine when they took her in there." Emily looked to Sheldon.

Sheldon put his arm around her. "Labor is very tricky. Things can go wrong at any minute. That's why before medical advances so many women died in child birth."

"Danny?" Mac asked. He noticed Danny was staring at the doors to delivery and staying quiet.

"What do I do if she doesn't make it?" Danny asked so quiet they could barely hear him.

"Don't talk like that. We don't know anything for sure yet." Mac said.

"Aurora was healthy her whole pregnancy. That has to count for something right?" Emily asked Sheldon.

"It'll make her stronger." Sheldon tried to reassure her.

"Why won't they tell me anything?" Danny asked.

"Just try to think the best." Louie told him. "We'll get through the bad things if they come along."

"She wanted this baby so much." Danny said. "I didn't think it would kill her."

"Danny stop that! You can't think that way!" Aiden grabbed his shoulders. "If you start thinking like that….and something does happen to Aurora, you'll grow to resent that baby. You'll feel like he killed her. And he'll grow up thinking that he killed his mother."

"No, I'd never feel like that. I know this isn't the baby's fault." Danny said.

"No matter what. This is no one's fault!" Sheldon told him. "Complications can happen and they are no one's fault."

"This is such a mess." Danny sighed.

"Hang in there." Emily hugged him.

A few minutes went by and no one said anything. Danny was tense and barely moved. Aiden, Emily and even Stella cried a bit. Louie tried to take care of his little brother but wasn't sure what to do for him. Mac stood by waiting to see what would happen, suppressing his true emotions as usual.

Finally Dr. Lacy walked out of the delivery room. Everyone jumped as he walked out.

"Aurora?" Danny asked.

"She is going to be fine. We got her stabilized. She is resting now." Dr. Lacy said.

"What happened?" Mac asked.

"Her uterus inverted. I've never seen it happen so fast. But after birth the placenta didn't detach from the uterus as it should have and pulled the uterus inside out. That sent Aurora into shock." Dr. Lacy explained. Flack turned a bit green.

"Is that deadly?" Stella asked.

"Potentially. However, we were able to manually cut the placenta from her uterus and put her uterus back as it should be. We brought her out of shock…she is going to be fine." Dr. Lacy said.

"Can she….is she going to be able to have more children?" Danny asked.

Dr. Lacy smiled. "She can have more children. Any future pregnancies we will cut the placenta from the uterus manually immediately after birth and not wait for it to detach on its own, avoiding the problem."

"The baby? Is he okay?" Danny asked.

"Your son is fine. He is being moved down to the nursery. We checked him out and everything is fine. He weighed eight pounds and two ounces. He is twenty inches long." Dr. Lacy said. "We'll place him in a room with Aurora as soon as she is put in one."

"Can I see her?" Danny asked.

"For a few minutes. We are still stitching her up and such. She is very groggy because of the medicine and all. And she is very tired after giving birth." Dr. Lacy said.

"I understand. I just want to see her." Danny said.

"Come on in. The rest of you can go see the baby in the nursery. He should be there by now." Dr. Lacy said.

Danny walked into the delivery room. Aurora was propped up in bed. Her eyes closed but all her monitors beeping normally. Danny rushed over to her bed.

"Rora…Rory?" Danny took her hand.

Aurora slowly turned her head and opened her eyes. She looked very tired. Danny kissed her forehead.

"Danny…the baby?" Aurora asked.

"He's fine. He is perfect and healthy and the nurses have him all cleaned up and he is down in the nursery." Danny told her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Aurora said.

"For what?" Danny asked her.

"For being such a problem." Aurora said.

"Baby, this wasn't your fault. The doctor said it can happen to anyone." Danny said and kissed her forehead. "I am so proud of you. You did great. You never got scared. You didn't cry or argue with the doctors. And the whole time you were pregnant you took great care of yourself and the baby. You gave me a beautiful son. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Aurora said.

"Mr. Messer, we need to wash her with betadine. Then we'll move her to a room and place your son in there with him." The nurse said.

"I plan to breastfeed him." Aurora said.

"Your milk isn't in yet but you have colostrum, which is kinda like pre-milk. It's full of nutrients and antibodies that are good for the baby so as soon as he seems hungry go ahead and feed him." The nurse said.

"Get some rest. I'll see you in a little bit." Danny kissed her. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io." Aurora said.

Aurora leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Danny could see how tired she was. He brushed the hair back from her eyes and stood up. He walked out of the delivery room and went to the hall. He sat down and relaxed in a chair.

Down the hall, everyone else was looking at the babies in the nursery looking for Danny and Aurora's baby.

"I don't see him." Louie complained.

"There is his crib….it says Baby Boy Messer. They just haven't placed him in it." Aiden said.

"Do you two have enough cameras?" Sheldon asked Emily and Aiden.

"We want lots of pictures of the baby. And Rora and Danny will want pictures." Emily said.

"It's amazing how many new camera angles people find when there is a new baby." Donald chuckled.

"There he is." Stella said as she spotted a nurse bringing a new baby wrapped in blue blankets into the nursery.

"He is so tiny." Donnie said as the nurse laid him down.

"All that blonde hair. No wonder Rora had heartburn." Sheldon said.

"He is beautiful. Pretty blonde hair, tiny little nose and mouth." Emily said.

"He looks like Danny." Aiden said.

"He's an hour old. How can you tell?" Donnie asked.

"I don't care. He reminds me of Danny already." Aiden said.

"I wonder if they have a name picked out yet." Stella said.

"He'll probably be Baby Boy Messer until college." Louie said.

"How does it feel to be an uncle?" Sheldon asked Louie.

"I am just speechless. I can't believe I am looking at my little brother's kid." Louie said.

"Who's day is it in the baby pool?" Sheldon asked.

"Tim Speedle." Aiden said.

"The guy from Miami?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, he called awhile back with some follow up information about the Carlos Diaz case. Chad got on the line and told him about the baby pool and being a good sport, Speedle bought April 29th and 30th." Aiden explained.

"Damn, he won like five hundred dollars. Everybody around the precinct and lab was in on that baby pool." Donnie said.

"That will make Aurora happy. She likes Speedle." Mac said.

(Later)

Danny walked into Aurora's room on the maternity floor. She was sleeping soundly having been through a long labor. Everyone else had gone to the cafeteria to get breakfast. Danny looked and saw that the baby was sleeping in a plastic crib near Aurora's bed. Danny walked over and looked down at the baby. He was sleeping too.

Danny read the cards on the baby's crib. 'Baby Boy Messer, Mother-Aurora Messer, OB-Dr. Joshua Lacy, Pediatrician- Dr. Michael Craig' The card next to it read 'Weight- 8lbs 2oz, Length- 20 in' and had a picture of a stork on it.

Danny reached over and stroked the baby's hair. "Hey little guy. I can't believe you're here. I've been watching you grow and move inside your mommy and now…you're really here."

Danny reached down to pick up the baby. "I am not sure if I am doing this right. I haven't held that many babies before. So be patient with me while I figure it out." Danny smiled at the baby as he picked him up. He held the baby against him. "You are the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I can't believe I have a son."

Danny lifted the baby enough that he could kiss his forehead. "See that lady there…that is the greatest lady I know…she is your mommy. She is the best thing that ever happened to me. She is so strong and has such a good heart. I love everything about her. She is a great detective; she fights so hard for victims and is so compassionate. She has such a big heart and loves people so much. You're so lucky she is your mommy. She is going to be a great mom…I just know it."

Danny sat down with the baby and kissed him again. "I don't know what kind of dad I'll be….heaven knows my own dad was no example and screwed me and Louie up enough. But I want to be the best dad for you that I can be. I promise that I will always take care of you and keep you safe. I'll always be there for you and your mommy. I love you both so much."

Danny stroked the baby's cheek. "You have to help me take care of her now. You're gonna be man of the house when I am not around. Means you gotta look out for mommy." Danny smiled. "You're going to love her so much. She is amazing."

"Danny?" Aurora started to wake up.

"I'm here. I was talking to the baby." Danny said.

Aurora looked over at them and smiled. "They moved him in here."

"Here, you haven't got to see him much." Danny handed her the baby and sat on the bed next to them both.

Aurora smiled at her baby. "Danny, he is so beautiful."

"I know. He is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I love him so much. Thank you so much for giving him to me." Danny kissed her.

"You've been so great through all of this. You took great care of me. You gave me him. I wouldn't want anyone else in the world to be his daddy." Aurora said.

"His godparents are crazy about him. I think Aiden already took a roll full of pictures while he was in the nursery." Danny said.

"He needs a name." Aurora said.

"I've been thinking about that." Danny said.

"What do you think of the name Nico?" Aurora asked.

Danny smiled. "One of the Italian names we both liked. It's perfect."

"Nico...Nico Messer." Aurora said. "I love it."

"He needs a middle name." Danny said.

"I know. That's a tough one. You're his father….but Horatio did help save his life when I was shot in December." Aurora said.

"Why not use both?" Danny smiled.

"You want to?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah…I think it suits the little guy." Danny said.

"I like it." Aurora kissed Danny. "Hello Nico." She said to the baby.

_(Note- The baby's name is pronounced Nee-ko. Just making sure no one calls him Nick-o.) _

**Special Extra For My Faithful Readers- **The Baby's Birth Announcement (much like Danny and Aurora will be mailing to friends, LOL)

_**It's A Boy!  
**__We Proudly Announce the Birth of Our First Son_

_Nico Daniel Horatio Messer_

_Born on April 30, 2007 at 11:40PM  
Eight Pounds Two Ounces Twenty Inches _

_We're so happy!  
Danny and Aurora _


	165. Visitors for Baby

_Aranel-calen- Childbirth makes me a bit queasy too, but I figure I'll deal with it when the time comes. I am glad that you were smiling. Babies make me smile too._

_Bluehaven4220- I love the name Nico. I had it picked out for this story since before I wrote Danny and Aurora getting married._

_Trizzy- Careful with your spinning or you might hurt yourself. I miss Speed too. I see Danny being such a good dad. I just had to write him talking to the baby._

_Emador- Carl has left the building. No one is going to call him Nemo. And Aiden is using film because she is old school like me and Gibbs. I still use film! LOL_

_Meadow567- Glad you liked it. I need to write some Chev._

_Bluueyez07- I am glad you like Nico. And no need for a pitchfork. I have plans for this story. _

_Soccer-bitch- Well I hope you like where I plan on taking this story. Hope you got some rest._

_Jordayna- LOL, Don is so much fun to write. I hope you like this chappie._

_Ilovemygelding- Oh it's okay that you didn't review all the time. I am just glad you're still reading._

"Danny, I swear I am fine. Nico is sleeping. I just nursed him. You helped me shower. Now go in to work for a bit. I'll be fine." I told him.

Danny looked at me. "Well I would like to check up on a few cases."

"Go on. I know that everyone is planning on coming in later this evening anyway. So you can come back then. I am going to rest. I am still very tired." I said.

"It's because you just gave birth a few hours ago." Danny smiled. "Okay, but if you need anything, you call me."

"I will. Now go on before New York goes on a crime spree because their police department is preoccupied with a baby." I chuckled.

Danny leaned over and kissed me. "I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you too." I kissed him again.

Danny walked over to where Nico was asleep in his plastic crib. He reached down and patted the baby's hair. "I'll see you later little guy."

I smiled and watched Danny walk out into the hall. I leaned back against the pillows to sleep.

(Lab)

Danny walked into the lab. He walked over to his desk.

"There is our new daddy." Aiden smiled. "I developed the pictures I took of Nico in the nursery. He is just adorable."

Danny nodded with a smile. "He is something else. Like nothing else I have ever seen."

"How did you two agree on the name Nico?" Don asked.

"It was an Italian name we both liked. I suggested it to her. She had heard it a few other places and liked it." Danny said. "Don, why aren't you at the station?"

"I came up to see Aiden's pictures of the baby." Don said.

"He's such a proud godfather." Aiden smiled.

Danny smiled. "I have cigars for everyone."

"You should see how you're glowing." Stella smiled as Danny began passing out cigars to everyone.

"Bubblegum cigars for the ladies. And stogies for the guys." Danny said. "I picked them up on the way over."

"It's a boy." Sheldon read off his cigar.

"Sheldon, shouldn't you be at the morgue?" Danny asked.

"Everyone is hanging around the lab today looking at pictures of Nico and talking about him." Mac smiled as he took a cigar. "Even Vicaro came by."

"Danny, he is just beautiful." Emily said.

"How does it feel to finally have him here?" Don asked.

"It's the most amazing thing. I mean when I saw him be born…..when I watched Aurora giving birth to him…there are no words to describe that. I just fell in love with her all over again. I love her more than ever. And that little baby…..wow." Danny smiled.

"I think he is so beautiful. Danny how did you ever produce something so pretty?" Aiden teased and held up a picture.

"He got a pretty mommy." Danny winked.

"Oh no, Nico looks just like you." Aiden insisted.

"How is Aurora?" Sheldon asked.

"She is resting. She is still so tired. I helped her take a shower, she wanted to wash her hair. Of course she had to wash her stitches with betadine." Danny said.

"How many stitches did she have to get?" Sheldon asked.

"Only six. She was lucky." Danny said.

"We're going to see her after our shift." Emily said.

"She is looking forward to it." Danny said.

"Do you know when she'll get to come home?" Mac asked.

"They are circumcising Nico tomorrow morning. If everything goes okay with that, they can come home the day after tomorrow." Danny said. "I can't wait to have them home."

"We're very happy for you Danny." Stella said.

"Thank you. I need some coffee." Danny said and headed to the break room.

Danny walked in and grabbed a clean mug off the counter. He poured himself a cup of coffee and added some creamer. He took a sip. He realized Mac had made it because it was strong enough to kill a horse. He added more creamer.

"Hey Danny, is there any coffee?" Don walked into the break room.

"Yeah, Mac made it." Danny said and Don nodded in understanding.

"So have you told Papa Messer about Nico yet?" Don asked.

"I called him a few hours ago, after we decided on a name for the baby." Danny said.

"Papa Messer is a grandpa now." Don frowned. "What did he say when you told him?"

"He said he was happy for us. He sounded genuinely proud to be a grandfather. He asked if it would be okay to go see Nico. I told him he could….I mean he is the biological grandfather." Danny said.

"Louie is just as proud as a peacock. You can just tell when he looks at that baby." Don smiled.

"Little Nico…he just amazes me. I just never thought I could love someone so much." Danny sat down on the couch.

"He is pretty special." Don smiled. "I can't believe that baby just yesterday was inside Aurora."

"Wait until you have kids." Danny smiled.

"Did my dad put you up to this?" Don asked.

Danny laughed. "No."

Don raised an eyebrow but walked out of the break room as Mac walked in.

"Hey Mac, can I talk to you for a second?" Danny asked.

"Sure Danny, what do you need?" Mac asked.

"I need you to promise me something." Danny said.

Mac turned and looked at Danny. "Danny, what's going on?"

"You and Rora have always been really close….and now you're Nico's godfather." Danny said as Mac sat down beside him. "With our jobs…there is no guarantees. Mac promise me if something ever happens to me that you will take care of Aurora and Nico."

"Danny…."

"I know that Aurora is strong and that if something should happen to me, she'd make it and that she will be a great mom. But looking at my new son….I just want to do everything for him and I love Aurora in a whole new way. I know that everyone would be there for them and take care of them. But you…..you have a special connection to Aurora. Just promise me that if something happens to me, you'll make sure they're okay." Danny said.

"I will. You don't have to ask me to take care of them. I would take care of Aurora no matter what, Nico too." Mac said.

"Thanks Mac." Danny said.

"You have a beautiful family, Danny." Mac said.

"I know. I never thought I'd be this lucky. I mean growing up in the mob…and now I have a wife and new baby." Danny smiled.

"Your mother would be so proud of you." Mac told him.

"I wish she were here." Danny agreed.

(Hospital)

I was awakened by Nico moving around in his crib. I looked over to see that he was awake. I carefully got out of bed and moved the few feet to his crib.

"You get your sleep out?" I asked him. I picked him up. "I'm glad you're awake. I like spending time with you."

I slowly walked back to my bed and crawled up on my bed. I cuddled Nico against me.

"You have your daddy's eyes." I told Nico. "He's going to bring some of your things tomorrow so we can get ready to take you home."

I heard a knock at the door. I looked up. "Come in." I called.

The door opened. "Aurora?"

"Horatio Caine." I smiled as he stepped in the door. "This is a surprise, what are you doing here?"

"Well someone called Speed to tell him he had won the baby pool. He told us that you had a baby boy. So with some prodding from Alexx and Calleigh, I decided to take a few days and fly up to see you and the baby." Horatio smiled.

"You took time off? You never take time off." I chuckled.

"Those girls can be very convincing. Especially when Calleigh threatened to show up at my house and pack my bags. So Calleigh is looking after the lab for a few days, while I am up here." Horatio said.

"Well I am so glad you came. I was actually going to mail you and your team some pictures when I got home." I told him. "Well come on over here and meet my son."

Horatio moved to stand next to the bed. "He has so much blonde hair. Did you and Danny decide on a name?"

"He is Nico Daniel Horatio Messer." I smiled at Horatio.

Horatio smiled. "You didn't have to name him after me."

"Yes we did. We could have easily lost him when I was shot in Miami. But you were there and took care of me and Nico. You're a big part of why we have him safe now." I said.

"Thank you……I am honored." Horatio said.

"And since Frank Tripp was so great about helping me when I was shot too. We're going to encourage Nico to take the confirmation name of Francis." I said.

Horatio chuckled. "Frank will be surprised. Calleigh sent a few things for the baby. And Delko says when he is in New York on vacation, he will be sure to stop by."

"Great, and while you're in New York you'll stay with us." I said.

"Aurora, you just had a baby. You don't…."

"I don't want to hear it. You flew all this way to see me and the baby, the least we can do is give you a comfortable bed with a clean comforter…you know what Speed says about hotel room comforters." I chuckled. "Besides we're going to have a house full of company for awhile anyway."

"You're just as stubborn as always." Horatio smiled.

"Would you like to hold Nico?" I asked.

"I am not sure I remember this. It's been a long time since Ray Jr. was a baby." Horatio smiled.

Horatio sat down in the chair next to my bed. I stood up and handed the baby to Horatio. "You're wonderful with children. I am sure you'll do fine. Just keep his head supported."

"I never seen a baby have so much hair." Horatio commented as I climbed back into bed.

"I know, I had heartburn so bad last week. Sheldon said it's because Nico had so much hair." I said.

"He knows your voice. He is trying to turn his head towards you." Horatio said.

I smiled. "How is everyone in Miami?"

"Good. Frank's divorce is final. Calleigh's dad is trying to get his life straight. Stetler is as big a pain as ever." Horatio smiled.

"What did he say when you took time off?" I asked.

"He seemed surprised but didn't say anything." Horatio said.

"I am so glad you came. I really wanted you to see the baby. You helped save him." I smiled. "I can never thank you enough for that."

"Seeing this healthy little baby is thanks enough." Horatio said.

Danny walked in. "Lt. Caine, so nice to see you. When did you sneak in?"

"I took a flight out of Miami when I heard that Aurora had the baby." Horatio said.

Danny handed me a soda and gave me a kiss. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I had a good nap." I smiled. Danny sat down on the bed with me.

Aiden and Don walked in with Donald.

"There is my little man." Aiden gushed. "Aurora, I already have a roll of film developed. I hung up a few pictures in the lab and station so people can see Nico."

"And she stopped to buy some picture frame in the gift shop downstairs." Donnie sighed.

"Hey it's cute." Aiden punched his arm. "It is a row of three pictures. One is for Mommy and Baby, one is for Daddy and Baby and one is just the baby."

"Horatio, this is my partner Don Flack, my best friend Aiden Burn and Don's dad Donald Flack." I introduced them.

"Hey, Aurora has told us so much about you." Aiden said.

"Nice to meet you." Horatio said as Mac walked in.

"Horatio…nice to see you." Mac said.

"Did you all decide to come at once?" I asked.

"Pretty much." Aiden said.

"I saw Emily and Sheldon pulling in the parking garage when I got in the elevator." Mac said.

"One little baby and we all turn to mush." Don said.

"Look who's talking. You were the one that already put a picture of Nico on your desk." Aiden said.

Nico started to fuss a little bit.

"He must want mommy." Horatio stood up and handed the baby to me.

"Danny, Horatio is going to be staying with us." I said.

"That'd be great. And don't forget Russ is coming in Friday." Danny said.

"How is little Nico?" Emily said as she walked in with Sheldon.

"He is good. Come on in." I said. "Sheldon can you be here tomorrow when they circumcise Nico?"

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll be here." Sheldon said.

"I mean I know it's a routine procedure but they are cutting on my baby." I said.

"And on his most delicate part. One wrong move and Nico becomes Nicole." Don said.

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Don't scare her. Nico will be fine. And Aurora you just sound like a mom."

"Nico, I love that name." Emily commented and looked over at the baby.

"Thank you. I liked it when Danny suggested it." I said.

"I was starting to like the idea of calling the baby Taylor." Mac smiled.

"We'll just work on her for next time." Danny smiled and kissed me.

"Next time? You mean we have to do this all over again?" Don asked.

"Don you knew Danny and I were planning on having a large family. We thought we'd wait until Nico was ten months old or so before we start trying for another baby." I said.

"Oh no, if I am going to be going through all this baby stuff, it might as well be for my own children." Don said. He took Aiden's hand. "Aiden, will you marry me?"

"What?" Aiden was shocked.

"What?" I asked, thinking some of my medicine might cause me to be hallucinating.

"Are you serious?" Sheldon asked.

"About time!" Donald smiled.

"What?" Danny looked surprised.

"I don't have a ring for you…" Donnie started to say.

"I got your mother's ring right here. I was hoping you'd come to your senses and have had it in my pocket for two months." Donald said and pulled Don's mother's ring out of his pocket and handed it to Donnie.

"Aiden, I love you. And watching Aurora be pregnant, I realized that there is no other person in the world I want to start a family with and settle down with and be with for the rest of my life." Don said.

Aiden was crying. "Of course I'll marry you."

Donnie kissed her and put the ring on her finger. Emily was crying. I was crying. The men in the room just looked stunned, except for Donald who was smiling from ear to ear.

"We're engaged!" Aiden smiled.

"I am so happy for you." I said as she came over to hug me.

"Me too." Emily hugged her.

"Don! We had Danny and Aurora's wedding and then Aurora being pregnant….NOW we have the girls getting ready for another wedding!" Sheldon pretended to whine.

"Aiden honey you have to wait until I am skinny again before having the wedding." I said.

"Don't worry. We'll go to our strip aerobics and get you all ready." Aiden said.

"I am so happy for you." I kissed her cheek.

"I guess congratulations are in order." Danny said. "Don, I am very happy for you."

"Thanks." Don smiled.

"What possessed you to propose out of the blue?" Mac asked.

"I don't know. I just did." Don said.

"Wait a second." Horatio seemed bewildered. "Did I just witness a marriage proposal in the maternity ward…but not from a couple that just had a baby?"

I smiled. "And you thought Miami never closed."


	166. Baby Comes Home

_Mac's Girl- I love writing Horatio. I think he is an awesome character. I am sorry this took so long. RL has been insane._

_Bluebear48- Yeah, I loved writing that. I had it planned for awhile._

_Emador- Wow, aren't we just anxious? I am surprised you're not saying that Sheldon needs to propose and Emily get knocked up. And I had Don proposing at the hospital planned for awhile._

_Aranel-calen- I love writing Danny as a dad. Just wait, it gets better._

_Bluehaven4220- I am glad you liked it. So sorry this took so long. RL is crazy. But I am so happy to be writing baby Nico._

_ChristianBalelover12- I love Don and Aiden too. I am still so upset they killed her off the show._

_Ilovemygelding- I love writing Don and Aiden. They are cute couple._

_Jordayna- Just relax, I have a grand plan._

_Meadow567- Yeah I do need to work on Chev and Rizzo. I know what is going to happen, its just sitting down and writing it._

_Soccer-bitch- Well here is some more. I hope you enjoy it._

_Trizzy- Well Donald had been carrying the ring with him hoping that Don would ask for it so he could plan a proposal. Don just blurted out a proposal and Donald had the ring with him. I meant for it to be humorous so I am glad you enjoyed it. _

Danny helped me into the house with Nico. We had just been released from the hospital and Danny was bringing us home.

"We're home." Danny called out through the house. "Everyone is in the living room."

Danny and I walked into the living room. Louie, Aiden, Donald, Sheldon, Emily, Mac, and Horatio were sitting in there.

"Little Nico is home." Aiden gushed.

"You all didn't have to be here." I smiled.

"Are you kidding? We have been waiting how long on this baby to be born? We all want to be here to see him come home." Sheldon said.

I sat down on the couch. Nico was sleeping.

"How do you feel? You got much pain?" Emily asked.

"Not as bad as I thought. I am just moving a little slow, but nothing drastic." I said.

"Make sure you keep washing with betadine." Sheldon said. "And Danny, no sex for six weeks. And I mean six weeks! You two better not be one of these couples that goes for your follow up exam pregnant!"

"Dr. Lacy went over all this with us at the hospital. I can live six weeks without sex." Danny rolled his eyes.

"I am serious. You don't want to rip her stitches or cause an infection." Sheldon said.

"And you still have your blowup doll Don got you when you got engaged!" Louie winked at his brother.

"Remind me to set some new lab rules if Delko or Speedle get engaged." Horatio said.

"I can't believe he is so pretty." Emily gushed.

"Hard to believe he is Danny's." Aiden joked.

"Danny was a cute baby." Louie said. "He was a chubby baby. He had fat cheeks and chubby legs."

"Maybe I can talk dad into letting me have some of my baby pictures. It would be nice to have now that I have a child of my own to make some comparisons." Danny said and put his arm around me.

Don walked into the house. "Guess who's here?"

Russ walked in behind Don. Don had gone to the airport to pick him up while Danny brought me and the baby home from the hospital.

"Russ I am so glad you're here." I smiled. Come on in. We're all here."

Russ walked in and looked around at everyone. "Big Mac, you're here."

"Nice to see you again." Mac smiled at him.

"Russ come sit down. See the baby." I patted the couch next to me.

Russ started towards the couch but stopped when he saw Horatio. I saw his hesitation.

"It's okay. That is Horatio Caine. He is the lieutenant of the Miami-Dade crime lab. He is the one that took care of me when I was shot in Miami. He is a friend of mine." I explained.

"He's a cop too?" Russ asked.

I smiled. "He's a cop too. He drives around in a Hummer."

Russ relaxed and came to sit beside me. He looked over at the new baby.

"He looks like Danny." Russ said.

"I told you!" Aiden giggled.

"He is very little. What did you name him again?" Russ asked.

"Nico." I said.

"Can I hold him?" Russ asked.

"Sure." I carefully handed Nico to him. "Make sure his head is supported, hold him against you. There you go."

"You are a natural with him." Danny smiled at Russ.

"I can't wait for him to get big enough to talk." Russ said.

"Well that will still be awhile off." I smiled.

"I brought him a bear." Russ said.

"We'll put it in his room for him." I assured him.

"Did it hurt a lot to have him?" Russ asked wide-eyed.

"Of course, that is part of having a baby." I smiled. "But I had a wonderful doctor and Danny took great care of me."

"So now that you are home, when can we start the wedding planning?" Aiden asked.

"Oh anytime. With me being off for the next six weeks, I will be able to get a lot done to help you out." I said.

"Is eloping possible?" Don asked. Aiden shot him a dirty look. "Okay big wedding. I want laid again so we'll have a big wedding."

Danny chuckled. "Don, I just went through this last year. Just buy the ring and show up. It's the easiest way to do it."

"Bachelor party!" Sheldon cheered.

"Mac you can get…." Don started.

"Not another word!" Mac glared at him.

"I'll tell you about it later Horatio." Danny winked.

Mac groaned.

(Evening)

I was sitting in the nursery, rocking Nico while nursing him. Most everyone was still downstairs. Danny had found a ball game on and the guys were watching it. Emily and Aiden were cooking some stuff in the kitchen so I could just pop things in the oven for dinner for a week or so. They said I would have more time to rest that way.

"Aurora…." Mac stepped in. "Oh I am sorry."

I chuckled. "It's okay Mac." I said and pulled a blanket up over me. "I am covered now, you can come on in."

"I'm sorry. I never stopped to think you might be nursing Nico up here." Mac was looking down and I swear blushing.

"Mac, it's fine. It's not like you've never seen a breast before. Besides, I saw pictures of you handcuffed to a post getting your underwear ripped off." I giggled. "Besides, we have been through hell and back together…no big deal. I just came up here to feed Nico so I wouldn't be showing everyone my business."

"I was just coming up to tell you I am heading home. I am working the weekend in the lab to cover for Danny so he can be home with you and Nico." Mac said.

"Thanks so much for everything you have done. I don't know what I would have done without you when I went into labor." I smiled. "I am so glad you are his godfather."

"He's a great little guy. I am really happy for you." Mac smiled and walked further into the room.

"Mac you have been so great my whole pregnancy and since Nico was born, and you're so great with him. You know its not too late for you to find someone special and start a family." I said.

Mac looked at me. "I don't think I could."

"Sure you could. I mean Claire will always be in your heart, but even I can see how much you've healed since I came to New York. You can't go on alone forever." I said.

"I just don't think I could ever have what I truly want." Mac said and walked farther into the nursery.

"Well what kind of woman are you looking for?" I asked Mac as Nico fell asleep and stopped nursing.

Mac walked over to the window and looked out. He didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Mac…come on. Tell me what kind of lady you want. What is your dream girl like?" I prodded as I adjusted everything back.

Mac looked back at me then out the window again. "She's smart, very smart. And caring, has a big heart and loves people. Sweet and loves her friends and family so much. She's very gentle and sensitive…you know the type, has pets and loves children. She's good with children too. And she understands the life of a cop. I have seen so many relationships end because the woman didn't understand what a cop's life was like….the hours, the stress. But she knows, and she is so patient and understanding."

I stood up to put Nico in his crib. "Oh Mac, you'll find someone like that."

Mac turned and looked at me. "It's not that simple."

I laid Nico down and smiled up at Mac. "Mac, you are such a wonderful guy. Any woman would be so lucky to have you."

"I wish it were that simple." Mac said. "But for now I am content with my job and friends."

I walked over and hugged Mac tight. "You're such an important part of my life. You mean so much to me."

"Aurora…." Mac looked at me for a moment. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I'll call and check on you and Nico tomorrow."

"Goodnight Mac." I smiled.

Mac walked out as Horatio walked in.

"Horatio, what can I do for you?" I asked.

"I was just going to shower before dinner. Emily says it's going to be great." Horatio smiled. "You and Nico okay?"

"Oh yeah we're fine. He just finished eating and went to sleep. I'll head down to the kitchen. Where is Russ?" I asked.

"Playing with Rammer." Horatio smiled. "I am very glad you're so good to him."

"Well he can't help being born a little less smart than the average person. I love him just the same." I said. "Thank you for being good to him."

"He's a good guy. And he is crazy about his new nephew." Horatio smiled.

"I'll get you some towels." I said and stepped out of the nursery. "Dinner does smell good."


	167. Two Weeks Old

_Bluebear48- Maybe, I have a plan._

_Mac's Girl- Just know that I have a plan for everything. Mac is a sweetie. I love writing him._

_Emador- And that was Horatio…imagine if I wrote Delko, LOL._

_Soccer-bitch- out of all my nieces and nephews, I only got excited about the birth of one of them, LOL._

_Bluehaven4220- Here is more, sorry it took so long._

_Jordayna- Actually, I am getting close to the end of this story._

_Lizfromitaly- everything will be revealed in time, I promise. Glad you like the story._

_Meadow567- You make Aurora sound dense._

_Trizzy- Easy on the snow fights. And I could just see Mac being slightly embarrassed at walking in on her nursing. Mac is so polite and all. _

Danny walked into the break room and poured himself a cup of coffee. He was in the middle of a triple shift and was very tired. He sat down on the couch and took a few deep breaths. A double homicide in Queens had kept them all at the lab working overtime.

Aiden walked in. "You okay?"

"Just tired. I am fine." Danny said.

"You call and check on Aurora and Nico?" Aiden asked as she opened the fridge.

"Yeah. She is fine, she was getting Nico ready for bed. Donald said if she needed anything he would go over and stay with her." Danny rubbed his eyes.

"She is so amazing with that baby." Aiden smiled.

"She is a great mother. She is all worrying now about when his umbilical cord will come off. Sheldon has looked at it and says it looks fine." Danny chuckled.

"You worry about him too. Rora has told me about catching you watching him sleep." Aiden said.

"I am still kinda in awe of Nico. Just can't believe I helped create something so amazing." Danny said.

"I can't believe you're the same guy that claimed he would never fall in love, never get married, never settle down, never have kids." Aiden chuckled. "it's cute."

"Look what you did to Flack." Danny closed his eyes to relax.

"Speaking of Don….he told me about the porn." Aiden giggled and sat down beside Danny.

"I still can't believe he did that. I mean I know that I can't have sex for six weeks, I am fine with that. I want Rora to heal, I want to give her time. I have had no libido problems, just concentrating on being there for her." Danny said. "Then the other night we were in the game room watching the hockey game. I go to the bathroom and come back and Don had put in a porn."

"He thinks its funny to annoy you about not having sex. Kinda like when Rora cut you off before the wedding." Aiden said.

"Wait till you cut him off before his wedding. I'll get even." Danny said.

"At least the lab is never boring." Mac walked in.

"Mac, like Aurora says, 'you love us'." Aiden smiled.

"Is she okay? Do you need to go home and take care of her?" Mac asked Danny.

"She is fine and would kill me if I left work to take care of her. You know her independent streak." Danny smiled. "I called and she is fine."

"She miss her brother since he went home?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, Russ was so great with the baby. He was so happy about Nico." Danny said. "She misses Horatio too. I can't explain but she has a special connection to him."

"I noticed that too." Aiden said.

"Danny, I need those fibers as soon as you can." Mac poured his coffee and walked back out.

"Guess, its back to work." Danny sighed.

Danny got up and headed back to the lab. Aiden followed behind him.

(Later)

"Danny you on your way home?" Don asked.

"Yeah, Vicaro is taking our guy down to Central booking. Mac said he would finish up the paperwork. He told me go on home." Danny put on his coat.

"Home to a cold shower?" Don winked.

"Just wait….the girls are planning your wedding and when Aiden cuts you off…I'll be ready for revenge." Danny said.

"It's not my fault you can't have sex for another month." Don chuckled.

"You don't have to bring me porn to make it worse." Danny rolled his eyes.

"That was an old one I had from when I went through that athletic girl phase." Don said.

"I'm going to get some sleep and something to eat." Danny said. "Call me if anything else comes up."

"Oh spend some time with Rora and Nico." Aiden said walking in.

"What are you doing here?" Don asked.

"Going home with you. Haven't seen much of you in a few days." She sat down on the corner or his desk.

"Looks like you'll be busy Don. I'll see you later." Danny smiled and walked out of the station.

(Pelham Bay)

Aurora heard noise moving about in the kitchen. The baby monitor was silent so Nico was still asleep. She figured Danny must have finished his case and came home. She looked at the clock 3:30AM. She climbed out of bed and threw on her robe. She walked down the hall and peeked in the nursery, Nico was sleeping on his side. She then walked downstairs, she saw Danny standing at the kitchen counter making himself a sandwich.

"Hey baby, when did you make it in?" Aurora asked him.

"Just a few minutes ago. I'm sorry I woke you. I was just trying to grab some food, I am starved." Danny said.

Aurora crossed the kitchen and hugged him. "I wasn't sleeping very soundly anyway. I can't sleep without you." she kissed him. "You want me to fix you something to eat."

"No it's okay. I am just going to eat a sandwich and then take a shower." Danny kissed her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I was able to rest a lot today. Louie stopped by and had dinner with me." Rora said. "Did you close your case?"

"Yeah, we closed it and all headed home." Danny said. "Nico sleeping good tonight?"

"He was up about an hour ago to eat." She said.

"I'll look in on him before I shower." Danny said.

"Baby, I was cleaning around the house today….and I found porn in the game room." Aurora raised her eyebrows.

"Flack…" Danny rolled his eyes and turned to Aurora. "Flack brought it over. He thinks its funny to annoy me since we can't have sex right now."

"Does it bother you?" Rora asked.

"Oh no. I know it's what is best. Flack is just having fun." Danny smiled.

Aurora smiled and cuddled against Danny. "Just another month."

"Why don't you go on back to bed and get some rest. I'll be up in a bit to shower and then I'll come to bed." Danny said.

"You sure you don't want me to stay up with you?" she asked.

"No, get some rest. I'll be up soon." Danny kissed her.

"Okay." Aurora kissed him again and walked back upstairs.

Aurora went back into their bedroom and settled back in bed. Danny finished making his sandwich and sat down at the counter to eat.

After eating, Danny walked upstairs. He walked into Nico's room. The baby was still asleep in his crib. Danny looked down in the crib.

"Hey little guy, you been looking after mommy while I was at work." Danny stroked the baby's hair. "I missed you the past few days. I love you so much."

Danny smiled at the baby and turned and left the nursery. He walked into the bedroom and grabbed a pair of sleep pants then went to shower. He started the hot water and stripped down. He looked in the mirror and saw how tired he appeared.

Danny took a quick shower, it felt good to unwind after the stressful past few days. He was thankful Aurora was strong and could handle the long hours and time away from him, even as a new mother. Danny stepped out of the shower and dried off. He pulled on his sleep pants and brushed his teeth. He felt better after a shower and more relaxed.

He walked out and climbed into bed. He stretched out in bed and Aurora rolled over to snuggle against him.

"I missed holding you." Danny told her.

"I love you." Aurora said and nuzzled Danny's neck.

"Love you too." Danny kissed her forehead.

Aurora leaned up and kissed Danny, moving to lay on top of him.

"Baby, what are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Fooling around with my husband." Aurora said and moved to kiss his neck.

"No, Dr. Lacy and Sheldon said to wait and I am going to." Danny said and reached for her hands.

Aurora smiled at him. "No honey. I am fooling around with you, you're not fooling around with me." she giggled and pulled her hands free, reaching for the strings on his sleep pants.

"Baby, I can't return the favor." Danny protested.

Aurora pushed his sleep pants down. "You can make it up to me in a month."

Danny touched her face. "Sweetie, you don't have to do this."

Aurora leaned down and kissed Danny. "I want to. I miss being close to you."

"But I don't want you left unsatisfied for a month." Danny said.

"It'll be fine. I can be close to you, make you happy. And in a month you can make it all up to me." Aurora winked. "I am looking forward to it."

Danny groaned and lay back as Aurora slid down the bed, under the sheets.


	168. Three Weeks Old

_Mac's Girl- I hope you like this. I had some time between holidays and the inspiration!_

_Meadow567- I want to write Chev and Rizzo…but every time I get the mood, I start lusting for Noah Emmerich and since he is Chev's father ( you know what I mean) makes it a bit difficult! LOL_

_Emador- Nico, Nico, Nico. It has NOTHING to do with Nemo…I have never even seen that movie. You need to watch 'Above the Law'. Steven Seagull's character is named Nico. I think its kinda sexy!_

_Soccer-bitch- I spent Christmas with my nephews, that is enough to last me awhile. _

"Have you decided on colors yet?" I asked Aiden as I shifted Nico in my lap. "Once you decide on a color it makes so much just fall into place."

"I dunno. I am thinking a December wedding with all the Christmas stuff, like poinsettias and holly and garland." Aiden said and grabbed another bridal magazine from the table.

"That would be so pretty. Decorate the church all up and have candles lit." I smiled.

"Right, which would make decorations so easy to do because Christmas decorations are everywhere and you can buy stuff pretty reasonable." Aiden smiled. "And then have red and green as my colors with gold trim."

"What does Don say about that?" I asked her.

"He'll buy a ring and show up." Aiden giggled. "Danny has been so cute trying to help Don through all this wedding stuff."

"Donald has been on cloud nine ever since Don proposed. He is the adorable one." I chuckled.

"I just love him. I think he is such a great dad." Aiden said.

"And grandpa. The connection he has to Nico is unbelievable." I told her.

"I know. Makes me excited to have children." Aiden said.

Aiden and I continued looking through bridal magazines and wedding books that I had spread out on the coffee table. Nico was nursing in my lap. She and I had planned to spend the evening planning some of her wedding stuff.

"What kind of dress do you have in mind for yourself?" I asked her.

"I want sleeves since it's a winter wedding. Maybe lace sleeves." Aiden said.

The door opened and Donald walked in with Donnie. I hurried and pulled a blanket over myself.

"She's nursing." Donnie grumbled.

"Be quiet. It's a beautiful thing. And she covered herself up. Besides, what do you think we did with you, let the dog nurse you. You were breastfed." Donald said.

"But it's Rora with her…..and Aiden why are you sitting here while she feeds him?" Don asked.

"I've seen Rora's boobs before." Aiden shrugged. "Besides, my godson was hungry."

"I have heard more discussion about my boobs since having Nico." I rolled my eyes. "I try to be discreet but he has to eat."

"Its fine. We don't mind a bit." Donald said. "We just came to help with the wedding stuff."

"That is great. I have so many ideas." Aiden said.

"Danny is in the shower. He should be down soon." I said.

"Okay, what can guys do to help plan a wedding?" Donald sat down with us.

"I helped Rora with caterers, tasting food." Don said.

"Oh Rora, you had the best food, I need the name of your caterer. We're using them." Aiden said.

"You guys can do a music list for the DJ. Never too early to start thinking about what songs you want, what songs are special to you. You want to make sure if the DJ doesn't already have something that they have time to get it." I said.

"Good idea. That I can do." Don said.

"Danny did most of our music list." I said.

"What did I do?" Danny walked into the room.

"You made up most our music list for the DJ." I said as Danny come to sit with me.

"I wanted to be sure they played something better than YMCA and the Electric Slide." Danny smiled. "How is my little man?"

"Eating like a champ. He was hungry. He took a long nap this afternoon." I said.

(2am)

I was snuggled against Danny's chest asleep. The baby monitor lit up as Nico started crying.

"He is having a bad night. He can't be hungry. I fed him an hour ago." I said.

"I'll get him. You get some sleep baby. Just stay here and rest." Danny kissed my forehead and climbed out of bed.

Danny walked down the hall to the nursery. Nico was fussing in his crib. Danny turned off the monitor so they wouldn't disturb Aurora.

"What is the matter little man?" Danny picked up the baby. "You having a bad night? You keep waking up me and mommy."

Danny carried the baby over to the changing table. "Uncle Sheldon warned us that you might have some tummy aches. Your little tummy hurt?" Danny rubbed Nico's tummy as he laid him on the table.

"Feels like you're wet." Danny said and unbuttoned his sleeper. "Just don't give me a shower."

Danny reached for a clean diaper from the cabinet under the table. "We'll get you changed and then I'll hang out with you a bit. Let mommy get some rest. She hasn't said anything but I know she is tired."

Danny put a fresh diaper on Nico, then buttoned his sleeper back up. "Come on, we'll go see if a late night movie is on."

Danny picked up Nico and walked downstairs to the living room. He sat down on the couch and clicked on the TV. He started flipping channels for something to watch while letting Nico rest on his chest.

"Looks like there is several infomercials on. I know Rora watches those when she is up late nights with you. She likes those ones for music collections." Danny said to Nico and rubbed his back. "Maybe find a good movie on. I know last week mommy watched 'Brokeback Mountain' when she was up with you. I have the only wife in the world that cried over the gay cowboy movie." Danny chuckled.

Danny flipped a few more channels finally settling on 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'. He tossed down the remote and leaned back with the baby across his chest.

"Haven't seen this in awhile. It will do until you go back to sleep." Danny kissed Nico. "You're taking me away from my girl." he chuckled. "It's okay. I'd do anything for both of you."

(4am)

I woke up and looked around the bedroom. Danny was no where to be seen. I climbed out of bed and walked down the hall. The nursery was empty, Danny nor Nico were in there. I walked downstairs and into the living room. I smiled, Danny was asleep on the couch, Nico curled up on his chest asleep.

"Danny." I said softly and moved to touch his shoulder. "Baby, come back to bed."

Danny opened his eyes. "I fell asleep?" he looked at the TV. "Wow, I was watching TV and just fell asleep."

"I woke up and realized you hadn't come back. Made me worry Nico was really sick." I said.

"Nah, he just fussy. He and I decided to watch TV." Danny rubbed his back.

"Well he seems to be resting good now. Why don't you put him in his crib and come back to bed?" I said to Danny.

"Sounds great." Danny said. I walked beside him up the stairs and down the hall to the nursery.

Danny laid Nico in his crib. I smiled watching Danny interact with the baby. He loved Nico so much, it was very obvious. Danny turned on the baby monitor and walked out of the nursery. I leaned on him as we walked back to our bedroom.

"Did you miss me?" Danny joked as we climbed into bed.

"You know I did." I said and snuggled against him.

"I love you so much." Danny kissed my forehead.

"Aiden has pretty much decided on a December wedding with all the Christmas theme stuff." I said. "And she says if the wedding is in December….Don is cut off from sex after Labor day."

Danny laughed. "Oh I am going to have fun with that. That is longer than you made me wait."

"I know. I was surprised she decided on such a long time." I said. "Don will be climbing the walls."

"Oh this is going to be great. I gotta talk to the other guys and see what kind of prank they want to pull on Don. They pulled such a great one on me." Danny said.

I giggled. "It was funny….once I knew it was just a prank."

"Better get some sleep. I got to work in the morning." Danny yawned. "Goodnight. Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io." I kissed him then snuggled down beside him again.

(7am)

I was fixing Danny some breakfast in the kitchen. He was upstairs getting dressed for work. The TV in the kitchen was on and the news was going over the sports scores from the night before. Nico was awake and lying in his cradle that I had dragged into the dining room so I could keep an eye on him.

"Danny, breakfast is ready." I called up the stairs. "Yankees won last night too."

"Coming now." Danny said and hurried down the stairs.

I handed him his coffee and set his eggs out on the counter. "You're wearing my favorite cologne."

"I am out of the stuff I wear for everyday. Had to throw on some of the fancy stuff." Danny said.

"That is not nice to do while your wife can't have sex." I pretended to pout. "That stuff just oozes sex. It smells great."

"Maybe I'll be prying Aiden and Stella off me today." Danny smirked. "Go down to DNA and give Jane a thrill."

I laughed as Danny's cell phone rang.

"Messer….yeah...on my way Mac." Danny said. He hung up his phone and took a final drink of his coffee.

"Got a call?" I asked.

"Yeah, body found in the Bronx." Danny pulled on his coat. "I'll call you later and let you know how the case is going."

Danny walked over to the cradle and kissed Nico. "Bye little man. Take care of mommy while I am gone."

Danny walked over to me. "Have a good day while I am at work." Danny kissed me. "I love you."

"Love you too." I said and kissed him again. "Be careful at work."

"I'll see you tonight." Danny winked and walked out the door.

I took a deep breath. "Well Nico, just you and me now. I say we start off the morning with a nice shower and then we'll go pick up some of the stuff Aunt Aiden wanted for her wedding planning."

(6PM)

I walked into the lab carrying Nico in one arm and a bag of take out in the other. I looked and saw Danny sitting at his desk, Mac was walking down the hall.

"Hey, what brings you downtown?" Mac smiled.

"We're just bringing Danny some dinner. I was already in the city picking up a few things for Aiden when Danny called and said he would be working late." I said. "Say hi to Uncle Mac."

"Want me to take him for a bit?" Mac offered.

"You don't mind?" I asked.

"Of course not. He is my godson. Besides, I like spending time with him." Mac smiled.

"Here Nico, you go spend some time with Uncle Mac." I said and handed Mac the baby. "You're so good with him. You really should find a good woman and have a family."

Mac looked up at me. "I wish it were that easy."

"Be good for Uncle Mac. I'm going to see daddy." I kissed Nico and walked into the lab.

Danny looked up. "Ciao bella."

"Hey baby. I brought you some dinner. I didn't want you working late on an empty stomach." I kissed him.

"Well I am certainly glad you did. I am starving. Where is Nico?" Danny asked as I sat on the edge of his desk.

"With Mac. He wanted to spend a few minutes with Nico." I said.

"Split dinner with me? I'd love the pretty company on a quick dinner break." Danny smiled up at me.

"Like I could deny those big blue eyes and that sexy smile anything." I said. "I'd love to."


	169. Ready To Go Back

_Mac's Girl- I had bad colic. But Nico won't get it very bad. And we'll just have to wait and see what happens to Mac._

_Aria DeLoncray- Thank you so much for your review and all your nice comments. I worked so hard to develop Aurora's character. I am glad you like her and have read so much of my story._

_Emador- I think the name is Nico is great. :-p And will you relax about the dying, near death, drama. I have a plan._

_Soccer-bitch- I am getting another one here in a few months. I hope you like the chapter._

_Meadow567- But more drama is coming. I have a few plots already in motion. _

Danny, Sheldon and Don were sitting around Danny's game room/bar watching the Mets game and having a few beers. Aiden and Emily had taken Aurora out shopping for the evening while Danny took care of Nico.

"It was good to see Aurora at the station today." Don said.

"She is anxious to come back to work." Danny agreed.

"I can't wait to get her back. I mean Vicaro is a good detective and all, but Aurora is my partner. She thinks like me, we back each other up well." Don said.

"Well next week she goes for her follow up exam next week. The doctor should clear her and she'll be back to work." Danny said.

"And your six weeks will be up." Don smirked at Danny. "Are you anxious?"

"Unbelievably. I mean I didn't want to rush Rora, I knew she had to heal. And she volunteered blowing me the past few weeks." Danny smiled.

"You realize how many guys would chew off their arm for a wife that voluntarily gives blowjobs just a few weeks after giving birth?" Sheldon snickered.

"Oh I know how lucky I am. And I intend to make it up to her." Danny smirked. "But anxious…..not sure that is the right word. I mean she just had my baby and I am in love with her in this whole new way. And I have been holding her, sleeping next to her and she has been going down on me and I couldn't do anything to her. And she is losing her baby weight and looks so good…..I am torn between laying her down and taking two hours with her…..and bending her over the back of the couch and screwing her brains out."

The guys chuckled.

"Danny, word of advice. Go slow and easy with her." Sheldon said. "Even though the doctor gives her the okay…remember she just gave birth…that is a lot on a body."

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Don raised an eyebrow.

"Oh she'll be fine. I just mean that she still may have some soreness and tender places." Sheldon looked back at Danny. "The first few times you have sex with her next week, take it slow. Be very gentle with her until your both sure she is healed enough for anything rougher."

"I was thinking of taking her out somewhere nice next week after she is cleared. You know a nice evening just the two of us. Aiden said she would keep Nico for the night." Danny said.

"The whole night?" Don asked.

"Yeah, give me and Rora some time alone, just for us, nice romantic evening. Why?" Danny asked.

"Because I just know I am gonna get roped into helping her….she says I need practice for fatherhood." Don rolled his eyes.

"But you love Nico. We have all watched you with him." Sheldon said.

"I do love him, he is my godson. I am just not sure I am ready to take care of him without Rora around." Don said.

"Aiden will help you. And your dad is great with him." Danny said.

"He can't wait for Rora to go back to work so he can baby-sit Nico. He says he is taking Nico and going to the park. Says ladies love a man and a baby." Don rolled his eyes.

"You might get a new step-mom." Sheldon snickered.

"It's not funny." Don said.

"Oh come on, Donald is older, not dead. And all our girls say how attractive he is for his age." Danny said.

"Even Emily was commenting he is a 'silver fox' the other day." Sheldon said.

"Speaking of Emily…what is this I hear about a New England trip?" Danny said.

"Our one year anniversary is coming up so I am taking her to New England for a weekend. I got us a lakeside cabin in Vermont for three days." Sheldon said.

"Explains why the girls said they had to stop by a Victoria Secrets." Don said.

The baby monitor lit up and Nico could be heard crying.

"My little man is awake. I'll be back." Danny got up and headed upstairs.

Danny walked to the third floor and into the nursery. Nico was lying in his crib fussing. Danny walked over and picked him up, the baby calmed down.

"Did you have a good nap? Mommy said you were so good for her today." Danny kissed his head. "I missed you so much while I was at work."

Danny carried the baby and laid him to the changing table. "You're wet. I'll get you changed and then we can go see Uncle Don and Uncle Sheldon."

"I am so glad you're awake. I love spending time with you." Danny told Nico as he threw away the soiled diaper. "You gonna smile at me?

Nico smiled up at Danny as if he understood what was being said to him.

"Everyone says you're too little to smile that its gas. I don't believe that. You're Italian and if you had gas, I'd certainly know it." Danny joked and tickled the baby's foot.

Danny finished diapering Nico and zipped his sleeper back up. He picked up the baby and walked back downstairs to the basement game room.

"There is our favorite baby." Sheldon smiled.

"He had a good nap. He is all bright eyed and alert." Danny said and sat down with Nico.

"How did you get him anyway?" Don asked.

"How do you think?" Danny rolled his eyes.

"No shit, dumbass. I know that part of it. I meant, what events led to his conception?" Don said.

"Yeah, you never have told us about when Nico was conceived." Sheldon said.

"It was a weekend. You know we were trying for a baby anyways, so we had given up any form of birth control. Rora and I had the weekend off. I woke up Saturday morning and Rora was in the shower. I decided to join her…have a morning romp. She repaid me that afternoon by coming downstairs while I was watching a ballgame wearing nothing but my Rangers jersey. We really didn't get much else done that day." Danny smiled.

"It still kills me that Aurora went through nine months of pregnancy, hours and hours of labor, she is still recovering…..all that and Nico looks just like you." Sheldon said.

"Poor thing." Don snickered.

"You're just pouting because you have to go three months without sex." Danny said.

"Don't remind me." Don groaned.

"Trust me, it's worth it. Honeymoon sex is amazing." Danny said.

"And wait till you see the bachelor party Danny is planning." Sheldon smiled. "I already marked the date on my calendar."

"Where is Mac?" Don asked.

"Working late at the lab." Danny said.

"I think he is having a bad spell of grief lately. He hasn't been himself." Sheldon said.

"Just when we thought he was past it." Danny sighed.

(11PM)

"Ready for bed?" Aurora asked Danny. He was sitting in the living room watching the late news. She has just got Nico down to sleep again.

"Yes, I am tired. I can't wait for a few days off." Danny switched off the TV and stood up.

"Want me to rub your back and shoulders?" she asked and hugged him.

"Nah, I'll be alright. Just need a good night's sleep holding a beautiful woman." Danny kissed her.

"I love you so much." Rora said.

"I love you too." Danny said. "Let's get to bed."

Danny and Aurora walked upstairs to their bedroom. Danny made sure the baby monitor was turned on so they could listen for Nico. They climbed into bed. Danny pulled Aurora into his arms and spooned behind her.

"You ready to go back to work next week?" Danny asked her.

"I am. I am sure it'll be an adjustment for me to leave Nico for hours at a time, but I know he will be in good hands with Donald." she said.

"How about next week we go out to dinner? Have a nice night just the two of us? Aiden said she would take care of Nico." Danny said.

Aurora turned over in his arms and looked at him. "A romantic evening just the two of us…..sounds wonderful."

"Wear something pretty." Danny kissed her.

"I will. Now that I am getting thin again." she said.

"You were never fat. You have always been the most gorgeous woman I know." Danny kissed her.


	170. A Night Alone

_Katydid13- I am so glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for the review._

_Laplandgurl- Greetings from North Carolina is the southeastern US! I am glad you like the story! _

_Snowbear96- Glad you are back!_

_Aria DeLoncray- LOL, I get that feeling once in awhile myself! _

_Meadow567- Gotta love those guys. They're just so awesome!_

_Soccer-bitch- Aww, that will be weird with him moving away. Maybe the Messers will have another one for ya! LOL_

_Emador- A weekend in Vermont. Boy do we have a list of men we'd like to do that with! LOL And we all know who is really my silver fox! Nice theory about Mac! _

"I am finally cleared to come back to work!" I said as I walked into the station.

"That is great. We've missed you around here." Vicaro looked up from his desk.

"Where is Nico?" Flack asked.

"With your dad. He volunteered to keep him this afternoon so I could go to the doctor. I think he was going to take him to the park since it was a nice day." I told him.

"So the doctor cleared you. Does that include for _everything_?" Don asked with a smirk.

"Yes for everything." I smiled. I had missed being with Danny. "I am headed up to the lab to talk to Danny. He mentioned something about a night for the two of us…and now that I am cleared for everything…"

"Yeah, Aiden has just been waiting for you to get cleared so she'd know what night she needed to take Nico." Don said. "I'll be glad to have you back at work here."

"I've missed you too." I leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I'll be in first thing Monday morning."

I walked down the hall and took the elevator to the lab. I stepped out and saw Danny walking down the hall towards me with Stella. He looked up and saw me walking from the elevator and smiled.

"Ciao bella." Danny kissed my cheek. "How did it go at the doctor?"

"Went just fine. He said everything looked good, that I had healed like normal. Cleared me to come back to work." I smiled. "And you know Dr. Lacy's humor…he thanks you for not getting me pregnant again already."

Danny chuckled and kissed me quickly. "I am glad. Friday night, we are going out. Tell Aiden."

"I will." I smiled. "Get back to work. I'll see you at home."

(Friday)

"Okay, I packed extra diapers and clothes for him. I pumped out some breast milk and included some formula in case that isn't enough. His skin is a little bit dry so after you bathe him make sure you put lotion on him. If you bathe him around 9 pm, then feed him, he'll go to sleep and usually sleeps 4 hours before waking up." I told Aiden.

Aiden and Don had come by to pick up Nico for the night. I was telling them everything I thought they would need to know. I was being a typical mom and worrying over the small details.

"Rora, I think we can handle it. If anything happens we can always call Donald." Aiden chuckled.

"It's just my first time away from him for more than a few hours." I said.

"We'll take great care of him." Don said.

"I know you will." I kissed Nico. I rubbed his little forehead. "Bye sweetie, be good for Aunt Aiden and Uncle Don."

"What time do you want us to bring him back tomorrow?" Don asked as they started out the door.

"We'll call you in the morning and see how things are going." I said. "Thanks again for this."

"Are you kidding? My godson is going to have lots of sleepovers with me." Aiden said. "Now have a fun night and screw the hell out of Danny."

"Yes, he has been patient for six weeks. You've got the all clear. Go rock his world and don't call us tomorrow until he is thoroughly worn out!" Don said.

"I'll try my best." I laughed.

I watched to make sure they placed Nico in his car seat correctly. I waved to them as they backed out of the driveway. Closing the door, I rushed upstairs to shower and get dressed. Danny would be home in an hour. He hadn't told me what he had planned; just that it was a surprise.

I was stepping out of the shower when Danny walked into the bathroom.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" I asked.

Danny smiled. "Enjoying the show. Actually, I got home a bit early. Stella knew I was anxious to get home to you so she volunteered to finish up our paperwork."

"Don and Aiden came and got Nico already." I told Danny, wrapping a towel around myself.

"I know. I saw the nursery was empty." Danny came up and hugged me. "It's just you and me tonight."

Danny leaned in and kissed me.

"I'll shower quickly and we'll be on our way." Danny smiled.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Out. Just trust me." Danny kissed me again.

I went into the bedroom to get dressed; I could hear Danny start the shower. I pulled a new dress out of the closet. Aiden and Emily had helped me pick it out when we went shopping last week. It wasn't really fancy, just a nice light blue dress. It fit really well, especially since I had lost a good deal of the weight I gained while pregnant. Sheldon said nursing helped you lose weight faster after giving birth.

I put some gel in my hair to help it hold a soft wave. I heard the shower shut off. I could hear Danny moving about in the bathroom. I smiled and finished doing my make-up.

Danny walked out of the bathroom in jeans. He walked over to the closet to look for a shirt. I could smell his nicer cologne, he knew I liked it.

"You smell great." I smiled at him in the mirror. "You know I love that cologne."

"It's why I wore it." Danny winked and pulled on a light blue shirt. I loved how Danny looked in blue, it brought out his eyes. I hoped Nico would keep his big blue eyes.

I stood up and slipped on a pair of sandals. The weather was starting to get hot outside, as it was mid-June. Danny walked up and hugged me from behind.

"You look beautiful." Danny kissed my cheek. "Damn I am tempted to stay home tonight."

I chuckled. "Oh no, you have been keeping me in suspense about where we're going."

Danny nuzzled against my neck. "Then let's get going so we can get back home again."

(Little Italy)

Danny drove us through the streets of Little Italy. I smiled looking at the streets starting to light up as the sun went down.

"Danny, I love Little Italy." I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I know. It's part of the reason I brought you here." Danny smiled.

"You brought me to Little Italy for our first date." I squeezed his hand.

Danny looked at me and smiled. "I remember everything about that night. How pretty you looked, how lucky I felt…hard to believe here we are now….married, just had a baby."

"I know. Hard to believe our first anniversary is in two weeks." I said.

"Been a great year. You've made me so happy." Danny kissed my hand.

"You've made me just as happy. You did something for me that I have always wanted." I kissed his cheek. "You made me a mommy."

Danny pulled into a parking lot. I looked up to see we were at the same restaurant that Danny had brought me to on our first date. I looked at him and smiled.

"Danny, this is where we came on our first date." I said.

"I know. I thought it would be nice to bring you back here. That was such a special night. And this is a special night." Danny leaned over and kissed me.

"This is….Danny I love you so much." I kissed him.

"I love you too. Come on, let's go in before we get carried away and then have some explaining to do to Mac!" Danny smiled.

Danny got out of the SUV and walked around and opened my door for me. We walked into the restaurant together. I smiled as we walked to the back of the restaurant to a corner booth. Danny let me sit down first then slid in next to me.

"Want me to order for both of us?" Danny asked.

"Yes, that will be fine." I said.

"I'll order us some non-alcoholic cocktails." Danny said.

"Baby, I don't mind if you have a drink." I told him.

He smiled at me. "It's okay. You can't drink; I'll just have what you do."

(Later)

"That meal was amazing." I took Danny's hand. "Thank you so much for bringing me here."

"I remember the first time I brought you here." Danny stroked my cheek. "I sat there thanking God that you were safe and that Tanglewood hadn't killed you. Thinking how lucky I was to be with you. How beautiful you looked, that pretty smile."

I chuckled. "Do you remember the first 80's night me and Aiden dragged you and Don to? I had only been in the city a few weeks."

"Do I? I had a major case of lust for you that was quickly developing into more. I couldn't believe you girls managed to drag us to something like that…but I really didn't mind, I loved being near you. And I got to dance with you, touch you, and watch you move." Danny smirked.

"I thought you were so cute and sweet." I told him. "Those blue eyes and smile just melted me. Always have."

"Are you ready to head home?" Danny asked. "I have another surprise for you there."

"Oh really? Then let's head home." I said and quickly kissed him.

Danny helped me out of the booth. He took my hand and we walked out of the restaurant. I smiled seeing Little Italy all lit up. Danny opened the door for me to climb in the SUV. He leaned over and kissed me quickly before shutting the door.

He walked around and climbed in the driver's seat and started our SUV. He pulled us out into traffic.

"Have you thought about what you want to do for our anniversary?" Danny asked.

"Well I have been shopping for your present. I wanted to get you something nice." I said as my cell phone started ringing. I looked at the ID, it was Flack.

"Messer." I answered.

"Aurora, oh my god….it's everywhere….how could something so small do something so disgusting!" Don was on the other end. I could hear Aiden laughing hysterically.

"Don? What on earth is going on?" I asked.

"This is a new shirt; I bet that doesn't come out!" Don said.

"What is wrong with you? Is my baby okay?" I asked.

"Nico just spit up all over me. Oh hell, it's on my crotch too." Don said.

"You called to tell me Nico spit up? That's what this is all about?" I was exasperated.

"Aiden will you stop laughing. It is not funny. And we just gave him a bottle of milk Rora pumped…….EWWWW, I have regurgitated Aurora boob juice all over me." I could hear Don talking to Aiden.

"Did you just call my milk boob juice?" I asked, Danny glanced over, clearly amused.

"It was inside her, then inside of him now it's all over me!" Don said.

"I wish your dad was here. He would crack up." Aiden was still laughing in the background.

"Don, is Nico okay?" I asked.

"He's fine. I am the one covered in spit up!" Don said.

"Don, he's a baby. Its what he does." I said.

Aiden got on the line. "This is too funny. You should see this."

"What is going on? All I know is Nico spit up on Don." I said.

"We fed Nico about an hour ago, and we were sitting on the couch watching a movie, Don was holding him. Nico got a little fussy and then he spit up all down the front of Don's shirt. Nico is fine. Don is all grossed out!" Aiden was still giggling.

"He had gas, that is why he got fussy. When he spit up, his little tummy stopped hurting. What is it about babies that grosses him out? NYPD homicide detective….I have seen him at hundreds of crime scenes and never blink, but one little baby freaks him out." I laughed.

"He says babies are different than adults." Aiden chuckled.

"How are you ever going to have children with him?" I asked.

"Nico will get him ready. He can practice with Nico and then when we have babies, he'll be ready!" Aiden said.

"I hope you're right." I said.

"What gets spit up out of clothes?" I heard Don say.

"Don, just go throw it in the laundry." Aiden told him.

"Is everything else going okay?" I asked.

"Oh it's fine. I am having a great time taking care of Nico. You guys having a good time?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah, we are headed home from dinner." I said.

"Well have a great night. Everything is fine here. I'll make sure Don doesn't call and interrupt anything!" Aiden giggled.

"Thanks. If Nico gets sick or anything call me." I said.

"Relax mom! Aunt Aiden will take care of him." Aiden said. "You go get laid, you've waited long enough."

I chuckled. "Talk to you tomorrow." I said and hung up.

"Are they okay?" Danny chuckled.

"Nico spit up on Don, you know how he does with baby stuff." I smiled.

A little while later, we arrived at our house. Danny and I walked into the house.

"Come on, I have something for you." Danny pulled me up the stairs.

Danny pulled me into our bedroom. Danny went to the closet and pulled out a small gift bag. He handed it to me. I looked inside and pulled out a new swimsuit.

"A swimsuit?" I asked.

"It's for you to wear, and you and me are going to get in the Jacuzzi." Danny hugged me from behind. "I know you haven't got to use it yet because you were pregnant by the time it was finished being installed. So I thought tonight would be a nice time for you and me to go in together and relax."

"That sounds wonderful." I leaned back against him. "Give me 5 minutes to change."

"I'll meet you down there." Danny said.

Danny walked out of the bedroom and I heard him head down the stairs. I changed out of my dress and into the swimsuit Danny had bought me. It was a one piece and was blue and white. I grabbed a towel from our bathroom and walked down the stairs.

I walked into the sunroom. Danny was in there already in his loose swim trunks, he must have changed in our utility room. Danny had some sodas sitting along the edge of the Jacuzzi.

"Thought we'd have some sodas since you can't have alcohol." Danny smiled.

"That's fine. This is so nice." I said.

Danny climbed in and helped me in. I settled down snuggled against him, enjoying the water bubbling around us. Rammer lay down on the steps, not willing to get near the water. I leaned against Danny.

"This feels nice." I said.

"It's awesome to get in here and relax after a tough day at work." Danny said. "You're going to love it now that you can use it all the time."

"I am looking forward to using it. I know you have certainly enjoyed it." I kissed his cheek.

"You are looking so good. I can't believe that just six weeks ago you had a baby." Danny said.

I turned and looked at Danny. "Thank you so much for all you did for me while I was pregnant. You made everything a lot easier, you took great care of me."

"You're my wife…and I love you so much. I didn't even have to think about it, it was second nature." Danny said.

I leaned in and kissed him. "I love you."

I snuggled down against him and relaxed. Danny gently rubbed my shoulders. It felt so good to relax in the warm water and let Danny hold me.

"I have missed spending time with you like this. I mean I know we have snuggled and been close…but it's different now….well knowing that I don't have to take a cold shower later." Danny said.

I chuckled. "I know what you mean."

"You all relaxed?"

"Yes, this feels wonderful." I nuzzled against his neck.

"Ready to get out?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, if I stay in here too much longer I'll get pruny." I said.

Danny stood up and helped me out of the hot tub. I wrapped my towel around me, drying off as Rammer ran away to avoid getting wet. I walked with Danny upstairs and into our bedroom.

I went into our bathroom to change out of my wet swimsuit. I pulled it off and hung it over the towel rack. I wrapped my towel around me and walked back out into the bedroom to put on a nightgown. Danny, I could see had already changed into a pair of boxers.

I started towards the closet when Danny put his arms around me and held me against him.

"My girl in just a towel." he nuzzled against my shoulder.

"I was just going to put on a nightgown. Maybe something sexy for you." I said.

Danny slid his hand under my towel. "Why bother? I'd just take it right back off of you."

I moaned softly as Danny nudged me closer to the bed. I reached up to run my fingers through his hair. I smiled when Danny pushed me gently down to the bed, moving beside me.

"You'll tell me if anything hurts? I don't want to hurt you." Danny stroked my cheek.

"I'll be fine. I trust you not to hurt me." I leaned up and kissed him.

Danny reached up and loosened my towel, pulling it away from me. He moved over to kiss my shoulder.

"God I've missed this." he said against my skin.

(Later)

I was in the kitchen to get something to drink. I was really thirsty, so I had come downstairs for a midnight snack. Looking at the clock, I saw it was after 1AM. I closed the fridge and was startled to see Danny standing behind me in his boxers.

"I woke up and you weren't there. You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted something to drink. I was coming right back." I said.

Danny wrapped his arms around me from behind. "I was hoping you'd be ready for round two."

I chuckled. "Horny are we?"

"Hell yes. Six weeks of not being able to have sex…..as much as I love you and as gorgeous as you are." Danny kissed my neck.

I turned in his arms. "I missed it too."

"Did I hurt you earlier?" Danny leaned his forehead against mine.

"I told you earlier, no. I am fine. It felt great being with you again." I kissed him.

Danny ran his hand under my robe and up my thigh. My breath caught in my throat.

"Danny…" I choked out.

Danny chuckled. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me onto the counter.

(Morning)

I woke up with Danny spooned behind me. I rolled over in his arms and snuggled against his chest.

"Morning baby." Danny said and kissed my forehead.

"I thought you were still asleep." I said.

"I've been mostly catnapping for the past half hour. Just enjoying you being naked against me." he smirked.

"Last night was great. Thank you for making it so special." I said.

"I loved every minute of it. You are without a doubt, the best thing that ever happened to me. So is Nico." Danny said.

"Speaking of our little man. We should call Aiden and see how they are doing. And I need to go pump my milk…I am feeling full." I told him.

"You go pump. I'll call them." Danny kissed me and rolled out of bed.


	171. Back from Maternity Leave

_charmedgrays- Glad you did. Enjoyed your review._

_Mac's Girl- Mac the marine could easily handle a baby. I have other plans for Mac. _

_Snowbear96- Don is one of my favorite's to write. He is so funny and such a guy. _

_Laplandgurl- My RL is so busy lately its unreal. My best friend is traveling in Europe right now, so since I have extra time I am trying to write a bit._

_Aria DeLoncray- I just had the inspiration for this chapter and decided it had to be done here._

_Emador- After dealing with Tristan, baby vomit is nothing! Just wait for Treva and her kids at the daycare!_

_Katydid13- Oh don't worry. You're going to see lots._

_Meadow567- Do you know how much it is killing me to be away from Pittsburgh and the Pens doing so well in the play-offs!_

_Soccer-bitch- I got a new nephew about a month ago. Hated what they named him!_

**Author's Note- Law and Order Characters belong to Dick Wolf. I am just borrowing two because they are awesome! **

Danny and I walked into the station. Flack was already sitting behind his desk.

"It's so great to be back to work." I smiled and sat on the edge of my desk.

"Dad called and said when you dropped off Nico this morning, you left enough stuff to put him through college." Don said.

"I just wanted to make sure he didn't run out of anything. And it's hard to leave my baby behind." I said.

"He'll be fine. Dad is the best." Don said.

"I know. It'll just take some adjustment." I said. "And don't mind me if I run off to the locker room to pump out milk. I am wearing breast pads in my bra, but I still don't want to leak."

"So much for Chad's hope of seeing you with you shirt open." Don rolled his eyes.

"I gotta get to the lab. I'll see you later." Danny kissed my cheek.

"Have a good day. I love you." I hugged him.

"Nice that you two can quit screwing. I know that is all you two did over the weekend." Don rolled his eyes as Danny walked off.

"Yes we did and it was fabulous. I love it when Danny is worked up." I wiggled my eyebrows. "Might have to cut him off more often!"

"You're gonna be pregnant again, I just know it." Don said with a wink.

Two gentlemen walked into the precinct. One was tall and lanky with silver-ish hair and dark glasses. The other a well-built African American with a short ponytail.

"You Detective Aurora Messer?" the one with a ponytail asked.

"Yes can I help you?" I asked.

"We're from the Special Victims Unit.," the lanky one said. "I'm Detective John Munch. This is Detective Odafin Tutuola."

"Detective Munch from Baltimore? The one with all the ex-wives?" I asked as I shook his hand.

Tutuola snickered. "You have quite the reputation, John."

"I've heard about you. You're the one with all the conspiracy theories." I said.

"It's great to be a legend." Munch's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Nice to meet you. And Detective….." I said as I shook Tutuola's hand not sure of his name.

"Call me Fin." he smiled.

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"We've been assigned a case together. Have you heard about the three dead males found along the East River the past month?" Munch asked.

"Very little. I have been on maternity leave. All I have heard from the case was stuff in passing when I would be visiting my husband at the crime lab. Hasn't been much on the news." I said.

"That's because all three victims were known male prostitutes." Fin said.

"Brass wants SVU to cooperate with Homicide unit on this case." Munch said. "We're pretty sure it's a serial killer at work."

"Got a case file for me?" I asked.

"Right here." Munch handed it to me.

I opened it and began looking at the crime scene photos. Only one of the victims was wearing clothes.

"Any signs of sexual assault?" I asked.

"Perp wore a condom, but there were signs of sex prior to death." Fin said.

"So these are male prostitutes from the gay community?" I sighed.

"Second victim was new to the business. Word is he had only been on the streets a month." Fin said.

"All three victims were stabbed. Multiple wounds to the neck area." I said. "No connection to previous cases."

"We don't have much to go on right now." Munch said. "It's been a frustrating couple of weeks."

"No suspects that looks good?" I asked.

"None. You know how it is. They go off with johns, no one is paying attention." Munch said.

"It's what makes prostitutes such an easy target." I sighed.

"We heard you're very sensitive about hooker cases." Munch said. I looked up at him. "What? You got a reputation around here too."

"Usually it's for being Papa Messer's daughter-in-law. Didn't realize there was more to it." I said. "I'll read over the case and get with you this afternoon."

"You got it. We'll call if there is a development between now and then." Fin said.

I sat down at my desk and watched them walk out. I looked over at Don. "Looks like we got a serial case."

"Big case for your first one back. Let me see part of the file." Don said.

I stood up, walked the few feet to his desk, and handed him the folder. I stood over his shoulder looking through some of the info with Don.

"I can't believe there hasn't been more media coverage. I mean it's officially a serial killer case now." Don said.

"Its dead hookers and gay ones at that. You know how hard it is to get people to care about that kind of thing. I don't know why people seem to forget that these people are humans and have feelings and families." I said. "We get another victim you better believe I am gonna make a fuss and get the word out there that a killer is on the loose. He can't be ignored just because his victims are gay hookers!"

"She has been back five minutes from having a baby and she is already trying to save the world." Vicaro walked over to us. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "We've missed you around here. Glad you're back."

I stood stunned and watched Vicaro walk off to the break room. "Did Vicaro just kiss me?"

Don smiled. "You have been missed around here. Even Vicaro is glad to see you."

"By the way, movie night at our place this Friday. We're watching 'Cliffhanger'." I said.

"The old Stallone movie?" Don asked.

"Yeah. I just love it." I chuckled. "Everyone is coming. Mac, Sheldon, Emily, Aiden and most likely you because you're always with her!"

(Afternoon)

I walked into the SVU squad room. I spotted Munch and Fin sitting at their desks. I smiled and walked over to join them.

"Ah, Detective Messer we're finishing up lunch. Would you like to join us?" Munch asked.

I noticed they had Mexican take out. "No thank you. I am nursing so I try to avoid spicy foods. It upsets my baby's stomach."

"How old is your baby?" Fin asked.

"Seven weeks old." I said.

"What do you make of the case?" Munch asked.

"From what I can tell it's definitely a serial killer. I would say he is known in the gay community otherwise these men wouldn't feel comfortable going off with him. Possibly a regular john to the gay red light district. But he doesn't have anything distinct enough about him to raise alarm." I said. "He is gay himself. Serial killers always kill the gender they are attracted to…..Gacy, Dahmer, Corll, they all killed men."

"Maybe we need to spend some more time canvassing the gay district." Fin said. "What else you got?"

"I am not sure if he is wearing a condom to keep from leaving behind evidence, or if he is afraid of contracting a disease." I said. "Dahmer himself admitted in custody that when he would have sex with a corpse, he wore a condom because he was afraid of contracting AIDS."

"Either way, doesn't leave us much to go on." Munch said.

"This has the potential to be a long and frustrating case." I said.

(Evening)

I walked into the station after Fin had dropped me off. He and I had just spent several hours talking to hookers in the gay community trying to find any leads on our case. We had gotten nowhere. I sat down at my desk.

"What a day!" I said. "I can't wait to go pick up my baby and go home with my husband."

"Horny again?" Don smirked.

"You have no idea. I don't know what it is, but all day all I have wanted to do is ride Danny." I said.

"It's just your hormones fluctuating after having the baby. Perfectly normal." Sheldon walked up to us smiling, Emily was with him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Don asked.

"Stopping by to see if anyone wanted to join us for a movie." Emily said.

"Let me call Aiden." Don said and picked up his phone.

"Sorry guys, I need a rain check. I am tired. I just got back from canvassing with Fin. And I need to go pick up Nico. I need to feed him, I feel like I am about to burst but I don't want to pump so close to time to get him." I said.

"Fin? As in Fin Tutuola?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, we pulled a case together. You know him?" I asked her.

"Yeah, he used to work Narcotics. Then he transferred to SVU after his partner was killed. Said he couldn't work narco anymore." Emily said.

"I can see him working narco; he has a great way with street people." I said.

"He was one of the best. Worked a lot of undercover." Emily said.

Danny walked in. He came over to my desk and kissed me. "I missed you today. How was your first day back?"

"Good, but I am tired. Ready to go pick up Nico?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's get little man and go rest." Danny said. "I could use a dip in the pool."

"Sounds great. Think I'll join you after I feed Nico." I said as I stood up. "Night all."

"See you in the morning." Flack called after me.

I walked with Danny out to our SUV and climbed inside. I leaned back against the seat and relaxed as he drove us through the city.

"You're glad to be back. I can tell." Danny said.

"I missed it. There is something about getting justice that is addicting." I smiled at him. "I missed you today."

He kissed my hand. "I always miss you."

We pulled up outside Donald's home. I walked up the front steps and rang the doorbell. Donald answered, Nico in his arms.

"How is my little man?" I asked and took Nico. "Were you a good boy today?"

"Oh he was just fine. We spent the morning watching talk shows….I just love that new one. Then we had a nap. And I took him for a walk this afternoon." Donald said.

"No problems?" I asked.

"None at all. Me and my wing man get along fine." Donald winked.

I laughed aloud, Donald at his age having a wingman, even funnier that it was Nico. I reached for his diaper bag when my cell phone rang.

"Messer."

"Aurora, hate to bother you but a body was just found in the East River, looks like our guy." Fin was on the other end. I sighed.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. I have to feed my son first. I am about to burst." I said.

"Take your time. We will cover you until you get here. I wanna see pictures of this little guy too!" I could hear a slight smile in Fin's voice.

I flipped my phone shut. "Donald I just…."

"Hey it's why I am his babysitter. Say no more." Donald reassured me. "You go ahead and feed him, then get to your scene."


	172. One of the Good Guys

_EmSyd- Thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy the new chapter._

_Mac's Girl- Can you just be patient and let me work out my grand plan for Mac? LOL You're worse than me over WWE! LOL_

_Meadow567- So does this like make us arch rivals now? LOL_

_Jordayna- I LOVE Munch and Fin. They so don't get enough airtime anymore!_

_Aria DeLoncray - Thanks, I hope you enjoy the conclusion to the case._

_Laplandgurl- No in the US we only get 6 weeks and most jobs won't make it a paid leave. By law they have to give you time off, but no money._

_Katydid13- I hope you enjoy this conclusion. Had this idea for awhile now._

_Soccer-bitch- William James…..Billy Jim, LOL. I don't know what my brother was thinking._

I walked up to the crime scene. Munch and Fin were waiting for me. I could see our victim, nude, throat slashed. He looked young, maybe 20 years old at most.

"What do we have so far?" I asked.

"Seems like our serial killer. Young man, seems like a street person from the track marks and teeth. Throat cut, been dead for about a day." Munch said.

"And once again, we have no evidence left behind." Fin said.

"This is frustrating." I sighed.

"Your baby okay?" Fin asked.

"He's fine. Babysitter is keeping him for the night." I smiled.

"M.E. is about to take the body for autopsy. We have no witnesses, body was found by River Patrol." Munch said.

"Get prints, maybe we can ID him." I said.

"I told the ME to rush fingerprints." Munch said.

"I wish we had more to go on." I said.

"You wanna accompany us to autopsy?" Munch asked.

"Yes, I'll meet you there." I said.

(Morgue)

"Sheldon, what do you have for me?" I asked as I walked in with Munch.

"This is definitely a victim of your serial killer." Sheldon said. "Kept me at work when I had plans with Emily."

"Been there many times." I said.

"Sent fingerprints to the lab already. Ran a rape kit…..nothing. Did find lubricant from a condom, no semen." Sheldon said.

"This guy is smart. He is not leaving behind any evidence." Munch said.

"Anything else we know about this guy?" I asked Sheldon about the victim.

"Not much. From bone fusion I would say he is 19 years old. At some point, he has seen a dentist. His teeth are straight and perfect. He has track marks on his arms. Definite heroine addict. Tox screen came back with heroine in his system." Sheldon said

"Guess all we can do now is wait and see if his prints get a hit in AFIS. Canvas the gay red light district again." I said.

"Thanks doctor." Munch said.

I turned and walked with Munch out of the Morgue.

"You're frustrated." Munch said.

"I am. This killer isn't even leaving enough behind to do a complete profile. I keep trying to do one. Right now all I can come up with is our killer is gay and has some connection to the East River." I sighed.

"It'll take some time. He'll make a mistake." Munch said.

"After he kills how many people? How many more have to die before he can find him?" I sighed.

"We'll get him. Just hang in there." Munch said.

(Later)

I was sitting at my desk, going over paperwork. Donald had just called to let me know that Nico was fine and sleeping.

"Miss your little boy?" Fin startled me.

"Yes, I am trying to get used to being away from him. I didn't know I could love someone so much until I had him." I said.

"I think we should get down to the gay red-light district, see what we can see. Maybe we will see something unusual. I doubt our killer is picking up these guys in the middle of the day." Fin said.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. We're getting no where else otherwise." I said.

"I'll drive." Fin said. I followed him out of the station and into a squad car parked on the street.

"Where is Munch?" I asked.

"Waiting for fingerprint results." Fin said as he drove. Fin looked over at me. "Wanna tell me why you take hooker cases so hard?"

"Because so few people care. So often hooker cases get brushed aside and ignored. The RCMP let 28 women be murdered because they wouldn't investigate the deaths of street people. I can't accept that. Hookers…from any district have rights, they are still people. Someone loved them at one time or another." I said.

"You're just like Mac Taylor said you were." Fin smirked.

"You know Mac?" I asked.

"Everyone in the NYPD knows Mac Taylor. Former marine, highly decorated soldier and officer. Runs the best lab in the country." Fin said.

"I am sure Mac would love to know that as humble as he is." I smiled.

We pulled over in the red-light district and stepped out of the car. I double-checked my weapon just to be sure. You could never be too safe in this neighborhood. Fin and I walked down the street to where several male prostitutes were standing together with a drag queen.

"Evening, can we speak to you?" I asked.

"We don't service your kind honey. But him on the other hand…." the drag queen nodded towards Fin.

Fin rolled his eyes and I stifled a laugh. We pulled out our badges. "NYPD, we have a few questions." Fin said.

"Hey, do you have to arrest us? I mean…." one of them started.

"We're not vice. We're not here to arrest you." I assured them. "Just want to talk to you about a few murders."

"We don't have nothing to say." another said.

"You know that there is a serial killer out there targeting gay prostitutes?" I asked.

"What do you care?" drag queen asked.

"I do care. I want to catch him. I don't want anyone else killed. I want justice for the victims." I said.

"Do you know anything?" Fin asked.

They all stared at us. I was used to this stare.

"You know you could be next. If you know something you have to tell us." I said.

"We tell you and we will be next if we don't end up in jail." one said, the others all turned on him to shut up.

"Tell me what you know. I promise I will get the guy and he won't be able to hurt anyone anymore." I said.

"Yeah right. You'll bury the evidence and cover for him." he said again.

"Shut up before you get us all in trouble!" the drag queen snapped at him.

"Why don't you want this guy off the street?" Fin asked.

Suddenly it all hit me. "It's a cop isn't it?"

"Now look what you did!" the drag queen sneered at the one willing to talk. "We're all gonna be dead."

"Aurora, you can't possibly think…." Fin started.

"It adds up Fin. Think about it." I grabbed his arm. "We said ourselves that the killer knows how to avoid leaving behind evidence. Who better than a cop would know how to get rid of evidence? And him saying we'd cover for him. How many cops get a reputation of covering for each other?"

"Aurora, do you know what will happen if we go after a cop and we're wrong?" Fin asked.

"Do you know how many more will die if it is a cop and we do nothing?" I stared back.

Fin looked over at the group. "We'll arrest him, cop or not. Tell us who he is."

"Oh sure, you'll confront him. He'll deny everything, then come back for us." the drag queen said.

"No, I promise. I'll put him away. I won't let him harm any of you." I insisted. "I know you usually don't trust cops, but you can trust me. I promise nothing will happen to you if you help me."

"He's a uniformed cop." the one willing to talk said.

"Joshua, shut up!" the others said.

"What have I got to lose? I don't want this guy to kill any of us, and she said she would help. Besides, things can't get much worse." Joshua said.

"Do you know his name?" Fin asked.

"No, but he is tall. Blonde. He comes down here every couple of weeks and picks up a guy. Usually he is in street clothes, but I saw his badge one day." Joshua said.

"How do you know he is a uniformed cop then?" Fin asked.

"I have seen him while he was on the job. I recognized him." Joshua said.

"What makes you think it's this cop?" I asked.

"His last few dates haven't come back and then turned up in the river." Joshua said.

"Where did you see him in uniform?" I asked.

"14th street tunnel." Joshua said.

"The East River is right there. I bet his beat is along the river." I said to Fin. "I told you this guy had a connection to the river."

"Would you be willing to look at a photo line up?" Fin asked Joshua.

"Anything to help." Joshua said. "He won't see me there will he?"

I shook my head. "I'll take you in the back door, and keep you in isolation." I assured him.

"Come with us." Fin said to him.

(Station)

"I sat in an isolation cell with Joshua. He was not under arrest, but I wanted to keep him away from anyone else. Fin was guarding the door so that no one could get in while Joshua and I looked through catalogs of ID pictures of NYPD officers.

"Take your time. Look as long as you need to." I told him. "I want to get this guy, so let's make sure we're right."

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Aurora, where are you?" Danny asked.

"I have a potential witness in isolation for protection looking over mug shots." I said.

"No match in AFIS on the latest victim. He is still John Doe." Danny said. "How are you?"

"Okay. Working the case." I said. "You okay?"

"Just a little tired. You need anything? Food or something?" Danny asked.

"No baby, I am fine." I smiled. "I'll call you if something breaks in the case."

"Ti amo." Danny said.

"Ti amo anch'io" I said and flipped my phone shut.

"This is him." Joshua said.

I turned to look at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I wouldn't make a mistake on something as important as this." Joshua said. "I know that is him."

I looked at the picture, blonde just as Joshua had said. I read the name under the photo. Officer Richard Franklin. I didn't know him.

"Okay Joshua. I'll have someone drive you home, and I am going to look into this officer." I said.

"And you promise I'll be safe?" he looked up at me.

"I promise." I reassured him.

I walked out of isolation; Fin was waiting by the door.

"Joshua pointed at an officer Richard Franklin." I said.

"Never heard of him." Fin said.

"I am going to run his name through the computer and see what I get." I said. "I trust Flack, so I'll get him to drive Joshua home."

"You need to rest?" Fin asked.

"Not until this guy is off the streets." I said.

I walked upstairs with Fin behind me.

(Later)

I sat at my desk with Fin looking through the NYPD files on my computer. Flack had left to take Joshua home.

"There he is." I said as I pulled up his file. "5 years on the force, clean record. Not married. Current assignment in Queens. Son of bitch!"

"Right along the East River." Fin sighed.

"Son of a bitch! He's our man." I said.

"We have no proof. We don't even have enough for a search warrant!" Fin said.

"One of our own!" I slumped back in my chair. "I want his balls in a blender!"

"We could try interviewing him, talk to some of his friends and see if we get anywhere. We have to be very careful about this….he is a cop." Fin said.

"Wait…I know how we can look through some of his stuff without getting a warrant." I said.

Fin looked over at me.

"We'll have the crime lab go through his garbage. Once it's on the street, it's no longer his. Maybe he is throwing away the victims' clothes or something. I mean they are always naked…what is he doing with their personal effects?" I said.

"Do you really think he would be dumb enough to throw this stuff away in his home garbage?" Fin asked.

"Who knows? Killers never do the smart thing. Besides, it couldn't hurt to take a shot. We don't have much else to go on." I said.

I picked up my cell phone and dialed Mac's number. "Taylor."

"Mac, got a break in the case and now I need your help." I said.

"What is it?"

"Got a lead on a suspect…..he's a cop." I said. "We have no evidence to get a warrant or anything but a witness picked him out of a photo lineup."

"This could get tricky." Mac said.

"I know. I thought maybe you could get the garbage from outside his home and look through it. Maybe find something that links him to this case." I said. "We don't have much else to go on."

"I'll get Danny and we'll be right down." Mac said.

(Queens)

"This Franklin's townhouse?" Danny asked.

"This is the address listed on his NYPD file." I said.

"Garbage is on the sidewalk, a public sidewalk. It's ours now." Danny said.

"This could be a wild goose chase." Munch said.

"It's our only shot right now." I said.

I looked up at the house. It was dark. I couldn't tell if Franklin was home asleep or out. I watched as Mac and Danny opened the bags of garbage that we had come for. Munch peered over Danny's shoulder. I shined my flashlight into the bag that Mac was opening.

"We got what appears to be blood." Mac said and pulled out some stained clothes.

Mac opened his kit and took out some chemicals and swabs. I watched as he swabbed the stain and then put a few drops of luminal on the swab. I watched as it turned purple.

"It's blood." Mac said. "You find anything Danny?"

"A few bloody rags." Danny said.

"We need to get this to the lab, do some DNA on it." Mac said. "This proves to be one of our victims; you'll have enough for your warrant."

"I'll call Flack and get him on it. I don't wanna lose any more time." I said and dialed my cell phone.

"Feisty isn't she?" Munch commented to Mac.

Mac chuckled. "You have no idea."

"Flack." he answered.

"Don, call your Warrants R Us source. Be ready to get one for a Richard Franklin the minute we get lab results back from the lab." I said.

"I am on it." Flack said.

I clicked my phone shut. "Let's move on out." I said. "Mac, Danny, I am coming to the lab with you. I want to know the results as soon as possible."

(Lab)

I sat in the break room of the lab, waiting for test results. I had Flack on standby for the warrant. Danny walked in.

"How you holding up?" Danny asked me.

"I am okay. A little tired but okay." I said.

Danny sat down on the couch beside me. He leaned over and kissed my forehead. I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am fine. I need to pump soon." I said.

"When this case is over, you need to rest some. Spend some time with Nico." Danny said.

"You too. I see how tired you are." I kissed his cheek.

"Danny, Aurora." Mac walked in. "We got a match. The blood matches that of our second and last victims."

"He really did it." Danny said.

"Okay, I'll have Flack finalize the warrant. We need to find him." I said.

"Danny and me will take his home residence." Mac said.

"I'll call Munch and Fin. We'll check here at the station and ask around where he might hang out." I said.

"Let's keep each other notified." Mac said. "I'll get Aiden to search his locker. We'll search his house while we are there."

"Let's go. I want him under lock and key before dawn." I said and hurried out of the room dialing my phone.

"Munch." John answered.

"Munch, we got a match on the blood. Flack is finalizing the warrant. I am headed to his division to arrest him or find out where he might be." I said stepping on the elevator.

"I'll meet you there with Fin." Munch said.

I called Flack and filled him in as I hurried out of the building into a squad car. I sped through the city to the Queens Division precinct. I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the squad car. I looked anxiously down the street for Munch and Fin.

Finally, they pulled up. They stepped out of a squad car.

"Let's be cool about this. We don't want a riot to start with his colleagues." Fin said.

I nodded and walked into the precinct with them. I looked around, not seeing Franklin anywhere. Fin went to talk with Franklin's captain. Munch and I found Franklin's desk. Franklin was not there.

"Looks like his files are the basic paperwork." I said looking through a few things on the desk.

Fin walked over to us. "Captain said Franklin is off tonight. He gave me his locker number though."

My cell phone rang. "Messer."

"Rora, we're at Franklin's place. He's not here, but we found a lot that is incriminating." Danny said.

"He's not at his house." I shook my head at Munch and Fin.

"We found a couple ID's from victims and the guy has quite the knife collection." Danny said.

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll let you know if we find him." I said and hung up my cell phone.

"It's 4AM. He's not home and he's not at work." Munch sighed.

"He's probably out getting another victim." Fin said.

"I'm not gonna sit around and wait for him to kill someone else. I am going to find him." I said.

"Where are you gonna look? He could be anywhere." Fin said.

"East River. He isn't going to leave the area he is comfortable in." I said.

"Do you really think you can find him?" Munch looked at me.

"What do we have to lose?" I asked back.

Munch sighed. "Fin, you stay here and look through his locker and questions his co-workers. I'll go with her."

Fin nodded. I hurried back out to my squad car, not wanting to waste time. Munch jumped in the passenger side. I gunned the engine.

"You know this is a long shot." Munch said.

I nodded. "I have to try. If we find another victim…..how do I face his family knowing there was something more I could've done?"

Munch gave a small smile. "Spunk like that….if I was 20 years younger and you were single."

"Fin warned me you gave odd compliments." I said. "Besides, I think you have been married enough times."

"You think I'd be good at it by now." Munch said.

"Never know when you'll find the right one. I keep holding out that hope for Mac Taylor." I said as I sped through the streets. "Danny came along when I least expected it."

I slowed the squad car and parked at an access ramp to the East River. It seemed as good a place as any to start looking.

"Split up?" Munch asked.

"Sounds good. Meet back around here in about 30 minutes. If you find anything, call me." I said.

I started walking down the riverbank, worried I would find a body. I looked at the shoreline to see if I could see anyone dumping bodies. I shined my flashlight on the ground looking for drag marks. I saw nothing. I wondered if Munch was finding anything on his search.

I walked farther down the riverbank. I scanned above the shore for parked vehicles. I rubbed my forehead, starting to feel the case catching up with me. I debated calling Donald to check on Nico. I would wait a few more hours, not wanting to wake Nico with a ringing phone.

Noise broke me from my thoughts. I could hear what sounded like a struggle up ahead of me. I pulled my service weapon and hurried towards the noise. I held my flashlight in one hand and gun in the other. As I got closer, I could see someone attempting to hold down someone else. Then I saw the one being held down was naked. I glanced at the attacker and recognized Richard Franklin.

"NYPD! Hands in the air and step away from him!" I yelled, weapon held level. "Hands where I can see them!"

Franklin looked up at me. "I'm a cop! He attacked me."

"Richard Franklin, you are under arrest for the murder of two unidentified males! Hands in the air where I can see them!" I yelled.

"Will you listen to me? He attacked me." Franklin said.

I knew Franklin had a gun on him somewhere and I could see the knife in his hand. If he went for his gun, this could get messy. I stood ready for anything.

"You are under arrest! Step away from him and drop the weapon!" I yelled.

"I am defending myself!" he yelled.

"I don't believe you. Now move away from him or I'll be forced to shoot." I glared.

"He's just a faggot hooker." Franklin snarled.

"And I will shoot you if it means protecting him!" I yelled, watching his hands, so he couldn't go for his gun. "We have DNA linking you to two other victims. It's over Franklin."

"You're lying. I'll beat this." Franklin yelled.

"Drop your weapon!" Munch suddenly appeared, gun drawn.

Franklin looked at the two of us. I thought for a moment he might run. He dropped his knife and slowly moved from the man who was shaking and upset on the ground.

"Cover me, I'll cuff him." Munch said. "If he moves, shoot him."

"You got it." I promised, making sure Franklin knew I meant it.

Munch slowly moved towards Franklin. I watched Franklin for any movement. Munch cautiously reached up and put handcuffs on him one hand at a time. Munch began reading him his rights as he searched him for weapons. I rushed to help the man on the ground.

"It's okay. We're calling for help. You're safe now." I kneeled down beside him. He looked like a scared rabbit. "You're safe."

He looked up at me and seemed startled. He jumped back and desperately tried to cover himself with his hands, a natural reaction.

"Just try to stay calm." I said as I heard Munch calling for EMS. "Take a few deep breaths; you're going to be fine."

Munch handed the man his jacket to cover up with a bit. I looked up at Franklin. He had a blank look on his face. I pulled out my cell phone.

"Messer." Danny answered.

"Danny, we got him. We found him struggling with a potential victim along the river. We got EMS coming. Once that arrives we'll be taking Franklin downtown." I said.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, after we get him booked, I am heading home." I said. "I need a few hours sleep and miss my baby."

"I'll drive you. I could use the sleep myself." Danny said.

"I'll see later. Right now I have a serial killer to take in." I stared down Franklin.

(Station)

I walked into the interrogation room. Munch was already seated in there across from Franklin who wasn't saying much. I stood against the wall and looked at Franklin for a moment.

"To serve and to protect. When I took that oath, I meant it. I dedicate every day of my life to keeping that oath. Of making the streets safe for everyone…including prostitutes." I said. "What happened to your oath?"

Franklin looked down at the table.

"You passed all psych evaluations to join the force. You're not crazy." I said.

"You wanna tell us your side of the story?" Munch asked.

Franklin looked up at us but said nothing.

"It's alright, you don't have to talk. I just spoke to Detective Taylor at the crime lab. We have victims ID's at your apartment, we have their blood on some of your laundry. Not to mention their blood we found in your garbage. Doesn't matter weather you talk or not, the evidence says it all…except why. But we don't need why to get a conviction. And imagine how the inmates are going to react to being locked up with a cop." I said.

"I was being blackmailed." Franklin said.

"By who?" Munch asked.

"The first victim. His name was Steven something or other. He found my badge and threatened to expose me." Franklin said.

"So rather than face the heat of being a cop caught with a hooker…a gay hooker at that, you decided to kill him." I said.

Franklin nodded.

"So why kill the others?" Munch asked.

"They were other hookers I had been with before. I started to worry that maybe one of them knew I was a cop and would cause a scandal." Franklin said. "So I went back and found them one at a time."

"And killed them to guarantee they wouldn't talk." Munch said.

"I was going to stop after I killed all that I had been with. I only had three more to go." Franklin said.

"And that makes it okay?" I snapped.

"I want a deal." Franklin said.

"You have nothing to offer us. We have overwhelming evidence against you, no need for us to offer a deal." I said.

"You can work out one for me. You're Papa Messer's daughter-in-law…..he can buy anything in New York City." Franklin said.

I growled. "This interview is over. And don't you ever mention my father-in-law to me."

"Get him out of here." Munch said.

I walked out of the interview room. I stopped at the end of the hall and took a deep breathe. Munch walked up to me.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, he just pushed the wrong button. It's been a long case. I am tired."

"I'll call you tomorrow to finish up the paperwork. Go on home and rest." Munch said.

"I will, right after I shower." I smiled. I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Good luck finding that right lady John Munch."

(Later)

I was sitting at my desk, thinking back over the case while waiting for Danny to pick me up. I had showered but was still kinda wired from the case. I looked up to see Mac walk in.

"Hey Mac, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Bringing you some paperwork on your case. You handled it very well. Looking for him along the river was a smart idea." Mac said.

"Thanks. I just wish it could've been different." I said.

"You saved the guy he was trying to kill. You did great." Mac said.

"He was a cop Mac. I left Pittsburgh to get away from dirty cops, you know that." I said.

"I know that upset you." Mac said. "But cops like you make the streets safer. You and Don and my lab. Chalk one up for the good guys; people are safer because you took Richard Franklin off the streets."

I smiled at Mac trying to make me feel better. I kissed his cheek. "You're one of the good guys. Soldier, officer, best friend and godfather to the cutest baby in New York state."

"You gonna be okay?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, Danny is taking me home. We're gonna rest, spend some time with Nico. By the way, get your dress uniform dry-cleaned. Nico is being christened in two weeks. You have to stand up front with us, Godfather Taylor." I said.

Mac nodded as Danny walked in. I hugged Mac once more and ran to Danny.

"Ready to go home?" he asked.

"You have no idea." I kissed him.


	173. Baby's Reception

_Mac's Girl- Well maybe now that school is out I will have more time to write. I certainly have the ideas, its just finding the time to sit and write._

_Laplandgurl- I love Munch and Fin. I used to watch the show all the time until they made it all about Olivia and Elliot. Then I stopped. Last episode I watched had Forrest Griffin in it and that was at Thanksgiving. And US daycare centers take babies at 6 weeks. I used to work at one. _

_EmSyd- Well I am glad you liked it. Hope you enjoy this too._

_Meadow567- Ah, Rizzo…the love of Chev's life. Yeah, really need to work on them some, LOL._

_charmedgrays- I hope you enjoy this as well. _

_Emador- Well they are the easiest victims. And the most often killed by serial killers. (I need a life!) And Cliffhanger wasn't bad! And Tommy Lee Jones SO did NOT deserve that Oscar. Watch Schindler's List, you'll see!_

_Soccer-bitch- I call my nephew Bo sometimes because I am so opposed to William. LOL_

_Katydid13- I like to sneak in twists and angles that no one was thinking about._

"Aurora, how did you ever get all this food ready?" Stella asked stepping out on the patio.

"Emily and Aiden helped me cook a lot of it." I said.

Everyone was gathered at the house for the reception following Nico's baptism that afternoon. I looked across the patio to see Danny holding Nico and talking to his dad. We had decided to invite Leo to the Christening and reception. Leo was keeping a pretty low profile.

"You look great. Are you back in your pre-baby clothes yet?" Stella smiled.

"I am one size away." I said.

"That is really great. It takes some women a year to get back to their size. You have really worked hard." Stella said.

"Aiden and I signed up for kickboxing classes to go with our strip aerobics." I told her.

"That explains why Don was saying the UFC has gone to your head." Stella chuckled.

Emily walked over to us. "Aurora, the party is going great. Why don't you sit and relax. Enjoy the day with Danny and your new baby. I'll make sure everything on the food table stays fresh and full."

"If you don't mind…"

"Shoo, shoo. Go on." Emily said.

"Okay. By the way, Aiden said she could make it for a girl's night." I said.

"We're not watching another movie are we?" Emily raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with watching a movie?" Stella asked.

"She is still complaining about 'Cliffhanger'." I rolled my eyes. "I like that movie."

"It was possibly the worst movie ever." Emily said.

"It's not that bad. Besides, one of the bad guys reminds me of Detective Tripp in Miami." I giggled.

"You also think one of the soldiers in 'Black Hawk Down' looks like Danny." Emily rolled her eyes.

"I was flipping channels last week and caught a Stephen King movie. I swear the guy in it looked like Mac." Stella offered.

"Maybe we should all quit watching movies." Emily snickered.

I walked over to Danny and Leo. Nico was awake and looking around. I put my arm around Danny.

"How is he handling all the excitement?" I asked.

"He is doing great. He isn't even getting fussy with so many people holding him." Danny smiled.

"Leo, thank you again for letting us use Danny's christening gown. It was very nice of you to find it for us." I said.

"I knew his mother had the christening gowns somewhere. She always kept sentimental things like that from both the boys growing up. When you called saying Nico was being christened…I started searching and found them in the attic. I wanted Nico to have it. To pass on something for him." Leo said.

"We'll be sure to use it for any other children we have." Danny said.

"Thank you for letting me be here. It means a lot to me to see my grandson christened." Leo said.

"You are his grandfather. And I believe you would never allow harm to come to him." I said.

"He looks so much like Danny. He is all Messer." Leo commented with a smile.

"Yeah, 9 months of pregnancy, 17 hours of labor and he turns out looking like Danny." I joked.

"Here, why don't you take him a little bit. He should be getting hungry soon." Danny handed me Nico. I smiled at the baby.

"He hasn't eaten in a while. If he doesn't eat soon, I am going to have to go pump." I said.

I walked over and found a seat on one of the patio chairs. I sat down and was startled when Mac sat down beside me.

"Hey, it's the Godfather!" I winked.

"Enough of those jokes. Since the ceremony, Flack has been joking about having horses' heads cut off." Mac rolled his eyes.

I chuckled. "But it's kinda funny when he tries to talk like Marlon Brando."

"I wanted to give Nico something, for his christening, since I am one of his godfathers." Mac said. "I hope you don't mind but its Catholic oriented."

"That's fine Mac. I had Nico baptized Catholic. I married a catholic. I am close friends to several Catholics…..actually I am the minority around here." I smiled. "I love the faith you and Danny were raised in, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it for my son."

Mac reached into his pocket, pulled out a small box, and handed it to me. I opened the box and saw two medals inside. They were both beautiful gold and had saints on them.

"Saint Nicholas and Michael the Archangel." I read.

"Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of children and Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of police officers." Mac explained. "I always thought they would be what I'd give my own children if I had any. And being Nico's godfather, I wanted to give them to him."

"Mac, they're beautiful. I love them. I am sure Nico will cherish them when he is older." I said. "What a wonderful gift to give a godson."

"I don't know if I ever thanked you for asking me to be Nico's godfather, but I greatly appreciate the honor. If god forbid ever something happened to you or Danny, I would make sure Nico was taken care of." Mac said.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I know you will. That is why you're one of his godfathers."

Danny walked over with Don. "What's this I hear about Danny getting a new tattoo?"

"Yeah, Louie went with him to get it." I said. "It's still pretty raw."

"It just stopped seeping blood and ink two days ago." Danny said.

"Well let's see it!" Aiden joined us. "Aurora has been carrying on about it; I wanna see what all the fuss is.

Danny unbuttoned his shirt and showed them his shoulder. He had Nico's footprints taken in the hospital tattooed on his shoulder. Above the footprints was Nico's name and under the footprints was his birth date.

"What an awesome tattoo! I love how they did his footprints." Aiden peered closer.

"Yeah, the artist said a lot more people are starting get their babies' footprints or handprints tattooed on them. I took a copy of the footprints they did of Nico when he was first born in the hospital and the guy did an awesome job." Danny said.

"You got your sunburst on your arm from when you were in college and thought tattoos made you cool." Don said and Danny rolled his eyes. "You got Aurora on your lower back, and now Nico's footprints on your shoulder. You turning into one of these guys that covers himself in tattoos?"

"I think the only new tattoos I would get would be footprints of any other children we have." Danny said.

"Besides, I think tattoos are sexy!" I smiled and kissed Danny.

"You heard my wife." Danny smirked.

"Good lord, you two stop before you start on another baby!" Don rolled his eyes.

I giggled. "Not just yet, but we definitely want a baby close in age to Nico so they can grow up together. It's so much better than my situation where I was 10 years behind my nearest sibling."

"Right, when Nico is ten months old you're gonna start trying. It's marked on my calendar." Don said with sarcasm.

"Hey, it's marked on mine! I love trying for a baby!" Danny smirked.

"I don't doubt that." Sheldon said as he joined us. "I am kinda looking forward to Rora getting pregnant again. I enjoy moonlighting as her obstetrician."

"Do we really wanna hear those two arguing over baby names again?" Don asked.

"No arguing. If we have a baby girl, it is Taylor. If we have another boy it's Coy." I said.

"Coy? I know you been watching a lot of the Dukes of Hazzard at night when Nico won't sleep….but Coy?" Danny said.

"I like it. It's cute and….." I started.

"Redneck as hell." Don said.

"It is not redneck!" I said.

"It does sound kinda country." Sheldon said.

"Oh well. I like it." I said.

"Coy Messer………'Hee Haw' meets 'The Sapranos'." Danny said.

"I think it's kinda a sexy name. I mean I can imagine him all grown up, with muscles and blonde hair and a sexy smile." Aiden said.

Don looked at her. "That is the last time you two watch TV together."

Aiden rolled her eyes at him. "For your information when I watched that show with Rora, I thought Vance was the cute one. He had dark hair and blue eyes…kinda like you."

"Coy and Vance weren't even the real Duke boys. They were fill ins while the real Duke boys were having contract problems." Don said.

"I still liked them. I thought it was a shame the writers never brought them back to be in other episodes with Bo and Luke." I said. "And for someone who gripes about the show as much as you do, you sure know a lot about it."

"Don't let him fool you, Rora. Donnie loved that show growing up." Donald said as he joined us.

"I just watched it a few times is all." Don said.

"Don't you try to pull that now." Donald told him. "I remember quite well when you nearly broke your arm trying to run and slide across the hood of the family car."

Don groaned and I cracked up.

"A little Luke Duke….that is so cute." Aiden winked at him.

(Night)

That night I found Danny standing in the nursery watching Nico sleep. I walked in and wrapped an arm around him.

"I finally got everything from the party cleaned up." I said.

"That was a lot of work." Danny smiled.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked. "Nico is sleeping just fine."

"I know. I was just looking at him. Do you know how proud I was today? To stand at the front of the church with my son." Danny said.

"I know. I was very proud myself." I said.

"I just can't believe he is mine. I have screwed up so many times in my life. But, boy did I do something right when I had him." Danny said.

I smiled at him. "Danny, come to bed. It's been a long day."

Danny kissed my forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too." I smiled. "Come on. He'll be up in a few hours to eat."


	174. Girls and Boys Night

_Laplandgurl- I loved the Dukes of Hazzard growing up and still watch it often on DVD. I am currently looking for a female basset hound, I plan to name her Flash. Wow, I am surprised Canada is so different. When I worked at a daycare, we took babies in at 6 weeks. I remember quite well because I despised the director and remember thinking I would never let her near my baby. And why didn't your mom like her wedding gown? That is so sad._

_Soccer-bitch- My nephews have always lived far away so I am used to it. Now if I could invent a way of visiting them without visiting my siblings, LOL._

_EmSyd- Well I hope you enjoy this. I love humor._

_Katydid13- Fluff is fun. Can never have too much of it._

_charmedgrays- It took me awhile but I was able to update._

_Meadow567- Its good to be back in Pittsburgh with Pens fans! LOL _

"A girl's night was a great idea. Where is Danny?" Aiden asked as she and Emily walked in.

"He took Nico and went to hang out with Don and Sheldon. I think they are making a guy's night tonight." I said.

"Explains why Don said he had to stock up on beer." Aiden said.

"Stella is already here. Come on in." I said. "I am so glad to relax and hang out tonight."

"You guys have got to help me figure out what to do for Don's birthday in two weeks. I am stumped." Aiden said as we sat down in the living room.

"What has he mentioned wanting to do?" Stella asked.

"He said it didn't matter to him. He said he actually wouldn't mind if we skipped something special for his birthday party since he is getting a bachelor party in December." Aiden said.

"Danny is already shopping for that bachelor party. He actually showed these beer mugs he bought that are shaped like breasts…complete with nipples." I rolled my eyes.

"Our men are so goofy." Aiden said. "Even Sheldon….I mean when Emily met him he had a Christmas wreath on his head."

"I josh him about it every now and then." Emily snickered.

"I bought a Cosmo quiz for us. I thought it would be fun." Aiden said.

"Those things never prove anything." I said.

"This is just a truth or dare kinda quiz except all truth." Aiden said. "I thought it was funny when I read it and thought how we answered it would be fun."

"That sounds fun. Emily go grab the beers from the fridge for you girls and bring soda for me." I said.

Emily hurried off to the kitchen as Aiden opened her magazine.

"You realize you haven't had any alcohol since your honeymoon over a year ago?" Stella said.

"I know. Sometimes I get a craving for a beer, but I don't really mind considering this is all healthier for Nico." I smiled.

"You are already like mom of the year. I can so see you in 10 years taking Nico to little league and wearing one of those shirts that says 'Messer's Mom' on it." Aiden smiled.

"I love being a mom. It is the greatest experience ever." I said.

"Okay, beers and sodas all around." Emily announced walking back in with her arms full.

"Aiden read off the first question." Stella said grabbing a beer.

"What was the first thing you noticed about your mate?" Aiden read.

"Besides the wreath on his head?" Emily joked.

"Yeah, what did you first notice about Sheldon?" I asked.

"He has a killer smile. And a great sense of humor. And once I got to know him, he is so smart." Emily said.

"A smart man is very sexy." Stella smiled. "What did you first notice on Don?"

"Well I had been his friend for a few years, but when I really started looking at him as more…Don has gorgeous eyes. And I love his ass in tight dress pants." Aiden said.

"Don has beautiful eyes. Even I love them." I said.

"And we all know you first noticed Danny's eyes and smile." Emily said.

"Yes, and they still make me weak in the knees. And I also noticed his sarcasm and wit." I said.

"Okay Aiden, next question." Stella said.

"What is your favorite way to seduce your mate?" Aiden read.

"I like to catch Danny off guard. Like stand in front of the ball game and drop my robe. Or in the middle of the news start unzipping his pants. That kind of thing." I said. "And I love to tease him. Get him all worked up. So sometimes at work, I bend over just enough that my thong shows. Or I'll lean up against him and stroke him where no one can see."

"Tell me I have never been around when you've done that." Emily rolled her eyes.

"Oh you all have been at one point or another." I said. "What do you like doing to seduce Sheldon?"

"I tend to keep it simple. Rub his shoulders, snuggle on his lap, that kind of thing. Its easier to do that now that we live together." Emily said.

"Don can be fun to seduce. I never seen him so thrilled as when I surprised him and popped in porn." Aiden said.

"Maybe I should do that with Danny." I said.

"That man has enough libido." Stella laughed.

"I am just as bad." I said. "What can I say? We're madly in love."

"Next question before you start waxing sentimental over there." Aiden said. "If you could have a consequences free fling, who would it be with?"

"Conrad Ecklie." Stella said.

"Who?" I asked.

"He is lab director in Vegas. I met him at a conference a while back." Stella smiled.

"And did anything happen between you two at this conference?" Aiden asked.

"We had a few drinks. But I didn't want to start the long distance thing." Stella shrugged.

"Aiden, who would you have a fling with?" Emily asked.

"Detective Thacker, but don't ever tell him I admitted that. But I think he is kinda cute and funny when he is flirtatious." Aiden said and I howled.

"Oh that is so funny." I couldn't stop laughing.

"What about you, Miss Madly in love with my husband?" Aiden rolled her eyes.

"Horatio Caine." I said.

"Are you serious?" Aiden was shocked.

"Oh yes, I think Horatio has some very sexy qualities about him. Those beautiful blue eyes of his. I swear when he tilts his head and looks at you…..if I hadn't been married, I'd humped his leg." I said and Emily giggled. "And the way he stands with his hands on his hips…so tall and strong. And he is so compassionate with victims and he loves children. And he has such a sexy voice."

"His voice?" Stella chuckled.

"Oh my yes. His voice is sexy anyway…but when he is warning a suspect and he lowers his voice….oh my god….I swear I could swoon. And he speaks Spanish, you know how I love foreign languages…which is why Danny and his Italian is so sexy. Well when I was down in Miami and was shot, Horatio was at the hospital with me and spoke Spanish to one of the nurses who was Cuban….oh my lord, I wanted to pounce him. Of course I was extra horny because of pregnancy hormones and all too." I said. Emily was laughing hysterically.

"I wonder if he has freckles everywhere?" Stella commented.

"I dunno. And another reason he would be fun for a fling….I want to know what Horatio is like in private. He is always calm and such…I am curious what he is like when he's riled up and horny." I chuckled.

"I am never gonna look at Horatio the same way again." Aiden said.

"Okay Miss Giggles, who would you have a fling with?" I asked Emily.

"Don't freak….Mac." Emily said.

"Mac Taylor? Our Mac? No Viagra for Semper Fi Mac?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think marines are sexy. And Mac is still so marine-like. And he has such an intensity about him. And I love his dry wit." Emily said. "And I like a guy that is honest and descent and Mac is that."

"Mac is pretty sexy." I agreed. "Those bright blue eyes and shy smile."

"I am so not checking out my boss." Aiden groaned.

"Oh even you have to admit he is good looking." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Next question." Aiden wanted to change the subject.

(Queens)

"What do those girls do on their girl's nights?" Sheldon asked. He and the other guys were at Don's watching a Mets game.

"I have no idea. I know Aiden and Rora like doing each others nails and trying out new shades of nail polish." Danny said.

"Emily says they use the hot tub a lot." Sheldon said.

"In my mind they have pillow fights in their underwear." Don said.

"Where is Mac?" Sheldon asked.

"Working late at the lab, again." Danny said.

"I thought he was out of that habit. Is he grieving again?" Don asked.

"it's the only thing I can figure. He was doing so well, but I suppose relapses can happen." Sheldon said. "By the book, intense symptoms of grief can last up to seven years."

"It's been almost that long. Do you think its something else?" Danny asked.

"Hard to say. Mac is so private." Sheldon said.

"So Danny, how goes life as a dad?" Don asked.

"Great." Danny looked over at Nico asleep in his car seat. "It's seriously the greatest thing I have ever done. I still can't believe that before I met Aurora I never wanted children."

"Certainly hasn't slowed down your sex life." Don said.

"And how would you know that?" Danny asked.

"Aurora has this blissful look on her face after she gets laid." Don said and Danny raised an eyebrow. "Not to mention Rora is best friends with my fiancée and they talk about EVERYTHING."

"Is Emily in this network?" Sheldon asked.

"Oh yeah. Heard that Emily really liked sex on the balcony and even joked about scaring a few pigeons." Don smirked.

"I have since bought more comfortable patio furniture!" Sheldon smirked.

"Sometimes we really know way too much about each other." Danny rolled his eyes.

"Oh really? I also heard that Aurora loved you bending her over the back of the couch and going down on her." Don said.

"Hey, she was wearing these thin little cotton shorts and prancing around the house. A man only has so much willpower." Danny said as the other chuckled.

"At least you're happy in love." Sheldon said.

"You and Aiden started talking about kids yet?" Danny asked Don.

"Yeah. Aiden wants to wait a year after we get married to start trying. Wants us to have some time just the two of us." Don said. "Besides, we figure that you'll have knocked Rora up again by that time. And I don't want any of our girls pregnant at the same time. One pregnant at a time is more than enough."

"Hey, Emily and I aren't even discussing kids yet." Sheldon held up his hands.

"So when you gonna break down and pop the question already? You two are living together, obviously very happy together. Your parents like her and her parents like you." Danny said.

"I have thought about it a few times, but the time never seems right. So I have been thinking maybe, just maybe at the wedding." Sheldon said.

"The wedding?" Don asked.

"Yeah, I mean we'll already be all dressed up and all our friends there, and all the big decorations and such. Not to mention if she is expecting a proposal on Christmas, this will surprise her because it's a few weeks before Christmas." Sheldon said.

"Have you started looking at rings yet?" Don asked.

"I thought I would talk Danny into going with me. He has experience buying an engagement ring." Sheldon said. "Not to mention when he was shopping for Rora's ring he dragged us all along."

"I just wanted to get her the ring she always dreamed of." Danny said. "It worked."

"So Danny, how goes the bachelor party plans speaking of the wedding?" Sheldon snickered.

"Great! I am finding so much awesome stuff. And I can't wait for Aiden to cut Don off from sex. What is it? Just 3 more weeks?" Danny snickered.

"Don't remind me." Don groaned.


	175. Unexpected Terror

_Iheartcsinewyork- I am so happy you like the story and it sounds funny that your parents were ready to kick down your door. What parts in particular were your favorite? I love feedback. I hope you continue to enjoy._

_Emador- You so need to get into fic writing again. You're good at it. And caine is easy to love, LOL._

_Laplandgurl- LOL it'd be odd for Mac to date someone with the last name Taylor. Although I once dated a guy that had the same last name as my mom's maiden name. Just don't flip out too much over this chappie._

_Whiteknight15- I am glad you like the story. Thanks for the review._

_LizfromItaly- A lot about to happen too._

_Soccer-bitch- Have fun with him. I get to start back to school soon, bleh._

_Meadow567- Almost. Hockey and football will be starting again!_

_charmedgrays- I hope you like this chappie too. Love your reviews._

_**Author's Note- **Sensitive material in this chapter, however it in no way reflects prejudice on my part. Rated R just to be safe. _

Aurora gripped the headboard tighter and leaned back against Danny.

"You with me?" Danny asked. Aurora was beyond words and just nodded. Just then, his cell phone started ringing.

Aurora leaned forward. "Baby, you gotta stop and answer the phone." she manage to get out.

"Can't stop now." Danny gritted through clenched teeth.

Rora reached back and grabbed Danny's hip, halting his thrusts. "Danny….job."

Danny took a deep breath to calm down a moment. He gently pulled out of Rora and grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand.

"Messer." Danny answered his phone.

Aurora turned around and sat down on the bed. She pulled the sheets up around her, running a hand through her sweaty hair. She listened to Danny on the phone, chuckling at the sight of him talking on the phone with a full erection.

Danny shut his phone. "I got a call. Hell of a time for one."

Aurora smiled. "It's okay. I understand."

"Not sure my dick does." Danny grumbled as he walked to the closet. "Been a long time since I had to finish myself off in the shower."

"I will make you some coffee and sandwiches while you shower." Aurora jumped out of bed and pulled a robe over herself.

Aurora hurried downstairs to fix some food and coffee for Danny, knowing he would be taking a quick shower before heading to his crime scene. She could hear him in the shower as she hurried around the kitchen.

Danny finished his shower and stepped out. He hurried to dry himself off, still slightly frustrated at the timing of his call to work. He pulled on fresh clothes and picked his glasses up from the nightstand.

He walked down the hall to the nursery, Nico was sleeping. He walked over to the crib.

He kissed the baby's head. "Take care of mommy tonight. You're man of the house until I can get home."

Danny hurried down the stairs where Aurora was waiting for him with a thermos of coffee and bag of sandwiches.

"I made some extra sandwiches for whoever you're partnered with tonight. Make sure they get to eat too." She said as he strapped on his gun and badge.

"I will. Thank you. Let me know when you get to work tomorrow." Danny said and took the stuff from her hands. He leaned in and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." she kissed him again.

Danny groaned. "I better go or I never will." Danny kissed her again. "You don't get off until I can do it for you. I owe you a few orgasms."

Aurora smiled. "I'm looking forward to it." she kissed him again and then he was out the door.

(8:30AM)

Aurora walked into the station; she sat down at her desk.

"You okay? You're later than usual." Don asked.

"Nico decided he was hungry just as I got to your dad's. So I had to feed him. Sorry I'm late." she said.

"Not a problem. Don't apologize. Nico needed you. Besides, we don't have much going on yet today." Don said.

Aurora pulled out her cell and called Danny. "Messer." he answered on the other end.

"Hey hun, I just made it into work. Your son decided he was hungry as I was trying to drop him off at Donald's." she said.

"I was gonna call you if I didn't hear from you soon. How was your night?" Danny asked.

"Good, Nico only got me up once." she said. "How was your night? How is your case going?"

"Body found in a dumpster outside a nightclub. Female with no ID, but by her clothes and age we think she is a college student. She was stabbed in the abdomen." Danny said. "Vicaro is working the case with me."

"After work I am going to pick up the last few things for our Labor Day cookout on Monday." She said.

"Labor Day….no more sex for Don for awhile. I am going to love this." Danny chuckled.

Aurora smiled and rolled her eyes. "I will talk to you later. Have a good day."

"You too. Ti amo." Danny said.

"Love you too." Aurora said and hung up.

"I hear Aiden has finally decided on a wedding gown." Don said.

Aurora smiled over at him. "Yes, we're going this weekend so she can order it and get officially fitted."

"What does it look like?" Don asked.

"I can't tell you." Aurora giggled. "But it's a gorgeous dress, looks beautiful on her. When she tried it on….I started crying."

Don raised an eyebrow. "I am so glad all us guys have to do is have our dress uniforms dry cleaned."

"Oh you guys all look so hot in those dress uniforms. If I could get you guys to wear those and strip them off for us…it would save me having to hire strippers for Aiden's bachelorette party." Aurora winked.

"Do I get to screen these strippers first? I mean they will be practically naked around my fiancée." Don asked.

"No, it's her party. Besides, you know she would never cheat. And who knows what Danny is going to come up with for your party. Remember his? You had Mac tied to a pole while strippers ripped his underwear off." Aurora chuckled.

"That was great. And so was that stripper that had her legs around Danny's neck." Don said. Aurora looked up from her desk. "Don't worry, all he could talk about was you."

Captain Harding walked up to our desks. "Detective Messer."

"Yes, Captain. Good morning, how can I help you?" she looked up.

"I am here with some good news for you. You have created quite a stir with your work of solving the murders of prostitutes- both male and female. And word has gotten around about your attitude towards such cases. Some upper brass took notice." Captain Harding smiled.

"What's the good news?" Don asked. "Aurora doesn't exactly kiss up to brass."

"With exemplary work like hers, she doesn't have to." Harding smiled. "Congratulations Detective Messer, you're being awarded the NYPD Medal of Commendation for Integrity."

"What?" Aurora was shocked.

"Aurora, that is wonderful." Don jumped up.

"It certainly is." Harding put out his hand. "Detective, it is an honor and privilege to have you on my squad. Keep up the good work."

Aurora shook his hand. "Thank you, I will."

"You will be honored next month at the Mayor's Ball. Again congratulations." Harding said.

Aurora watched Harding walk away. Don came over and hugged her tight.

"I am so happy for you. I can't wait to see dad's reaction." Don hugged her again.

"I just can't believe it. I never dreamed I would ever be awarded a medal of any kind for my police work." Aurora smiled.

"No one deserves it more. You really do have a passion and dedication for finding justice no matter who the victim is. Looks like those stuffy brass finally got something right." Don said.

"Thanks." Rora said. "I guess I should call and tell Danny."

(Noon)

Aurora walked into the lab. She saw Danny sitting at his desk doing paper work. She walked in and sat on the edge of his desk.

"There is my little medal winner." Danny smiled up at her. "I am so proud of you." he stood up and kissed her.

"Thanks. I came by to see if you wanted to go to lunch." she asked.

"I can't. I have to finish this paper work. And then I have to test some fiber samples that came in on a rape case from the Bronx." Danny said. "But I'll take a rain check."

"I guess I'll see you at home then. Since I am going shopping after work, can you pick up Nico?" She asked.

"You got it." he smiled as Mac walked into the room.

"Aurora, I heard about your commendation. Congratulations, I am very proud of you." Mac said.

"Thank you. I am still shocked." she said.

"You shouldn't be, you really deserve it." Mac said. "Did you need something when you came up here?"

"I thought maybe Danny could go to lunch with me, but since he has work, I'll grab something from the vendor out front." Aurora said.

"I'll take you to lunch, my treat. To congratulate you on your commendation." Mac smiled.

"Oh you don't have to." Rora said.

"I want to. Gives me a chance to get out of the lab for a bit." Mac said. "We can take the subway; there is this new place in Queens that looks nice."

"Sounds great. Danny you want anything brought back?" She asked him.

"Nah. You two have fun. Mac I'll have these reports on your desk when you get back." Danny said.

Aurora leaned down and kissed him. "See you later. I love you."

"Love you too." he said.

Mac and Aurora walked out of the lab together.

"So a commendation….." Mac looked over at her.

"I still can't believe it. And for that matter, I can't believe that any of the brass actually cared about my work on hooker deaths." she said.

"You're an amazing detective. I am glad you are finally getting recognized for it." Mac said as they exited the building.

"Thanks Mac. Coming from you, that means a lot." she smiled at him.

Mac stopped. "Aurora….you're an amazing detective. I am very happy to get to work with you." he kissed her cheek.

"All this praise is gonna give me a big head." she chuckled as they headed for the subway station.

"How is Nico?" Mac asked.

"He is great. Growing so fast. The doctor said he has gained four pounds." Rora said.

"He looks more like Danny every time I see him." Mac said as they headed down the subway steps.

"I got a call from Horatio yesterday. He said that he wants me and Danny to come to Miami and stay with him for a vacation. I am so tempted to do it. Stay at the beach, see the Miami team again." Aurora said as they waited for the subway.

"Sounds like a good trip. Horatio is a good guy." Mac said.

"Yeah. And then Calleigh got on the line and volunteered to baby-sit if me and Danny wanted to go out for an evening by ourselves." Rora said.

"Calleigh is so spunky." Mac said.

"You checked her out?" Rora raised an eyebrow.

"No, I could see she was trying to hide the fact she is dating Detective Hagen." Mac said as the subway pulled into the station.

"Hagen…oh he was a cutie. Mac we need to find you a nice lady." Rora said as they stepped onto the train. She noticed several Arab men carrying gym bags get on behind them.

"I don't want to date right now." Mac said. "Train's crowded."

"We can stand, I don't mind." Rora said.

"I am glad we can talk. Been a long time since just the two of us got to chat." Mac said.

"You can talk to me anytime. You know that." she said as the train pulled out of the station again.

"I appreciate that. But it's nice that I can treat you to lunch too." Mac said.

"So what is this new place like?" she asked.

"Stella said it was…."

Suddenly the train screeched to a halt. The Arab men Aurora spotted earlier pulled automatic weapons out of their gym bags. Passengers began screaming. Aurora and Mac both reached for their guns.

"Don't even think about it!" one of them pointed their gun at the two of them. "Lay your weapons on the floor. Do it or I will shoot. I have no problem killing Americans."

Aurora looked at Mac and he nodded. They laid their guns on the floor. And slowly raised their hands.

"Amir, collect their guns." the first one said.

Another of the men walked over to them and picked their guns up from the floor. The first walked over to them and pulled their badges off their belts.

"NYPD….this is better than I thought." he said. He then turned back to the rest of the people on the train. "From this point on, we are in charge. You all are part of history today. You are now part of our Jihad against the United States of America. There are 32 of us spread throughout this train. We are armed and we have bombs."

"With all the new security how did terrorists make it onto the subway and to this degree?" Aurora whispered to Mac.

"No talking!" the first one slapped her.

Mac moved to retaliate but Amir held his gun at him and Mac stopped.

"Now this is how we are going to do this. All the women to the front of the car and all the men to the middle of the car. You will not talk. And if I see any of using a cell phone to try to call for help, I will shoot you." the first one said. "Now move!"

People began moving to where the terrorists had told them to sit. Mac went to move.

"Not you two. You two sit here in the back…our NYPD officers." the first one said and spit on Aurora.

She flinched and wiped her face as she sat down close to Mac. Mac gripped her hand in an attempt to silently comfort her. Around the train women were crying and men were protesting being separated from their wives and girlfriends. Children were screaming.

"I think it's time we call the authorities and let them know our demands." the first said.

(NYPD Lab)

Danny was working at the microscope when Don and Vicaro hurried in.

"Guys what is the matter?" Danny asked.

"We got a real clusterfuck going on. Terrorists have taken a subway train hostage; we are all being called out. Feds are coming in, homeland security pretty much every organization….." Don started.

"Subway! Aurora and Mac were supposed to be on the subway! They were going to lunch!" Danny became alarmed.

"You don't think? I mean it's a big subway….." Vicaro became alarmed. "Call their cell phones and check on them."

Danny hurried to dial Aurora's cell phone. Becoming more alarmed with every minute that she did not answer.

"She's not answering!" Danny was fully panicked.

"How the fuck did this happen? After 9/11 security was supposed to be unbreakable." Vicaro said.

"What do we know?" Danny was starting to shake.

"Not much. Terrorists just called the FBI and announced that they had taken over a train in the subway…something about a Jihad." Don said.

Detective Thacker ran into the room. "The terrorists just called back the FBI and gave the badge numbers of two police officers they have as hostages………they've got Mac and Aurora."

**To Be Continued………**


	176. Crisis Continues

_Mac's Girl- Hang on tight! I got this done as fast as I could with school starting back and all._

_Laplandgurl- I got this done as fast as I could. I hope you enjoy this chappie._

_Meadow567- I thought you would enjoy the beginning of the last chappie, lol._

_Katydid13- Hope this wasn't too long to wait. _

_Soccer-bitch- He is fine. Its my brother that needs a kick in the ass, lol. _

_Emador- Well I already commented on your review. I hope you enjoy the continuation of the story. I am surprised you're not more upset about the hostages, lol. I mean one is MAC!! _

(Miami-Dade Lab)

Horatio and Delko were working together in the lab trying to examine the clothing of a DB pulled out of the Everglades.

"Looks scorched, as if she was burned before being thrown in the water." Eric said.

"But there were no burns on her body at autopsy." Horatio said.

Speed stuck his head in the lab. "You guys need to see this. It's an emergency."

"Speed?" Eric said but Speed was already down the hall.

Delko and Horatio hurried down the hall to see what Speed was talking about. They walked into the break room to see Calleigh, Hagen, and Tyler watching breaking news reports on CNN.

_"Again, we have confirmed that terrorist have taken a subway train hostage in New York City. The train is stopped between Queensboro Plaza and 39__th__ Avenue. Terrorists are reported to be heavily armed and have bombs. The terrorist have said this is part of a Jihad against the United States government. It has also been confirmed that there are two NYPD officers among the hostages on the train. Now the names of those officers have not been released at this time."_

"I should call Mac and see if there is anything we can do to help." Horatio said as the screen showed crowds and police agencies gathering outside the Queensboro Plaza.

_"The FBI is now on the scene. Hostage negotiators are speaking with the terrorists. Homeland security is also on the scene." _

"It's on every channel." Speed said.

Tripp walked in. "It gets worse. I just got a call from Detective Bonasera in the New York Crime lab…….the NYPD hostages are Mac Taylor and Aurora Messer."

The Miami team all looked at each other.

"Danny must be out of his mind with worry." Calleigh said, visibly shaken.

"H, what can we do?" Delko asked.

"Pray." Horatio said and put on his sunglasses, walking out of the break room.

(NYPD)

Danny was pacing the floor in the temporary base camp that had been set up and had officers from various agencies in it. Don had taken Aiden outside to get some air and try to calm her down, as she had been almost as hysterical as Danny.

"Danny, don't think the worst. They are both strong people." Vicaro told him.

"This shouldn't be happening to her. She doesn't deserve this." Danny paced. "And why haven't we heard anything?"

"The terrorists told us the last time the feds talked to them that no one had been killed yet. Let's hold on to that for now." Vicaro said.

"How can we believe them?" Danny yelled.

Vicaro could see Danny's temper barely in check and the worry was coming off him in waves.

(Outside)

Don sat with Aiden on a bench trying to calm her down. She had been crying for over an hour.

"We need to stay calm. Aurora and Mac would not want us falling apart. You know Rora; she worries about everyone else before she worries about herself." Don let Aiden cry against his chest.

"What if they kill her? She's my best friend." Aiden cried.

"She is my friend too. Just like a sister to me. But if I fall apart, I can't help her or Mac." Don said.

"What about Danny? I don't think he would survive without her." Aiden said.

"He would. He would stay strong and raise their son. He knows Rora depends on him to take care of Nico if something would ever happen to her." Don said and rubbed her back.

"That baby needs his mother. She is such a good mom." Aiden cried harder.

"Hey, let's stay positive. Aurora and Mac have both survived tight spots before." Don said. "Mac will get them through this. You know that marine."

"Let's go back inside. I wanna know what is happening with them. I need to be there for them as much as I can." Aiden looked up at Don.

Don nodded. "Me too. You gonna be okay?"

"Not until I see them safe and sound." Aiden said.

Don and Aiden and stood up and walked back inside the makeshift home base. Danny was still pacing while Vicaro tried to talk to him.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Don asked.

"Nothing much. Hostage negotiators are talking with the terrorists. SWAT is on standby but they can't go in because it could cause the terrorists to kill. Bomb squad is searching as best they can to locate where these bombs might be and how powerful they are. Homeland security is going over maps of the subway system, looking for ways of rescue." Vicaro said.

"I hate this not knowing." Danny said.

"Have you called dad? You need to check on your son." Don told him.

"I called. Nico is fine. Donald said he was out of breast milk and asked what formula to give him in the meantime. Said he would look after Nico as long as needed." Danny sighed.

(Subway)

Mac sat close to Aurora, both of them watching the terrorists. The subway was getting hot and people were more than uncomfortable. Mac noticed Aurora looking down at her wedding rings. He knew she was thinking about Danny. He also noticed that the front of her shirt had wet spots on it and realized her milk was leaking.

Mac gently touched her shoulder to get her attention. She looked up at him. He pointed to her shirt. She looked down and her eyes filled with tears.

"It's past time for me to feed Nico. My baby needs me and I am stuck down here." she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" the first terrorist yelled. "I said no talking."

He marched across the train stopped a few feet from Rora, gun pointed at her. He looked closer at her. "What is all over your shirt? You trying to hide something?"

"Its breast milk…..I have a new baby and it's his feeding time." Aurora cried. "Its just milk. My baby is hungry and I can't feed him."

Amir walked over to them. "Masud, enough. Leave her alone." he said and pushed Masud's gun away from Aurora.

Masud looked at Amir, then turned and walked back towards the center of the train. Amir looked down to see Aurora still crying.

"Comfort your friend." Amir said to Mac.

Mac took off his jacket and laid it over Aurora so it would at least cover the spots were her milk was leaking. He then put both his arms around her, pulling her against him to hold her. Amir watched them a moment then walked away.

"We're going to get out of this." Mac whispered to her. "I promise, nothing is going to hurt you."

(Miami)

Horatio sat alone in the church looking at the statues at the front. He thought about his friends in New York. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Tripp standing in the back of the church.

"Frank, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I had a feeling I would find you here. I know you're worried about Mac and Aurora." Tripp said.

"I am sitting here wondering what I can do to help them. I don't think it would do much good for me to go to New York." Horatio said.

"Might do Danny some good. Lend him some extra support. I am sure the entire New York team is freaking out. Mac has been with them for years." Tripp said.

"I can't imagine what they are going through. I don't know what I'd do if it were some of my team in this situation." Horatio said.

"I do. You'd be into it with the feds like usual." Frank gave a small smile.

"Yeah I do have a tendency for that." Horatio agreed. "With Danny's Italian temper, I'll be surprised if he doesn't shoot someone."

"I'm worried too Horatio." Frank said.

(NYPD)

"What is the latest news?" Emily rushed in.

"The president is holding a press conference in DC about it. That's the last we heard." Aiden told her.

"Where is Danny?" Emily asked.

"With Don and Vicaro. They went to try to find someone in charge and find out more." Aiden said. "We got a mess here of concerned families and media."

"Have the terrorist made any demands?" Emily asked.

"They called for the release of several prisoners in Gitmo. But the truth is…they know there is no way out of this. I fear they are on a suicide mission." Aiden said.

Meanwhile the men had made their way to a back room looking for someone in charge to talk to.

"Excuse me, you can't go back there." an FBI agent grabbed them.

"Says who?" Don asked.

"It's a private meeting." the agent said.

"Not anymore." Danny pushed past him and walked in a back room. Inside were several FBI agents, members of the military and homeland security.

"This is a private meeting. Who are you?" one of the agents asked.

"I'm Danny Messer, Aurora Messer is my wife. I want to know exactly what is going on. What is the plan to get those hostages out safely?" Danny stared them down.

"Hostage negotiators are doing all they can. Right now the safety of the hostages is our first priority. You need to trust us." the agent said.

"Mr. Messer, we sympathize with you….." another agent started.

"Go to hell. You have no idea what I am going through." Danny snapped.

"The FBI is in charge of the situation, I suggest you let us…." an agent near them started just to be cut off by Vicaro grabbing him by the lapels.

"Listen you little federal creep, we have been here for four hours and we haven't seen you get any results. Taylor and Messer may be just two hostages to you, but they are damn important to us! You better not dick around and let anything happen to them!" Vicaro yelled.

"Easy Vicaro." Don pulled him back. "Arguing won't get us anywhere."

"We have called in the military special ops…….that is all we can tell you. Now please let us do our jobs." the agent in charge said.

Danny, frustrated walked out of the room. Vicaro glared at the agents one more time and followed him. Don sighed and left as well.

"Danny, it's going to be okay. You have to believe that." Don said.

"I wish I could." Danny sat down on a chair. "But I remember 9/11, when terrorists took Claire away from Mac. Now they are taking Aurora away from me. And taking Mac in the process."

"Poor Mac, to have to face terrorism like this twice in his life." Vicaro said.

"Three times. Mac was a marine in the barracks that were attacked in Beirut in 1983." Don said. "He doesn't like to talk about it."

"I can't stand this feeling helpless." Danny dropped his head into his hands. "Aurora is my wife. I promised to protect her and take care of her."

"Danny….I understand how you feel. If it were Aiden that was a hostage, I would be flipping out. We just have to be strong right now." Don said.

"What if I lose her?" Danny sighed.

(Subway)

Aurora leaned on Mac, letting him hold her. Across the train she could see women crying and children were squirming after having to sit still so long. She worried she would never see Nico again. She looked up at Mac and managed a small smile.

"This is taking too long." Masud paced around the train.

"Perhaps the FBI will ignore our demands." a third terrorist called Salim said.

"Maybe we need to make an example of someone." Masud said.

"Give them time, Jabir said that the US president was now involved." Amir said.

"I cannot wait that long." Masud marched to the back of the train and pulled Aurora out of Mac's arms.

"What are you doing?" Amir yelled.

"Leave her alone!" Mac jumped to his feet.

"Sit down!" Masud pointed his gun at Aurora.

"Don't you hurt her!" Mac held Masud's stare. "Shooting her won't get you what you want."

"How right you are." Masud lifted his gun and shot Mac in the abdomen.

People on the train screamed. Mac clutched his stomach and collapsed to the floor. Aurora fought off Masud's grip and crawled over to Mac.

"Mac! Hang on." she said seeing the blood pouring from his wound over his hands. His eyes were open, pain evident on his face. She looked up at Masud. "You fucking bastard!"

Masud walked over and slapped her. She turned her head back to him defiantly. Amir walked over and pushed Masud away from her.

"You've done enough!" Amir said.

"You were always our weakest link." Masud said to Amir and stalked off.

"Mac, hang on." Aurora grabbed his jacket and pressed it against his wound. "We'll get through this, you hear me."

Mac's color was getting pale. Aurora carefully moved his head up into her lap. She gripped his hand, not caring she was getting his blood on her.

"Take it easy Mac. Just stay calm." she said refusing to cry.

Mac looked up at her. "It's a fatal wound."

"NO! Don't talk like that. I'm right here. I am not leaving you. You won't die. Don't you leave me." Aurora gripped his hand.

**To Be Continued…….**


	177. Won't Be Long

_Emador- Don was shot, Aurora was shot. Danny was injured by a hit and run. Be nice before Sheldon gets shot, LOL._

_Whiteknight15- Well here is more. I wrote as fast as I could with school starting and all._

_Mac's Girl- Relax, here is the next chapter. Now no freaking out too bad._

_Jordayna- Yeah, I have it all plotted out. Hope you don't freak too bad._

_Laplandgurl- Glad I was able to shock you a bit! I like catching readers off guard. I have been planning this storyline since new years. _

_Iheartcsinewyork- Well when you recover from your shock, you can read this update. I have never had anyone be so in love with one of my stories before. Its awesome. Glad you like it so much. _

_Meadow567- Never saw any of the LOTR. Is that a quote from them?_

_Charmedgrays- Here is more for you to read. Hope you enjoy._

_Soccer-bitch- Yeah, now my oldest neice is dating a guy that the last time she was with him was arrested for weapons violations and stolen property. _

(NYPD)

Don was looking for Danny. He had lost track of him sometime after the last press conference in which the FBI announced that they were still in communication with the terrorists. Don noticed Danny sitting alone in one of the break rooms.

"Did you try eating something?" Don asked him.

"Can't eat. My stomach is in knots. I feel too much at once." Danny said.

Don sat down across from him. "How are you holding up otherwise?"

"I keep thinking about the last time I had sex with Aurora." Danny said.

Don raised an eyebrow. "Interesting reaction to the situation."

"We were interrupted by me getting a call. We didn't get to finish. And now that may be the last time I ever….."

"Stop! None of that. Mac will get her through this." Don said.

"And you know what Aurora did…we get interrupted, she never complained. Instead, she leaps out of bed to make something for me to eat while I was working. She is such a good woman." Danny said.

"She is amazing." Don agreed.

"There are days I don't know where she finds the energy. She works all day, goes home and then takes care of Nico and me….then gets up the next day and does it again." Danny said. "I don't deserve her."

"She loves you so much. To this day when someone mentions your name her face lights up." Don said.

"What will I do if Aurora doesn't come out of this alive?" Danny asked.

"Life will go on. You'll make it; you have to….you have Nico to raise." Don said.

"Part of her is in him." Danny nodded.

"Not to look at him." Don gave a small smile.

"He is like her in other ways. He doesn't fuss much to be so little. He laughs and smiles a lot." Danny said.

"Rora will get through this. She survived being kidnapped by Tanglewood." Don said.

"I'd give anything to switch places with her right now." Danny sighed.

(Subway)

"Mac, stay with me." Aurora told him, pressing his jacket against his wound.

"Hurts." Mac winced in pain.

"That's good. It's when you're wounded and numb that you're going to die." Aurora said. "Just keep talking to me."

Aurora looked up to see Amir watching her. She ignored him and looked back at Mac.

"Mac, you gotta talk. Stay awake hun." Rora said.

"I'm sorry." Mac said.

"For what? You have nothing to be sorry for." Aurora gripped his hand.

"I am sorry you have to watch me die." Mac said.

"You are not going to die. I won't let you. You know I can be stubborn." Aurora said. "Why did you jump up like that?"

"I couldn't let them hurt you. Keeping you safe is always the most important thing." Mac said and winced in pain. "Aurora, there is something I need to tell you before I die."

"Then tell me when we're in the nursing home, because you're not dying today." she said.

"Promise me….promise me you'll find a way to get out of this alive." Mac said.

"I will, Mac. And I can't wait to see what my father-in-law has done to these guys in prison." Aurora said.

"Would…would you pray with me?" Mac asked her closing his eyes against the pain.

"Eyes open Mac. You can't close your eyes. I….I don't know any Catholic prayers." she said and Mac opened her eyes.

"Lord's Prayer….its same as protestant." Mac gripped her hand.

Aurora nodded and smoothed back Mac's hair. "Our father, who art in heaven…"

"Stop that!" Masud yelled across the train and began marching towards them. "I will not have you spouting off western religion!"

Amir stepped in his path. "Enough! He is dying, you got what you wanted! She is comforting him! In the end, what difference is it going to make? We're all going to die here!"

Aurora looked up at them and held tight to Mac. "He needs medical help. We're members of the NYPD, you know that. If you let him get medical attention, I promise some kind of deal will be worked out for you!"

"The NYPD cannot make deals on behalf of the FBI!" Salim said.

"Not even the FBI would execute someone who allowed medical help to save a brother officer." she said.

"Why don't we listen to her?" Amir asked.

"No, we stick with our original plan!" Masud said and walked away from Amir.

Aurora sighed and looked back at Mac. "Our father….."

(NYPD)

Sheldon walked into the break room where Danny and Don were sitting. He sat down with them.

"Sheldon, what are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"My girlfriend is hysterical and two of my closest friends are being held hostage, where else would I be?" Sheldon asked.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I am not thinking straight." Danny said.

"It's okay. How are you holding up?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm a mess. I feel like I should be doing something." Danny said.

"Hang in there. The FBI said they are sending in the military soon. Before you know it, Rora will be back and we'll be dragged to another 80's night." Sheldon said.

"Sheldon, I have a favor to ask….if something happens to Aurora, I want you to do her autopsy." Danny said.

"Danny…" Sheldon started.

"No, it's important to me! No one else would be as careful and gentle with her as you would be." Danny insisted.

"I don't know if I could stand seeing Aurora laid out on my autopsy table." Sheldon said.

"Then do it for her. As the last thing you can do to help her. Aurora would want you, she trusts you." Danny said.

Sheldon nodded. "Okay, I will. But let's hope I don't have to."

"And I want you to recommend a good funeral home. Some place that will be good to her. Mac doesn't have any family here so I guess we're responsible for him too." Danny said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Quit thinking about funeral homes." Don said.

"I need to be realistic. I want to get a few things decided now because if she doesn't come out of this alive, I am not going to be coherent or thinking enough to make big decisions." Danny said.

Sheldon reached and took Danny's hand. "If anything happens to Aurora, I will make sure she is well cared for. I will see that she is treated with dignity and respect, and that everyone who comes in contact with her is gentle and careful."

Danny could see the tears forming in Sheldon's eyes. Danny squeezed Sheldon's hand and nodded.

Stella walked into the room. "Danny, I hate to bother you but…..Aurora's brother Russ has called a few times. He has seen the news and is worried as to why he can't reach Aurora on any of her phones. None of us knew what to say to him."

Danny sighed. "How do I explain this to him? He has the mind of an 8 year old and he adores Aurora."

"You'll find the words. Better he hear it from you than some media source." Don said.

"I know. I had better go call him. Maybe I'll speak to his counselor at the home first. So she will be ready to help him in any way she can." Danny sighed and stood up.

(Subway)

"Mac, you have to keep your eyes open." Aurora told him.

"So tired…..Wanna sleep." Mac mumbled.

"No, Mac. You need to stay awake. Stay with me." Aurora stroked his hair.

"It doesn't hurt as much anymore." Mac said and Aurora gasped.

"Just take it easy. Just concentrate on staying awake and breathing slowly." she told him.

"Claire….Claire don't be angry." Mac mumbled.

Aurora didn't know what he was talking about. She thought he might be talking out of his head from blood loss and pain.

"NO! Claire can't have you yet! You're staying here!" Aurora said.

Mac looked up at Aurora and his eyes focused. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"No, you're not leaving me. Mac I need you here. You're Nico's godfather, he needs you too." Aurora said, trying not to cry.

"Need to tell you…." Mac started but closed his eyes.

"Mac! Open your eyes! Taylor, open your eyes!" Aurora yelled at him.

Mac's eyes fluttered open. Aurora smiled at him and stroked his cheek. She looked up to see people across the train watching them, many of them crying. Amir stood close by watching as well.

"Aurora…" Mac said, barely above a whisper.

"I'm here." she said and squeezed his hand. "I'm right here."

"Aurora…I love you." Mac said.

"I love you too Mac." she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"Love you." Mac whispered and his eyes closed.

"Mac! Open you eyes!" Aurora said, but Mac did not respond.

"Mac! Mac! No, don't do this Mac!" Aurora said. Still no response from Mac.

She slowly reached to Mac's neck and felt for a pulse. It was very weak.

"Any pulse?" Amir asked.

"It is very weak." Aurora said never looking up.

"It won't be long." Amir said quietly.

Aurora wrapped both arms around Mac, and gently rocked him. She buried her face against his hair and finally let the tears come.

**TBC**


	178. Tunnel of Fire

_Whiteknight15- Thanks for the enthusiasm. I hope you enjoy this, I wrote as fast as I could._

_Aranel- I love doing cliffhangers. I even like the movie 'Cliffhanger'! LOL_

_Emador- I can't believe you're voting for Mac. After all your complaints about old men, LOL._

_EmSyd- Well here is the next part of the story. Hope you enjoy._

_Laplandgurl- Loved your speech about the marine. Well sit back in your seat now because here is the next chappie. _

_Iheartcsinewyork- Aww, don't cry. Here is more for you to read. Glad you still like the story._

_Katydid13- Mac fan are we?_

_Mac's Girl- I updated as soon as I could. I hope you enjoy. I know you love Mac._

_Jordayna- Wow, so many people insisting Mac live._

_Soccer-bitch- Every time I go visit my new nephew, my brother's step-son yells at me to go home._

_Meadow567- You did? Maybe you did, I'll have to look at older reviews. You're the only person besides Emador that caught on to that btw._

_charmedgrays- Well you'll have to read and see what happens._

(Subway)

Aurora sat gently rocking Mac in her arms. Her face was red and swollen from crying so much. She stayed right with him, holding him, stroking his hair and periodically checking his pulse, to see if the inevitable had happened yet.

Masud walked to the back of the train. He stood over Aurora as she held Mac. She wouldn't look up at him.

"He is dead. Come on!" Masud grabbed her arm.

She jerked her arm away. "No! He still has a pulse. I am not leaving him!"

Masud grabbed her arm again and tried to pull her up to her feet. "He will be dead soon enough!"

"NO!" Aurora screamed and fought Masud off. "I won't leave him!"

Masud pointed his gun at Aurora.

"Then go ahead and shoot me! You're going to kill us all eventually anyway! At least if you kill me now, I'll die knowing that I didn't leave a friend to die alone, that I did all I could for him!" she screamed at Masud.

Amir stepped up. "Masud, go ahead and finalize the plans. Leave her out of this. What do you care which end of the train she dies in?"

"Why have you defended her all day?" Masud glared at Amir.

"Because I don't share your love of torture!" Amir said.

"More like you are weak and pathetic." Masud glared and stalked off

Amir turned to Aurora. "Stay with your friend. I promise, you two can stay together."

Aurora nodded and pulled Mac back into her arms, cradling his head against her chest.

(NYPD)

"Danny, the FBI knows how the terrorists managed to pull this off." Vicaro walked into the break room where Danny and his friends were holding vigil.

"How do you know?" Don asked.

"Because I have been hounding their every move." Vicaro said. "Apparently, the FBI has the girlfriend of one of the terrorists in custody. She came forward when she realized what was happening."

"She turned against her own boyfriend?" Aiden asked.

"Well, he is on a suicide mission and from what I heard, she has a conscience. She doesn't want innocent people hurt." Vicaro said. "From what I have gathered from the FBI talking with her……the group that was chosen for this attack, had helpers that were employed by the subway system. So discreetly for over a month they have been stockpiling their weapons in hiding places in the subway."

"What about the bombs the terrorists claim to have?" Don asked.

"Still nothing on that. But…..Delta Force has arrived and will be sent in the subway tunnel within the hour." Vicaro said.

"She'll make it Danny. I am sure Mac has helped her through this." Stella said.

"How did it go with her brother?" Sheldon asked.

"He flipped out. It is a good thing his counselor was there. He was scared and crying and…..I….I just feel so bad for him. She is all the family he has." Danny said.

"What'll happen to him if she…you know?" Emily asked.

"I am going to take responsibility for him. It's what Rora would want." Danny said.

"Have you called to check on Nico?" Don asked.

"Yeah, your dad said Nico is fine." Danny sighed.

"Have you called Aurora's mother?" Aiden asked.

"I've never met the woman, never even spoken to her. What am I supposed to say? 'Hello, I am the man married to your daughter and the father of her child. By the way, she is one of the hostages in the NYC subway.'?" Danny asked.

"She has a right to know." Sheldon said.

"I know, but I am not telling her anything until this is all over. The last thing we need is her out here making it worse." Danny said. "If anything happens to Aurora….well we have our wills and all made out, and I know what type of burial and such Rora would want, but I have a feeling her mother would show up wanting things her way."

"Well, we'll all be there for you should that happen." Don said.

"Why don't we try talking about what we're gonna do when Mac and Aurora are back with us okay? I mean those two are tough, they'll make it." Sheldon said.

"I am taking Rora on a shopping spree." Aiden said.

"I am getting Mac another lap dance." Vicaro said.

"I am taking Rora to a hockey game. I'll even let her talk about Craig Patrick." Don said.

"I am gonna spend more time with Mac. I hate that he is so lonely sometimes." Sheldon said.

"Danny is gonna screw the hell out of Rora." Don said with a smirk.

Danny looked up startled.

"How is that different than any other time?" Emily chuckled.

Danny managed a smile. "And all without Viagra!"

"You should try it with Viagra sometime. You can go forever from what I hear." Chad said.

"Aurora would like to be able to walk." Emily said.

"And from what I hear, Danny goes long enough on his own." Aiden winked.

Danny groaned. "I don't know whether to gloat or blush."

"Should we be having this conversation now? It seems kinda wrong with Mac and Rora being held hostage." Thacker said.

"Are you kidding? They wouldn't want us worrying. And if Rora was here she would jump right in with a few comments about Don that I told her." Aiden smiled. "And Mac would walk out coughing like he hadn't heard what we were talking about."

(Subway)

"How is he?" Amir whispered to Aurora.

"Very weak. I am surprised he has held on this long." she said.

"Here." Amir nudged a blanket towards her. "When we get ready to detonate the bombs, cover up. It'll help protect you from some of the debris."

"If it doesn't kill me." Aurora said.

"The bomb in this car is towards the front." Amir said.

Aurora grabbed his hand. "Amir, you don't have to go through with this. You're different than they are. I can tell in the hours we have been here that you're not like them."

"If I had your strength and courage, perhaps I would not be here. I admire you, detective. You're very strong to be a woman." Amir squeezed her hand and stood up.

Aurora watched as Amir walked to the front of the car with Salim and Masud. Masud was signaling to someone in another car. Aurora knew they were about to use their bombs. She looked around the car trying to see what would be the safest place.

"Amir, you can still stop this!" she yelled at him.

Amir looked at her but said nothing. Aurora started to pull Mac towards the corner, dragging him as best as she could.

"Hang on Mac. This is about to get loud and fiery." she said.

She laid Mac in the corner of the train, and then hurried to grab the blanket Amir had left for her. She glanced up to see Amir, Salim and Masud standing in a line and Masud lifting a remote detonator.

She laid herself on top of Mac, covering as much of him as she could and pulled the blanket over the both of them. She closed her eyes and wondered if death would hurt.

Masud and several other terrorists in other cars hit their detonators, and explosions ripped through the NYC Subway tunnel.

(NYPD)

"There's been an explosion!" someone yelled out in the station.

"What?" Danny leaped to his feet and was out of the break room.

"Terrorists have detonated their bombs!" a passing FBI agent said.

"Fire and Rescue squads are already on the scene." another agent ran past them.

"My men were already in the tunnel." an army official chased after the FBI agents.

"How many bombs were there?" Don yelled.

"Are there survivors?" Danny yelled.

"We don't know yet." someone from homeland security rushed by them.

Danny was shaking from head to toe. "I'm….I….." Danny ran to the nearest garbage can and vomited up what little he had in his stomach.

Don looked to see Sheldon holding Emily and Aiden, all three were in tears. Vicaro was hugging Stella. Outside he could hear the city in chaos, sirens were screeching, people were filling the streets. He spotted a TV that had live news coverage on and could see thick smoke pouring out of Queensplaza.

Danny slumped down to the floor near the garbage can, Don saw he was crying. Gut wrenching sobs poured out of Danny.

"Come on." Don knelt down next to Danny and hugged him. "Pull yourself together. We need to get down there. They are going to need every officer they can get. And dead or alive you wanna be there for Aurora, right?"

Danny couldn't speak through his sobs.

**TBC**


	179. Rescue Efforts

_Trizzy- Will you relax? You should know by now that I have a plan for this plot. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's got some important stuff in it. And please no suicide missions._

_Sarah- Sorry this took so long. Don't you hate when life gets in the way of fanfic, lol._

_Emador- Well I hope you enjoy this chappie. And look for Chuck Norris, lol._

_Jordayna- Here is the update. Sorry it took so long, real life happened._

_Iheartcsinewyork- Well dry your eyes and read this update. I hope you like it and maybe you can guess what will happen next._

_Soccer-bitch- He is 4 and he is satan spawn. _

_Meadow567- Well, more will come later. In the meantime, Go Pens!_

_Katydid13- Everyone is all "don't Kill Mac!' Hope you enjoy._

_WhiteKnight15- Thanks so much. Glad you like the story._

_Aranel- Oh geez, Mac and Rora are blown up and your feeling bad for Danny, lol. Hope you enjoy this chappie._

_Mac's Girl- 15 thumbs? Who are these people with these 15 thumbs? LOL_

_Charmedgrays- Here is more._

_**Author's Note- **For the fans of Chuck Norris, you'll be amused at his cameo in this chappie! LOL _

Delta Force made their way through the subway tunnel, picking through debris, looking for survivors and any terrorists that may have survived the explosion. Rescue teams were behind them to help the survivors they were finding.

"McCoy, look in the next car, we'll complete the sweep of this one." Colonel Alexander told his second in command.

McCoy nodded and took fellow soldier and best friend Peterson with him to the next car. They slowly walked in what was left of the car and flashed their lights around. A movement in the back of the car startled them.

"This is Delta Force. Identify yourself!" McCoy called out.

"Detective Aurora Messer, NYPD! I have an officer down and wounded civilians! We need rescue services now!" the person yelled back.

McCoy and Peterson hurried to the back of the train. They found Aurora covered in dirt and blood, cradling Mac against her chest. She had a large shard of metal protruding from her leg.

"I'm Colonel Scott McCoy, you're safe now." McCoy told her.

"This is Detective Taylor. He was shot and has lost a lot of blood, he is barely hanging on. I honestly don't know what is keeping him alive. He needs medical help right away. Inform the medical team they will need blood on hand to give him, he is type O." Aurora said.

"Pete, call for the medical team." McCoy told him, and then turned back to Aurora. "You're injured." he gestured towards her leg.

"I know, but Mac needs help more than I do." she said. "Are there any other survivors in the train?"

"A few, I need to check for more in the car. Will you be okay alone for a few minutes?" McCoy asked her.

Aurora nodded. McCoy moved away from her to check the others in the car anyone still alive.

"This is Delta Force to medical rescue. We have two officers of the NYPD requiring medical help, one has a gunshot wound and will require blood transfusion, blood type O." Peterson called into his radio.

"Mac, we made it. Its over. Delta Force is here." Aurora told him. "Help is on the way; hang on just a little longer."

"Peterson, I have three more alive over here." McCoy called to him.

(Street Level)

"This is a mess. I can't find anybody that knows anything." Don said as they made their way through the mess at Queensplaza.

"Where did we lose Vicaro at?" Emily asked.

"I am not sure; he was with us when we got here." Aiden glanced around.

Danny came running towards them. He looked out of breath.

"What did you find out?" Don asked.

"Delta Force is finding survivors among the debris and mess." Danny said.

"Any word on Rora or Mac?" Aiden asked.

"Not yet. But they are finding survivors!" Danny said.

"I just know Rora is one of them." Aiden hugged Danny.

"I hope so." Danny said.

"Where are they taking survivors?" Emily asked.

"We'll have to find out." Danny said. "Let's see what else we can find out or if they have found Aurora."

(Subway)

"McCoy, where is the medical team?" Aurora asked. "Mac needs help now!"

"Try to relax detective. You're injured yourself." McCoy told her.

"Medical team is here." Peterson called.

Aurora looked up to see military medical personnel entering the train car along with NYFD.

"We'll take him from here." one of the medics told her as another gently pulled her back from Mac.

"Don't let him die!" she yelled.

"We'll do all we can for him!" the medic said.

Another pair of medics began working on Rora. She ignored them for the most part, focusing on Mac. The medics checked Mac for a pulse.

"Slow pulse. Move fast or we'll lose him." one medic yelled as another packed bandages into Mac's wound.

"Miss, we need to move you so we can stabilize your leg. This may hurt." One of the medics told Rora.

She nodded. "It's okay. Let's just get out of here and to the hospital. I want to see my husband and son."

The medics gently moved Rora's leg, careful of the metal protruding from it and moved her to a body board. She gritted her teeth in pain.

"Let's get you strapped on, and out of here." the medic smiled at her.

"Mac!" Rora yelled as they lifted her up.

"We'll take great care of him." they assured her.

"I can't leave him. I don't want him to die with strangers." she insisted.

"We'll keep you posted, I promise. But we need to get you both out of here." the medics said.

She nodded as they carried her out. By the door, she saw Amir's dead body.

"Amir." she whispered and looked sadly at him as they moved out into the tunnel.

"When can I see my husband? Can I talk to him? Poor Danny he must be frantic by now." Rora asked.

"We'll notify our superiors and they'll try to locate him." the medic told her.

"You're going to be fine." The medic smiled at her again.

"Are they bringing Mac out?" she turned to look behind her.

"They are right behind us. He is in good hands." they assured her again.

Slowly the medics carried her through the debris and rubble in the tunnel. Finally, they were out of the subway tunnel and above ground. They set her on a stretcher so she could sit up.

"Mac?" she looked around for him.

"He is being cared for. He will be on the next ambulance out." the medics told her as they wrapped some bandages around her wound.

Aurora looked around at the city. She could see the crowds of people around the area. She could see news people and a helicopter flying overhead. She breathed in the fresh air. She leaned back against the gurney. She never thought she would see the light of day in NYC again.

"Aurora!" someone in the crowd yelled.

She looked up to see Vicaro running at her.

"Vicaro!" she yelled.

He ran up to her gurney and hugged her. "Girl, you scared us. Are you okay?"

"It's so good to see you. I never thought I'd be so happy to see you." she squeezed him tight. "Where is Danny?"

"I got separated from him somehow with all the crowd." Vicaro said. "God I was worried about you." he kissed her forehead.

"Mac was shot. It's pretty bad." she told him.

Vicaro looked at her. "How about you? How bad is her leg?" he asked the medics.

"She'll be fine. We're gonna send her to the hospital where they can remove the metal and sew her up and check her for other injuries." the medic assured him.

(Across the street)

"How are we supposed to find out anything in this chaos?" Aiden complained. "Is there even a command center down here?"

"I think a makeshift one is set up at the mouth of the tunnel." Sheldon said.

"Then let's head that way." Don said.

"Hold on, my cell phone is ringing." Danny said and pulled out his phone. "It's Vicaro…….Messer."

"Danny!" Aurora was on the other end.

"Aurora! It's Aurora!" Danny said.

Aiden let out a shriek and hugged Don as Don hugged Danny. Emily was hugging Sheldon and then turned and grabbed up a complete stranger standing near her.

"Baby are you okay? I was so worried about you. Where are you?" Danny said all at once.

"I am okay. I have some metal in my leg, but other than that, I am okay. I am with Vicaro outside the tunnel. Mac's been shot." Aurora said.

"Mac's been shot? Is he okay?" Danny asked. His friends stopped hugging to listen to what he was saying.

"I don't think he'll make it. His pulse was barely there when they pulled him out of the tunnel. He had been unconscious awhile." Aurora said.

"Damn, I wanted you both to be safe." Danny said.

"I know you did." Aurora said.

"I gotta see you, where are you?" Danny craned his neck looking around for her.

"Mouth of the tunnel, they are getting ready to load me into an ambulance." she said.

"Are you hurt?" Danny asked as he started pushing his way towards the tunnel, the others close behind him.

"I have a large shard of metal in my leg from the explosion." she said. "Where is Nico?"

"He is fine baby. He is with Donald." Danny told her, still pushing through the crowd.

"Is he giving him formula? He is bound to be out of breast milk. I leaked all over myself." Aurora said.

"He is fine. Donald is taking great care of him." Danny said.

Danny finally spotted Aurora sitting on a gurney, two medics working on her leg, Vicaro standing by her side. She was dirty from the explosion, he could see Mac's blood on the front of her clothes, her face was swollen from crying, her shirt wet from her milk leaking. He could see bruises on her face from where Masud had slapped her. He ran over to her.

"Rory!" he grabbed her up in his arms.

"Danny, oh my god. I was scared I would never see you again. And Mac is hurt." Rora held him tight.

Danny pulled back and looked her over. "How bad are you hurt? Are you in pain? What did they do to you? God I love you so much!" Danny kissed her.

"Enough of that, she'll get pregnant again." Don walked up to them with the others. "How you doing sweetie?"

"Don, I am so glad to see you." she took his hand as Aiden ran to hug her.

"Your leg." Aiden gushed.

"Yes, how bad is it?" Danny asked the medics.

"We'll know more when we get her to the hospital." the medic said.

"Be careful what you give me, I am nursing. I don't want to harm my baby." Rora said.

"Yes mam." the medic smiled and wrapped a blood pressure cuff on her arm.

"Thank god you're alright." Danny hugged her.

"We were so worried about you." Stella said.

"I am worried about Mac." Rora said. "Danny…he took a bullet to protect me."

"We'll get to the hospital and be there for him." Sheldon said. "Danny go with Rora."

"I am not leaving her side ever again." Danny kissed her forehead.

"I am so glad you're here." she hugged him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. I have never felt fear like the past 12 hours." Danny held her.

"Okay, we can load you in the ambulance now; the ER is waiting for you." the medics told her.

Aurora nodded. "Call as soon as you know something about Mac." she told the others.

"We will. Worry about you now, we'll look after Mac." Aiden said.

"I love you guys." she told them.

"We love you too." Don said. "You need to quit scaring us."

The medics lifted the gurney into an ambulance. Rora blew a kiss to her friends. Danny jumped in the ambulance beside her. The medics shut the door and the ambulance slowly started to move through the path the cops were clearing for them.

"Are you in much pain?" Danny asked her.

"Adrenaline….I don't feel much. I am sure I will later." Aurora said and leaned her head against Danny. "How are you holding up?

"I am feeling a lot at once. I have been through every emotion you can imagine in the past few hours." Danny said. "I am more worried about you right now."

"Danny, I….I was so scared. All I wanted was to get out of there and see you and Nico again. I just wanted to hold you both." she said.

"I got you." Danny wrapped both arms around her. "I got you."

"I am so scared for Mac. I did all I could, but…." Aurora started crying.

"Shhhh. I know you did all you could for Mac. He is a fighter. He'll get through this." Danny stroked her hair.

Danny held Aurora the rest of the ride to Roosevelt Hospital. She was rushed inside to the busy ER that had several other survivors from the subway explosion. Several of the hospitals in NYC were taking survivors. Law enforcement was calling out every coroner they could find to help with the deceased victims.

"I'm nursing, please be careful what you give me." Aurora told the staff as they ran around trying to get her into an ER room.

"We'll note that on your chart." a nurse said.

Aurora was wheeled into an exam room. Several of the staff began working on her at once, one drawing blood, one hooking her up to a heart monitor another unwrapped her bandages to examine her wound. Danny stood at the door where Aurora could see him, but allowing the staff room to work on her.

"Was Mac Taylor brought to this hospital?" Aurora asked.

"We cannot discuss other patients. Privacy laws." a nurse said.

"I don't give a fuck about HIPPA. I was in that tunnel for over 11 hours with Mac and I want to know if he is dead or alive!" Aurora snapped.

"Stay calm miss, we realize your upset." another nurse said.

"I'll make some calls and see what I can find out." Danny said to her. "Just stay calm and as soon as I can I will call Don."

"She is gonna need antibiotic. We need to get that metal out of her leg and get the muscle repaired. Let's take x-rays to be sure it missed the bone." a doctor walked in. "Mrs. Messer, I'm Dr. Cotton."

"I am nursing. I have a 3-month-old son. Don't give me anything that will harm him in the milk." Aurora said.

"We'll do all we can. If worst comes to worst, you may have to pump milk a few days to get the meds out of your system." Dr. Cotton said. "Are you in much pain?"

"I…..too much adrenaline." Aurora said.

"You're not feeling anything. Normal under these circumstances. Let's get her some clean clothes in here. Bag what she is wearing; the FBI wants it for evidence." Dr. Cotton shouted orders. "Let's get that x-ray done and have the operating room prepped."

"No, putting me under will ruin my milk" Rora grabbed the doctor's hand.

"Relax Mrs. Messer. We are going to do a spinal block. That way we can repair the leg but not give you all that anesthesia." Dr. Cotton assured her.

"Is that safe?" Danny asked.

"Yes, that way she will be numbed so we can repair her leg. But that will take less time to work out of her system." Dr. Cotton said.

"I want to do it. Nico needs breast milk." Aurora said.

"Alright, let's move. Let's get her to X-ray and then into surgery. Make sure those clothes are bagged, there are agents outside waiting for them." Dr. Cotton said.

"Baby, I'll be right here when you get out." Danny said.

"We'll take great care of her." the nurse said as they started to move Aurora down the hall to X-ray.

Aurora reached for Danny. "Find out about Mac."

"I will. Just relax and let the doctors do what they need to." Danny kissed her forehead. "I'll be waiting for you."

Aurora nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too. God do I love you." Danny kissed her.

Danny let her go so the staff could take her on to be treated. He pulled out his cell phone so he could call about Mac.

(5 hours later)

Aurora woke up startled. She looked around and saw she was in a hospital room. She could see an IV catheter in her hand. Danny was asleep across her lap.

"Danny, Danny! Wake up!" Aurora said.

Danny opened his eyes. "Baby, you okay?"

"Why did they put me under?" she asked.

"They didn't. You fell asleep during the procedure. Doctor said most likely from exhaustion." Danny said. "He also said the procedure went great. The metal didn't get into the bone. They were able to repair the muscle. He said you'll be on crutches awhile but will be fine in a few months."

"Mac? What about Mac?" she asked.

"He is here at Roosevelt. They managed to remove the bullet. They have repaired his colon; he has a colostomy bag that the doctor hopes they can reverse later. He is still in very critical condition. The doctors were very honest that they don't know how he survived…..by their knowledge, he shouldn't have." Danny explained.

"Is he gonna pull through?" Aurora asked.

"They don't know. They are pumping him full of antibiotics where his colon was damaged. He has had several blood transfusions. He went into shock. They have him stable now, but he is in ICU hooked up to a lot of machines and tubes." Danny said.

"You've seen him?" Aurora asked.

"I stopped downstairs a bit ago. Seeing him……I can't believe he is alive. It's a miracle he has made it this far." Danny said.

"Danny I…I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't make it." Aurora said.

"How about you? How do you feel?" Danny asked her.

"My legs tingle from hips to toes." Aurora said.

"Doctor said to expect that. It means the numbness is wearing off." Danny stroked her hair. They washed and cleaned you up too. You slept right through it."

"I didn't realize I was so tired. Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Don and Aiden went home to get some rest. Aiden is going to stop at our house and get you some clothes and toiletries." Danny said. "Sheldon was called in to help with autopsies on the victims of the explosion. Emily and Vicaro offered to help families find their loved ones. They are at the station helping with the lists of victims and survivors being posted and such."

"Danny, would you please go get Nico and bring him to me? I need to see my baby." Aurora asked.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Danny asked.

"Yes, I want to see my baby. After all I have been through, I just wanna see him and hold him. I miss him. And I have never been away from him so long, he probably misses me too." Aurora said. "And please call Aiden and have her pick up my breast pump. I am still full of milk and need to get out all this stuff contaminated with meds."

"I'll go get him. I miss him too. And I am sure Donald could use a bit of a break. Although he has been awesome through this whole mess." Danny kissed her forehead.

"Donald is great…just like a dad to both of us." Aurora held Danny's hand.

"Aurora…I….I am sorry for night before last. I am sorry that we didn't get to finish making love." Danny said.

"Oh Danny, that been bothering you?" Aurora stroked his cheek.

"Well, I was so scared it'd be the last time we ever got to and it was interrupted…" Danny turned and kissed her palm.

"We've had a lot of things interrupted since we got together. Don't you worry about it anymore. I was never upset about it." Aurora leaned up and kissed him.

"You're so beautiful. I am so glad you're my wife." Danny stroked her face.

"I love you so much." Aurora kissed him again.

"I love you too." Danny said. "You'll be okay while I am gone?"

"Yes, I'll be waiting for you to bring me my baby." Aurora smiled.

Okay." Danny stood up. "By the way, I called Russ to let him know you are safe. You might want to call him yourself, he was really shook up. And Horatio Caine called. The Miami team was worried about you and Mac. H says that even Tripp was pacing the floor."

"I'll call them." Aurora said.

"I'll be back. Ti amo." Danny said.

"Ti amo anch'io." Aurora said and watched him walk out.

Aurora leaned back against her pillows. She peeked under the blankets trying to see her leg. It was bandaged up. She turned on the TV; there was coverage of the subway explosion on.

_"Delta Force and rescue crews continue to look through the rubble and debris in the New York City subway looking for survivors. So far they have found over 200 dead and 100 more injured. They are not releasing the names of anyone at this time because they are allowing authorities to notify families. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg are both at the scene." _

There was a knock at the door. She looked up to see Dr. Cotton walk in with a set of crutches.

"How are you feeling Mrs. Messer." he asked.

"My legs are tingling." she said as he walked in.

"That is a good sign. It means the meds are wearing off. Now you are on antibiotics to ward off infection from the foreign object. Now we are going to give you some painkillers for at least today. I know you are concerned about you milk." Dr. Cotton said.

"When will I be able to walk? I want to go see Mac Taylor." she asked.

"With crutches you can walk as soon as the numbness is gone from your legs. The damage to your leg was minimal considering the size of the shard in your leg." Dr. Cotton said.

"Can I get a wheelchair? I really want to go see Mac." she said.

"Mrs. Messer, you need to rest." Dr. Cotton said.

"No, I need to be with Mac. He needs his loved ones with him and I can't abandon him now." Aurora pulled back the covers. "Please get me a wheelchair."

"Mrs. Messer, we need to talk. I just got your reports back from the lab." Dr.Cotton said.

**TBC**


	180. Unexpected Investigation

_Mrs. Bass-Malfoy- Thanks so much! __I am so glad that you like the story. Thank you so much for your compliments. I hope you keep reading._

_Rossi's Lil Devil- Everyone seems to have a theory. I am enjoying reading them, and making everyone wait to see what is really going on. LOL_

_Laplandgurl- My mom is a HUGE Norris fan, so I just couldn't resist that cameo._

_Trizzy- You should know by now to never breathe a sigh of relief with my story. And another cameo coming your way in this chappie, so I hope you enjoy. And btw, if Danny wants to cheat…who could blame him!_

_charmedgrays- well everyone certainly seems to have a theory! LOL_

_Whiteknight15- I am building suspense, but a clue or two is in here. Hope you enjoy._

_Soccer-bitch- Everyone is anxious for what the doctor says. I could get hanged over this._

_Jordayna- I always wanted to be a queen, LOL. Too bad no money comes from this!_

_Katydid13- Maybe she is dying? Maybe Danny gave her a nasty disease from his pre-Rora, never gonna settle down days, LOL._

_Iheartcsinewyrok- Well dry your tears and read this chappie. Let me know what you think._

_Meadow567- You'll have to wait and see. I (heart) Crosby! LOL_

_Emador- Yes, she is an alien. Sigourney Weaver is going to burst in the door at any minute! LOL_

_**A/N- Another Cameo Ahead! **_

"Aurora, honey…wake up." Danny nudged her arm. "I am back. Nico wants to see his mommy."

Aurora opened her eyes. "There is my baby. How is my little man?" she reached out for the baby.

Danny handed her Nico. "He is doing fine. Donald said that he was no problem at all."

"I missed you so much." Rora kissed him.

"How are you feeling?" Danny asked her.

"My legs are still tingling. The doctor is…trying to decide which medicines to give me to help with infection and pain." she said.

"I am so thankful to have you both together again." Danny sat beside her on the bed.

"I have such a beautiful baby. I was so worried about him not having a mom." Rora said.

"Well that is all in the past now. Now we're just gonna get Mac healthy again and go on living." Danny said.

"Have you heard anymore about Mac? I need to get down there and see him." Rora said.

"I am sure he isn't awake yet. We can go see him after you rest a bit more. You have been through quite an ordeal." Danny said.

"I suppose the department is going to make me see a shrink." Aurora sighed.

"How soon until you can nurse Nico again?" Danny asked.

"Ummm…..I don't know." Aurora frowned.

"Well I brought your pump." Danny gestured towards the diaper bag.

"How are things down at the station?" she asked.

"Still hectic. They have called out our police reserves. They need all the help they can. Rumor is the secretary of homeland security is flying in from DC." Danny said.

"It's still all a little surreal to me." Aurora admitted. "I know I went through it, but it doesn't seem real."

"Well you went through so much so fast. You were just on your way to lunch, when you were taken hostage, threatened, injured, watched your friend get shot, fought to keep him alive, went through an explosion and was injured again. I am surprised you're not in the floor sobbing curled in a ball." Danny said.

"I wanna see Mac." she said. "Get me a wheelchair, carry me if you have to, but I want to see Mac."

Danny nodded. "I'll see what I can do." he kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

Aurora stroked Nico's cheeks. "I missed you so much. Thank you for being a good boy for Donald."

Aurora sat with Nico, just enjoying holding him again. She began to wonder what strings Danny had pulled to get her a private room. Finally, a nurse walked in behind Danny pushing a wheelchair.

"Okay Mrs. Messer, since you insist on going to the ICU, you can go visit Mr. Taylor for a few minutes." the nurse said.

"I'm staying with him." Aurora insisted.

"Mrs. Messer…."

"Don't you Mrs. Messer me. I am not leaving him. He needs me." she said.

"If she needs anything while in the ICU, I will make sure she gets it." Danny assured the nurse.

"You can't take a baby into the ICU." the nurse said.

"Who is going to stop me? Anyone gets in my way, I am calling the press and telling them to come to Roosevelt hospital where the staff won't let an injured officer take her baby with her to check on a fellow officer, who happens to be said baby's godfather!" Aurora said.

Danny snickered as the nurse glared. "No offense nurse, but this is not the time to annoy her. She doesn't take no for an answer."

"Oh I give up and I am too busy to argue." the nurse sighed.

Danny took Nico and allowed the nurse to help Aurora into the wheelchair, careful of her bandaged leg. Once she was settled in, he handed Nico back to her and they headed out of the room for the elevator.

"Rory, I just want to warn you, Mac is covered in tubes and wires. He looks pale." Danny said as they stepped inside the elevator car.

"I understand. I just have to see him." Rora said.

Danny nodded as they stepped off the elevator again. The nurse pushed Aurora through the ICU down to Mac's room. Aurora could see Mac through the glass before they got there, but she barely recognized him.

The nurse wheeled her into Mac's room. Monitors were beeping; Mac had oxygen on, tubes coming from his abdomen, wires hooked to his chest. His skin was pale and he did not look like himself. Aurora's eyes filled with tears.

"I'll leave you alone now." the nurse said and backed out of the room.

Danny put his hand on Aurora's shoulders. "He has made it this far, it's gonna be okay."

"I knew he would look bad…I tried to brace myself for it. I tried so hard to keep him alive." she cried.

"You did keep him alive. Even the doctor has said they don't know how he managed to pull through. You did all you could for him and he is going to make it." Danny told her.

Danny's cell phone rang. "Messer……I can't leave my wife, she was one of the hostages…….is there no one else you can call……I know but if other jurisdictions are offering help……fine I will be there as soon as I can."

Aurora looked up at him as he slammed his phone shut. "Baby, I have to go for a few hours. They are calling every officer they can, including me and I am needed at the lab to help with the evidence they are trying to log and process that is coming from the tunnel and the corpses being pulled out of the tunnel. Apparently Stella went as far as to tell the brass not to call me out, but you know how well brass listens."

"It's okay. I understand." Aurora assured him.

"Do you want me to take you back to your room?" Danny asked.

"No, I want to stay with Mac. He shouldn't be here alone. And if I am here I won't be upstairs worrying about him." she said.

Do you want me to take Nico back to Donald's?" Danny asked.

"No, I want him here with me. I can take care of him. If he needs anything, it is in his diaper bag. I have been away from him long enough." she insisted.

Danny smiled. "You're in the hospital injured, but you still want to take care of the baby on your own. You're amazing."

Aurora smiled. "Just hurry back."

"I will." Danny leaned over and kissed her. "As soon as I can."

"Love you." Aurora told him.

"Love you too." Danny said and walked out of the room.

Aurora wheeled her and Nico closer to the bed. She reached out and took one of Mac's hands, careful of his IV.

"Mac, I'm here. I didn't leave you any longer than I had to. The doctor already fixed my leg up. I am okay. You have to get better Mac. I am going to need you more than ever pretty soon." Aurora told him.

Aurora squeezed Mac's hand. "I don't know what people see or hear when they're in a coma like state. Louie said he could hear us. Danny said he had dreams. But if you can hear me….you have to get better. Nico needs you…I have him here with me."

As if on cue, Nico began fussing. Aurora rocked him gently but he didn't calm down.

"That's your hungry cry. Formula doesn't fill you up like breast milk, but you are going to have to get used to it. Mommy can't nurse you anymore." Rora told the baby as she dug through the diaper bag for his bottle. "Mommy will talk to your pediatrician about putting some cereal in your formula…help fill you up more."

Aurora shook his bottle up and then removed the cap. Nico hungrily began sucking on the bottle when she gave it to him. She smiled and gently rocked him as he ate.

"You're such a good boy. Mommy is so proud of you for taking all this so well." Aurora told him.

"Excuse me; we're looking for Aurora Messer."

Aurora looked up to see two men standing in the doorway. One young and blonde, the other older with silver hair and piercing blue eyes.

"I am Aurora Messer." she answered.

"NCIS, I'm Agent Jethro Gibbs. This is my senior field agent Tony DiNozzo." the silver haired one flashed a badge at her. "We stopped up at your room and the nurses told us you were down here."

"NCIS? You were called in to help?" she asked.

"We're here as part of a separate investigation." Gibbs said.

"We understand that you are one of the NYPD detectives that was held hostage on the train." DiNozzo said.

"Yes, Mac is the other, but he is in no condition to be questioned." Aurora said.

"We understand that. We would like to ask you about the terrorists you came in contact with." DiNozzo said.

Gibbs handed her a picture. She looked at it and saw it was a young man, Middle Eastern features, looking up with an odd smile.

"Does he look at all familiar to you? Was he one of the terrorists you came in contact with?" Gibbs asked her.

Aurora studied the picture. "No. I don't recognize him. Who is he?"

"We don't know. We can't identify him." DiNozzo told her. "We have been using every database and technology in the world to try to identify him."

"What is he wanted for?" Aurora asked.

"As a terrorist. Two months ago, he held three of my employees hostage in the morgue. He shot one of them and managed to escape." Gibbs said.

"But you think he could be involved with the terrorists in the subway?" Aurora asked.

"We don't know. Like Agent DiNozzo said, we have tried everything to identify him. We can't find anything. It's as if he never existed." Gibbs said.

"I am sorry, but I didn't see him. He wasn't one of the terrorists I came in contact with." Aurora said.

"Are you sure? Look closer, maybe he was wearing a disguise." Gibbs insisted.

Aurora studied the picture again. "No, I'm sorry. He wasn't one of them. Masud and Salim both had heavier builds and fuller faces. And Amir was too young and has no resemblance."

"Are you sure?" Gibbs insisted.

"Yes, Agent Gibbs I am sure. I would never forget the looks of the men that I thought were going to kill me. Of the man that shot my friend. Or of the man that didn't want to be there and tried to help me in his own way." Aurora said.

"Did any of the terrorists mention anything about the DC area?" Gibbs asked.

"No." Aurora told them.

"One of them hit you?" DiNozzo asked.

"How can you tell….oh the bruises. Yes." Aurora said.

"Is there anything else you can tell us? You're sure this man was no where on that train?" Gibbs asked.

"Agent Gibbs, I am sorry. I don't know what else to say. I didn't see this man or anyone resembling him. I don't know anything that can help you. I wish I did. I know how it feels when someone harms your colleague." Aurora looked over at Mac.

"Its okay, Mrs. Messer." DiNozzo said.

"So what did the terrorists you were in contact discuss?" Gibbs asked.

"Boss, she has been through enough." DiNozzo said.

"Agent Gibbs, if they had said anything I thought would help you, I would've told you by now." Aurora said.

"Mrs. Messer, your….your shirt." DiNozzo pointed at her.

Aurora looked down and saw that she was leaking breast milk.

"Oh I am so sorry. It is breast milk. I didn't pump. I can't breast feed anymore." Aurora started crying. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We understand. I'll get a nurse to bring you a fresh shirt." DiNozzo said. "Here, dry your eyes." he handed her a tissue.

"Thank you. I don't know why I am crying. I guess it's all just too much." Aurora dabbed her eyes.

DiNozzo left to find a nurse. Gibbs knelt down beside Aurora.

"I didn't mean to upset you." Gibbs said.

"It's not that. I understand your job. It's just being held hostage, and then Mac being shot and finding out that……I'm sorry, I am crying." Aurora said.

"Calm down before you upset your baby." Gibbs said softly.

"I didn't mean to leak in front of you. It's kinda embarrassing to have my breasts leaking in front of strange men." Aurora chuckled.

"Don't be embarrassed, we understand. And it takes a lot more than that to embarrass me." Gibbs gave her a small smile.

"Thank you for being so calm. You act like you have women covered in breast milk crying all over you all the time." Aurora said.

"Why don't you go ahead and pump or whatever you need to do. That way you won't leak on the clean shirt Tony is getting you." Gibbs said.

"I don't want to…just….in front of….hand me a blanket and I will." she said.

"It's okay, really." Gibbs assured her as he handed her an extra blanket from across the foot of Mac's bed. "Do you want me to hold your son?"

"Are you good with babies?" she asked.

"Just trust me." Gibbs smiled.

Aurora handed Jethro Nico, who was nearly asleep after eating. She then pulled the blanket around herself and pulled her pump out of the diaper bag.

"You seem very natural with him. Do you have children Agent Gibbs?" Aurora asked as she started her pump.

Gibbs' face darkened for a moment, then he turned to Aurora. "How old is your son?"

"Three months old." Aurora smiled.

Tony walked in with a fresh shirt in his hand. He looked at Gibbs holding Nico and chuckled.

"I wish I had my camera. Boss on nursery duty." Tony laughed.

"Shut up DiNozzo." Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Here you go Mrs. Messer. They gave me a clean shirt for you." Tony said.

"Thank you Agent DiNozzo. I hope I didn't embarrass you." Aurora said.

"No, after you've worked with Abby, nothing shocks you." Tony said.

"Who?" Aurora asked.

"Never mind." Tony chuckled.

"I really am sorry I couldn't help you more." Aurora said.

"It's okay. It was a long shot coming here." Tony said. "But Gibbs is willing to try anything."

"Do you need us to help you back upstairs to your room or anything?" Gibbs asked.

"No, I am not leaving Mac." she insisted. "How did you find out about me so fast?"

"It was all over the news that two NYPD detectives were among the hostages on the train. We figured a detective would be the best witness." Gibbs said.

Aurora looked up to see Louie walk in.

"Louie, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Danny called and asked me to come stay with you. He didn't want you here alone." he answered and eyed the NCIS agents.

"Louie, it's okay. They work for NCIS." she assured him. "Agents, this is my brother-in-law."

"We should be going." Gibbs said and handed Nico over to Louie. "Thank you for speaking with us Mrs. Messer."

"Agent Gibbs." she called after him as he started to walk out. He turned to look at her. "I hope you find the guy you're looking for. I am sorry for what happened to your team mate."

"Thank you. I'll say a prayer for your team mate." he motioned to Mac.

Aurora smiled as she watched him walk away.

"How is your leg?" Louie asked.

"Throbbing, but I have already taken all the pain killers they can give me." Aurora answered.

**TBC**


	181. Trinity

_DiVeRsEcItY- Well I am glad you 're back after all this time. Yes, I now have a real job and it takes up a lot of my time. I can't write as much as I wish I could._

_Trizzy- Deep breath. I was referring to their first season when Gerald was shot. And no he didn't die, so calm down. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know that your reaction is going to be interesting. PS- I think Gibbs is a doll!_

_Rossi's Lil Devil- Hmm, good point. Semper Fi and all that good sexy marine stuff. _

_Katydid13- I LOVE NCIS! So I just HAD to include a cameo in here. And I thought the chapters about terrorists would be the perfect spot._

_Jordayna- More good stuff coming!_

_Meadow567- If you're referring to when the Pens beat the Wings, lol. I caught the highlights. I Love my Crosby. I told the librarian where I work that I would move home to marry Sidney. (He likes hockey too.) And you'll see what the problem is._

_Emador- You know how I love Gibbs. I just thought this was a good time to sneak him in. And Rora was being stubborn. I didn't mean it to come off as her giving the nurse a hard time so much as her standing up for herself/Mac. Anxious to see if you can figure out something in this one. _

_Laplandgurl- Gibbs is awesome. I hope you enjoy this chapter. _

_Iheartcsinewyork- Well I am glad that you dried your tears. Now just stay calm through this chapter and we'll be okay. _

_charmedgrays- Here is my update as fast as I could get it done. Real life and the holidays have me busy._

_Soccer-bitch- Tony is cool. My nephew is fine and I get to spend the holidays with my other nephews. _

Louie stood outside of Mac's room holding Nico. He looked into the room to see Aurora asleep with her head on the foot of Mac's bed. He had tried to get her to go back to her own, but she refused to leave Mac.

Danny walked up. "Thanks for staying with her."

Louie was startled. "How did you break away?"

"Vicaro pulled a string or two and got me out of there. I had to get back to Aurora. How is she doing?" Danny asked.

"She refuses to leave Mac. I don't get it. Nothing anyone says can get her out of that room." Louie said.

"Hawkes says it's normal. What they went through together……Sheldon says it's like combat conditions……leaving a soldier behind kind of thing." Danny said. "Besides, she has always loved Mac."

"Is this healthy for her?" Louie asked.

"Do you want to be the one to argue with her?" Danny smiled. "She's better off here than stuck upstairs worrying."

"How are you? I know this has been a long 48 hours for you." Louie said.

"As long as Aurora is okay, I am okay. She is the most important thing." Danny said. "Doctors say anything about Mac?"

"They said whatever happens is up to him. That by their knowledge, he should have died. It's all about his will to live." Louie said. "What will Rora do without him if he dies?"

"I don't know. She loves him like family, but I also know how strong that woman is. She is stronger than I could ever be." Danny said.

Danny walked into Mac's room. He gently rubbed Aurora's back. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him.

"Danny? You're back." she smiled.

"Yeah, I managed to break free. How do you feel?" he asked.

"A little tired and my leg hurts." she said.

"You should have it elevated, but I know making you go upstairs would be like moving a mountain." Danny kissed her forehead.

"Danny, would you hold me awhile?" Rora looked up at him and he could see she was scared.

"You know you never have to ask." Danny said and sat down in a chair, helping her out of the wheelchair and onto his lap.

(Later)

Aurora sat beside Mac's bed. The doctors had found no change but said that Mac was stable. Danny had taken Nico home for a bit to give him a bath, some fresh diapers and such and to get a shower himself.

"Mrs. Messer." Aurora looked up to see Dr. Cotton standing there.

"Yes." she said.

"Staff tells me you won't leave him, so I came down here to check you out." Dr. Cotton said. "Although you really should try to rest."

"I am not leaving Mac. Without him, I wouldn't be alive. He saved me…I can't leave him." she insisted.

"But…"

"I have been in this condition before. I know how to handle it." Aurora said.

"But the trauma you have just been through, I am just concerned." Dr. Cotton said.

"I understand. And if I have any problems, I will alert the staff." Aurora assured him.

"How does your leg feel?" Dr. Cotton asked.

"It hurts, but I don't want anymore meds. I can handle it." Aurora told him.

"You will need your bandages changed in a few hours." Dr. Cotton said.

"I understand." Aurora said.

"I will be back in a few hours. Then I must insist you go upstairs long enough for your bandages to check changed and to eat something." Dr. Cotton said.

"I will doctor. I just need to be here as much as possible." Aurora said.

Dr. Cotton walked out and Aurora rubbed her eyes. She knew that soon she would be forced back upstairs no matter how stubborn she was. But the thought of leaving Mac tore at her heart.

Aurora picked up Mac's hand. "Mac, sweetie can you hear me? I don't know if you can. But I am going to talk."

Mac moaned a bit. Aurora was startled.

"Mac, if you can hear me, open your eyes. Come on Taylor!" she said and gently brushed his hair off his forehead.

Slowly Mac opened his eyes. He blinked several times as if trying to focus.

"Mac, Mac….I am right here." she squeezed his hand.

"Aurora….where are we?" Mac asked.

"We're in Roosevelt hospital. What do you remember?" she asked.

"We were in a cabin by a lake. You were reading on the end of the couch…." Mac started but seemed confused.

"No sweetie. You must have been dreaming. Do you remember being on the subway?" Aurora asked.

"Subway? We were going to lunch and…..there were terrorists." Mac said. "I was shot."

Aurora nodded. "That's right. You took a bullet for me."

"We made it out okay? What happened? What about the others with us?" Mac asked.

"The terrorists detonated bombs in the subway. A lot of people were killed. There were some survivors, including us. The terrorists died in the explosion." Aurora said.

"Are you okay? Were you hurt?" Mac asked. "Why are you in a wheelchair? How long was I out?"

"Mac, calm down. I am fine, I promise. In the course of the explosion, a shard of metal lodged in my calf, but the doctors removed it. You were only out about a day." Aurora assured him.

"You're sure you're okay?" Mac asked.

"Yes, right now we need to worry about you. I will let the doctors tell you everything about you." Aurora crawled up beside him. "You concentrate on getting better. And when they finally release you from the hospital, you're coming to stay with Danny and me to recuperate."

"I couldn't do that to you. You will be recovering and you have Nico to take care of…."

"I insist. You're going to need a lot of help and I don't trust your care to just anyone. And I want you in a place you will be comfortable and loved." Aurora said.

"Aurora…about what I said in the subway…."

"Mac, you're awake." Danny stood in the doorway.

"He just woke up." Aurora smiled.

"Mac, I am so glad you're awake. You gave us quite a scare." Danny said and walked into the room. "How do you feel?"

"Still a little disoriented." Mac said.

"Where is Nico?" Aurora asked.

"Aiden and Don are downstairs in the cafeteria. They have him. Aiden wanted to spend some time with him." Danny said. "They will be up in a bit. Aiden has some clothes and stuff for you."

"Go get a nurse and let them know that Mac is awake. They will want to look at him over." Aurora said.

"I will. And then you have to go back upstairs. You need your bandages checked, the staff is insisting. And I want you to rest. Especially now that Mac is awake." Danny said.

Aurora nodded. "I will. I am sure the staff will need to spend quite a while looking Mac over and then discussing his case with him."

Danny nodded and then left to find a nurse to help Mac.

"Mac, if you don't want me to go, I won't." Aurora turned to him.

"No, you need to go get taken care of too. Besides, I doubt I'll be awake very long. I feel very tired." Mac squeezed her hand.

Aurora nodded and kissed his forehead. "Thank you so much for what you did for me. Soon enough you'll know just how important it was."

Danny walked back in with a nurse.

"We'll take care of him." the nurse smiled at Aurora.

"Come on." Danny helped Aurora back in the wheelchair. "Let's head upstairs."

"I'll be back later." she called to Mac.

"Take care of her Danny." Mac said.

"I will. You get better." Danny told Mac.

(Evening)

Danny sat watching Aurora sleep. It had been difficult convincing her to sleep instead of going back to Mac's room, but he finally had managed to do so. The staff had changed her bandages and said that her wound looked good and showed no signs of infection. Don and Aiden were downstairs with Mac.

Nico started to fuss. Despite Danny immediately trying to comfort him, Aurora woke up. She was very used to listening for the baby to cry while she was sleeping.

"It's okay baby. I got him." Danny said.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked and pulled herself up in bed.

"About two hours. Are you in pain?" Danny asked and moved to sit on the bed with her.

"Nothing I can't handle." she said.

"I have something I wanna give you…if you feel you're up to it." Danny said.

"I am fine." She smiled at him.

Danny reached in his pocket, pulled out a velvet box, and handed it to her. She opened it and saw a diamond trinity ring inside.

"I know that most married couples wait until their ten year anniversary to give a trinity ring, but after what we've just been through, I wanted to do it for you now." Danny told her and kissed her hand.

"Danny it's beautiful." Aurora said.

"Aurora, I love you so much. The past few days I have had so much time to think about everything we have been through together and done together. I never thought that finding my soul mate would be like this. I love you more than I knew I could love a person." Danny kissed her hand.

Aurora started to cry. "I love you too."

"You make me so happy. You accepted to be my wife, you gave me a son. No matter what kind of mess I make, you're always there with me. So many times you could've ran and no one would've blamed you, but you just stood by me. I can't imagine ever being in love with someone else." Danny said.

"Thank you, I love it. I love you." she kissed him.

Danny took the ring out of the box, and put it on her finger along with her engagement ring and wedding ring.

"There are a few things we need to talk about." Aurora said. "No time like the present I guess."

"What is it? Anything you want, it's fine with me." Danny said.

"Well I have been thinking and I want to move Russ to a home here in New York City. None of the family in PA cares about him and he should be closer to us. Where we could see him often, take him places on weekends, have him over for family events. And that way we can look out for him better, and he doesn't have to worry about us from so far away." Aurora said.

"That is a great idea. I am sure Russ would like that." Danny said.

"And….you know how we thought we'd wait until Nico was about 10 months old before trying for another baby?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Danny asked.

"How would you feel about moving that schedule up a bit?" Aurora looked up at Danny.

"When do you want to start trying?" Danny asked.

"About 6 weeks ago." Aurora said.

"What? 6 weeks…..are you….?" Danny trailed off.

"I'm pregnant." Aurora said. "Doctors found out when they ran routine blood tests when I was admitted to the ER."

"Pregnant?" Danny seemed stunned.

"Yeah, doctors checked me out while you were gone. They are sure I haven't miscarried. I know we were planning to wait a bit longer before trying for another baby. But I guess with me nursing and my hormones all over the place…it just happened." Aurora said. "Are you upset?"

Danny stroked her face. "No, just surprised. I just can't believe you're pregnant. I get you back from terrorists and find out you're pregnant. I just….I can't believe it."

"You sure you're okay with this?" Aurora asked. "I wasn't sure how you would react."

"I am thrilled. We both knew we wanted more children. So we have one sooner than we thought. We're having a baby." Danny kissed her. "How do you feel about it?"

"I am shocked. And I have been through so much, that I am too stunned to feel much. But I am happy. Nico is going to have a little brother or sister. They will be close in age and can grow up together." Aurora smiled. "I just have to wean Nico and start him on formula full time. Make an official appointment with Dr. Lacy."

"I can't believe it." Danny rubbed her tummy. "My baby is in there again."

"Damn it Messer!" Flack shouted at the doorway, apparently having just walked in. "You knocked her up again? We just got everything calmed down from the first baby!"

"You're pregnant again? I am going to be an aunt again!" Aiden rushed into the room from behind Don.

"Yeah…look, I'll be showing quite a lot by the wedding. If you don't want me…." Aurora started.

"Stop it! That is what they make maternity evening gowns for. You're my best friend and pregnant or not, I want you as my matron of honor." Aiden gripped her hand. "Besides, we're all getting married and starting families. It's only fitting."

"Danny, have you ever heard of a condom? I mean…I don't know if I can go through this again." Don pretended to whine.

"You?!" Aiden and Aurora turned and looked at him.

"My little sweetheart is pregnant again." Don smiled. "Anything you need, you know I'll be there."

"Nico is going to be a big brother! Who all knows?" Aiden asked.

"I was just now telling Danny. The doctors just told me. I didn't even suspect, but it showed up when they did routine blood tests." Aurora said.

"I am so happy for you!" Aiden hugged her.

"What a day! After the whole hostage situation. The subway blowing up….Mac wakes up and is stable. And just to top it all off, Aurora is pregnant." Don chuckled. "I am going to call Caine and tell him New York City never closes."


	182. My Own Bed

_Amy- Thanks so much for your review. You are not the first person to mention to me that Nico has the same birthday as them. _

_TJ328- Well I am so glad that I could get you excited about some CSI:NY. And I hope you enjoyed the chapters that involved the Miami team. I hope you continue reading the story._

_You can't rush science- Thanks so much for reviewing. I hope you keep reading and reviewing._

_Sarah- Sorry this took so long. RL has been crazy busy!_

_Emador- I never thought about it, but Danny and Aurora are kinda like your family. But you just wait…… Don and Aiden are getting married in December...remember, Christmas theme wedding! _

_Katydid13- Yeah they are pregnant again! That tends to happen when you screw like rabbits like they do._

_charmedgrays- I had a few people guess that she was pregnant. You just wait til she goes into labor this time. I have this pregnancy planned! LOL_

_Laplandgurl- I have a happy dance too, LOL. Yeah, I got the idea for this pregnancy and then the plot just ran away, so here it goes. And I enjoy writing Don, he is a great character. _

_Soccer-bitch- Well I was tossing around ideas and the pregnancy plot just demanded that I write it. My sisters and in-laws better not get pregnant anytime soon. Right now we are worried about my oldest niece. She is 19 and has a boyfriend and saying she wants a baby. Kids these days, I tell you!_

_Iheartcsinewyork- Well I have another surprise planned so hold on for that coming up in a few chapters. I am glad you dried your tears. You might want to get a bucket of ice now. Hot Danny ahead._

_Trizzy- Well quit dancing around at least long enough to read this chapter. And surprisingly I have a few people asking me about when Aiden will be getting pregnant. And just let the plot with Mac unfold. Little Flacks and Little Messers…sounds like every daycare employees nightmare. LOL_

_Meadow567- Okay so Danny and Rora are one of those couples that get pregnant soon after having a baby. At least she didn't go back to her 6 week check-up pregnant. I know women that have done that. _

Aurora walked slowly on her crutches into Mac's room. He was still in ICU. She could walk using her crutches now, and wanted to spend some more time with Mac. Danny would be by the hospital later in the day to take her home. A nurse was walking out of Mac's room.

"How is he?" she asked the nurse.

"He was experiencing a lot of pain, normal given his injuries. We gave him some pain medicine, so if he talks a little out of his head, that is why." the nurse explained.

"But he's okay?" Aurora asked.

"He is holding his own. Doctors are very optimistic." the nurse said.

Aurora walked further into Mac's room. She sat down on the bed beside him.

"Hey Mac, you awake?" she asked.

Mac's eyes fluttered open. "Yeah, I was just relaxing but not quite asleep." he reached down, took her hand, and brought it up to his mouth, pressing a kiss on the back of it. "I am glad you're here."

"You're awfully affectionate today." Rora smiled.

"What do you mean by that?" Mac asked.

"You're just not very openly affectionate is all." she said.

"Why would you say something like that? Have I done something to upset you?" Mac asked and tried to sit up more.

"No, don't move too much, you'll pull on those tubes and wires." Aurora told him.

"Tubes and wires? What is all this?" Mac looked around him. "Why aren't we at home?"

"Home? They said the medicines would confuse you. Mac, you're in the hospital. You were shot." she explained.

"Shot? How did I get shot? The last thing I remember we were on our way to dinner in the Tahoe." Mac said.

"Dinner? Tahoe?"

"What is wrong with you? You know that every Friday night I take you out to dinner. And you know perfectly well I bought the Tahoe last year. You tried talking me into buying a Hummer but I wanted something that got more than 3 miles to the gallon." Mac said.

"Must have been some drugs they gave you. Maybe I can get some of those when I go into labor." Aurora muttered. "Mac, you were shot on the subway. Remember?"

"No, what was I doing in the subway? Did we have a case down there?" Mac asked.

"No….Mac. I'll explain it when you feel more up to it." Aurora sighed.

"I'm glad you're here. Any word on when I can get home?" Mac asked.

"It's going to be awhile. Belly wounds are tricky." Aurora said. "But don't worry; when you get home, I am going to take great care of you."

"You always do." Mac gave a small smile. "Have the doctors said anything about how this is going to affect having sex?"

Aurora was startled. "I don't know. I am surprised you would be concerned about that. That is usually the least of your worries."

Mac frowned. "I don't know what I did to you. Did we have a fight before I was shot?"

"No Mac." Aurora sighed, realizing the drugs in his system were confusing him.

"I feel kinda tired." Mac sighed.

"Go ahead and get some sleep." Aurora leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"I must've made you really mad. I wish I could remember what I did." Mac said as he closed his eyes.

Aurora sat with Mac until she was sure he was asleep. She had hoped to tell him she was pregnant again, and thank him for saving her baby by taking a bullet for her. But with the meds in his system, he wasn't lucid enough to understand what she was talking about.

Aurora used her crutches and went back to her own room upstairs. She moved slowly as to not stumble and hurt herself worse. When she walked into her room, Danny was in there.

"Hey, when did you get here?" she smiled as he helped her onto her bed.

"About two minutes ago. I was just about to head down to Mac's room and check on you. I knew that's where you were." Danny said.

"Yeah, he is sleeping now." Aurora said.

"How is he?" Danny asked.

"On a lot of pain killers, which is making him talk out of his mind. I have no clue what he was thinking when I tried talking to him. He didn't remember being shot and was worried about his sex life." Aurora said.

Danny chuckled. "Mac hasn't had a sex life in years. Although there are moments me and the guys wonder if he ever jerks off to find some relief."

Aurora looked at Danny. "What? You guys actually talk about that?"

"Come on baby. He hasn't even looked at another woman since his wife died. I mean yeah he loved her, was devoted to her and doesn't seem interested in anyone else, but I am sure he still has the typical desires and hormones of a healthy man." Danny explained.

"I so gotta eavesdrop on one of your guy nights if this is the stuff discussed." she chuckled.

"How do you feel?" Danny kissed her.

"Better. As long as I move slowly, my leg doesn't hurt too bad." she said.

"How is my baby?" Danny patted her tummy.

"Fine. The doctors checked me again this morning and said there are no signs of a miscarriage." she said. "Where is Nico?"

"Donald is staying with him until I can bring you home." Danny sat on the bed with her.

"I can't wait to get home and relax in my own bed, around my own things." Aurora said and snuggled against Danny.

"You know I can't sleep well without you." Danny laughed. "It's funny. When I was single, I hated sharing a bed. I wanted my space. I would put up with a girlfriend or something staying over, but never really liked it. Then you came along….I wanted you there. To hold you and feel you beside me. And now I can't sleep if you're not."

"I know what you mean. I don't sleep well without you either." Aurora said.

"I have been thinking about the new baby." Danny said.

"What about it?"

"Well, I thought we could build a few more rooms on the house. A new nursery upstairs and decide what to do with a new room on the ground floor." Danny said.

"You find the contractor." Aurora said. "Sounds great to me."

"And I was thinking about baby names." Danny said.

"I still want Taylor for a girl." Aurora said.

"Gianna…it's very Italian." Danny said.

"So is 'Cannoli' but I am not naming my baby that." Aurora said.

Danny snickered. "I was actually thinking if the baby is a boy, we should name him after Mac."

Aurora looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, Mac took a bullet to save your life. And had those men shot you in the abdomen, you would've lost this baby, if not your uterus." Danny said.

"I love the idea of naming a baby boy after Mac." Aurora smiled. "Maybe a middle name or work it into a first name."

"And I called Dr. Lacy's office and made an appointment. I want to get everything checked out as soon as possible." Danny said.

"What do you want this time, a boy or girl?" Aurora asked.

"Just a healthy baby. After the scare we had when Nico was born, I just want you healthy and the baby healthy." Danny said. "I am going to love it no matter what it is."

"Me too. Although I think Aiden is secretly hoping for a girl this time." Rora said.

"Mrs. Messer." Dr. Cotton walked in. "You ready to go home? I can have the paperwork done in about 20 minutes if your leg still looks good."

"Yes, I am more than ready to go home." she smiled.

(Pelham Bay)

Danny walked into the bedroom and saw Aurora was asleep where he had left her two hours ago. He knew she was exhausted and hadn't rested enough at the hospital as she was too worried about Mac. Danny worried that she might have nightmares considering what she had been through but she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Danny changed into a pair a sleep pants and climbed in bed with Aurora, spooning up behind her.

"Danny? What time is it?" Aurora mumbled.

"About 9 or so. I just got Nico down to sleep." Danny said. "How does your leg feel?"

"Some throbbing, nothing too bad." Aurora carefully turned over in bed and faced Danny.

"How do you feel otherwise?" Danny asked.

"Glad to be home. Feels good to be in my own bed, no smell of antiseptic, see my baby all the time. No doctors poking and prodding at me." Aurora said. "I am more worried about you. You look exhausted."

"Well in the past 4 days I have had maybe 10 hours sleep." Danny said.

"It's all over now. I am safe; Mac is going to be okay. You can rest." Rora wrapped both arms around him and held him.

"I love you so much." Danny buried his head against her shoulder.

"I love you too." she rubbed his back. "It's okay; you can let it all go now. I am home safe."

Danny nodded against her. She couldn't tell if he was crying or not. She just continued to rub his back and stroke his hair. After a few minutes, she realized he was falling asleep, his breathing was slowing. She smiled and kissed his temple.

(Morning)

Aurora woke slowly, feeling something tickling her neck. She snuggled back against Danny and moaned softly. Danny chuckled and she felt the tickling again, realizing that Danny was kissing along her neck. She opened her eyes and turned slightly so she could see Danny.

"Good morning." Danny smiled and kissed her.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"A little after 8am. Nico just went back to sleep." Danny kissed along her shoulder, pushing her nightgown out of the way.

"I didn't even hear him cry." Aurora said.

"He'll probably sleep a few hours." Danny gently moved to lean over Rora. "And I am so glad you're home."

"I love you." Aurora smiled up at him.

Danny leaned down and kissed her, shifting a little more of his weight on her, careful still of her injury.

"Lei è così erotico." Danny said as he started pushing her nightgown up her thighs and kissing her neck again.

"Oh god, you and that Italian." Aurora moaned and arched against him.

"La voglio così molto." Danny said and just traced his fingered along the edge of her panties.

"Danny…" she gasped.

"Before everything in the subway I told you I owed you a few orgasms…I haven't forgotten." Danny started sliding her panties off. "I'm gonna make you forget your own name."

Aurora moaned at his words and fell back against the mattress as Danny pulled her panties away from her feet and tossed them off the side of the bed. Danny slid back up the bed, pushing her nightgown up higher and kissing her abdomen.

"La farò l'orgasmo più e più volte." Danny said and licked along her sternum. "Voglio sentirla grida il mio nome."

"Get you…naked." Rora gasped, starting to tug at Danny's sleep pants.

"Amo sentirla nudo." Danny said and pulled her nightgown off over her head. "Damn, what you do to me."

Aurora lifted her uninjured leg up to curl around Danny's waist and arched against him, pulling his mouth to hers. This time Danny moaned.


	183. Backyard BBQ

_Rossi's Lil Devil- You will just have to wait and see how things play out! _

_Laplandgurl- Sorry this took so long. Work is crazy right now. Yeah, Mac definitely has something going on when it comes to Rora._

_Emador- No they are not like your family. She is already pregnant so they can't make more babies, LOL._

_Meadow567- Yes I do. And we'll have to see about Mac. More is coming._

_TJ328- Sorry this update took so long. I hope you keep enjoying the story._

_Iheartcsinewyork- Danny is sexy speaking Italian. And I am glad you liked Mac being a bit out of it._

_Soccer-bitch- Yeah, and she has gotten 'engaged' and her boyfriend is in jail. Lovely situation (rolls eyes)!_

Danny and Aurora were hosting a small party around their pool the Friday night after she was released from the hospital. It was in celebration of her being home, being pregnant and to make up for the Labor Day picnic they had missed because of the subway problems. Stella was cooking at the grill, Louie had Nico in the pool, and everyone except Aurora was drinking.

"I cannot believe you're having another baby. Are you ready for that?" Emily asked Aurora from where they were sitting in chairs by the pool.

"Yeah, I am excited. It might be challenging having two babies in diapers and getting up at night with two babies…..but I am so happy Nico is going to have a sibling close in age." Aurora said.

"Okay, baby names. What are you and Danny fighting over this time?" Aiden asked.

"Well for a boy we both wanna name him something after Mac since Mac took a bullet for me and saved the baby in the subway. But for a girl…we're back to the Taylor/Gianna mess." Aurora said.

"You named Nico an Italian name. You think you might name the new baby something Italian?" Aiden asked.

"I might consider it. There are some really nice Italian names. And Danny is Italian and I love that about him. It would be kinda nice to pass that on to our children." Aurora said.

Sheldon plopped down in the chair beside Emily and kissed her cheek. "What are you ladies talking about?"

"Sheldon, how many drinks have you had? You're a little tipsy." Aurora chuckled.

"The guys were doing shots earlier to congratulate Danny on the new baby and then we broke into the beer." Sheldon smiled.

"What about an Irish name for the baby?" Aiden said. "Aurora you have some Irish in you."

"There are some nice Irish names too. Of course when Eric Delko from Miami heard we were pregnant again, he said this baby needs a Cuban name." Aurora said.

"An Italian baby with a Cuban name?" Aiden chuckled.

"I really do want to name the baby something after its heritage." Aurora said.

"I have no clue what kind of name I would pick if Don and me tried that." Aiden said. "Don is Irish and Italian."

Sheldon wrapped an arm around Emily. "Emily is black by injection!"

Aurora and Aiden giggled. Emily rolled her eyes. Sheldon kissed Emily's cheek again and took off to jump in the pool with the other guys.

"Good luck with him tonight." Aiden said.

"He is so goofy when he starts drinking." Emily said.

"What are the girls up to?" Danny asked Sheldon.

"Talking baby names." Sheldon said.

"Oh dear, Danny this time just let her name it whatever she wants." Don said as he tossed the pool basketball to Danny.

"We got awhile before we have to decide." Danny said and tossed the ball towards the net.

"So how did you get her pregnant this time?" Sheldon asked.

"She initiated this time…actually she initiated when Nico was conceived too." Danny said as the ball floated back to him.

"So what happened?" Sheldon asked.

"Aurora had been in court that day, when she got home I was in the game room watching TV. She walks in and stands in front of me, lifts up her skirt enough for me to see she has garters on underneath. Next thing I know she has straddled me on the couch and is fumbling with my zipper." Danny tossed the ball to Flack.

"Damn." Sheldon exclaimed.

"Can we not tell sex stories? I am cut off remember." Don complained.

"Remember all the torture you put me through when I was cut off." Danny smirked.

"Poor Don, cut off from sex and the girls are wearing swimsuits." Sheldon snickered.

"I know…I get to take Rora's off her later." Danny smirked.

Don groaned. "I knew I should've eloped."

"Another beer guys?" Danny asked.

"Sure, let's get out for a bit." Don said.

The guys climbed out of the pool and grabbed towels. Danny turned back.

"Louie, you need anything?" Danny asked.

"I am chilling with my nephew." Louie said from the step where he was sitting with Nico.

The guys all walked over to the deck and grabbed a few beers.

"Food's ready!" Stella called out.

Aiden helped Rora with her crutches and the ladies joined the gentlemen on the deck.

"Seems odd having a gathering without Mac." Don said.

"Yeah, but when I went to see him today he was more at himself." Stella said. "He remembered being shot, he knew who everyone was. They had backed off his painkillers."

"I still haven't told him I am pregnant. I can't wait to tell him the good news and thank him for saving the baby." Aurora said.

"Speaking of being pregnant….I think we need a toast." Stella said.

"To Danny and his super sperm!" Don raised his beer.

"Maybe this one will look like Aurora." Louie said as he walked up carrying Nico wrapped up in a towel.

"If I hadn't seen Aurora pregnant, I'd swear Danny had him as much as he looks like Danny." Emily giggled.

"Who wants to make a toast?" Stella asked.

"To Danny and Aurora, congratulations and after this…give your uterus a break!" Sheldon said.

"In all seriousness, congratulations guys. We're very happy for you." Aiden said.

"To Taylor Messer." Louie said.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side." Danny told him.

"That is two Messers voting for Taylor and only one Messer voting for Gianna. Taylor it is!" Aurora giggled.

"Why not just name the baby something simple like Ed?" Sheldon asked.

"What if it's a girl?" Emily asked him.

"Name it Edna!" Sheldon said and Emily rolled her eyes.

"I want to know when Don and Aiden are going to have a baby." Stella said.

"Not anytime soon, I am cut off." Don pouted.

(Later)

Danny and Aurora were snuggled up together in one of the lounge chairs watching everyone else around their pool. Stella was playing with Nico. Louie, Aiden and Don were playing a game of pool volleyball. Sheldon was even more drunk and snuggling with Emily.

"I am glad everyone is having a good time." Aurora said.

"Me too. Hard to believe summer is over." Danny said.

"Yeah, soon will start the baseball playoffs and yet another disappointment for the Yankees." Aurora giggled.

"You sure enough about that to wager the baby's name on it? Yankees win and I get to name her Gianna." Danny smirked.

"No way." she giggled.

"Can we have sex later?" Sheldon asked Emily.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Maybe."

"Please? I haven't seen much of you this week." Sheldon said.

"We'll see how sobered up you are later." Emily chuckled.

"I want you to make my black snack moan." Sheldon smiled.

"Oh great, he's been listening to Akon." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Rora, Nico just won't take a bottle for me." Stella carried the baby over to Aurora.

"He is not happy about being weaned and has been difficult about taking a bottle the last few days." Aurora said as she took Nico from Stella.

"Who can blame him? I would be upset too if I had a beautiful food source taken away from me and given an old bottle." Sheldon snickered.

"You just made breastfeeding sound gross." Emily rolled her eyes.

"See, I told you I was horny!" Sheldon smiled.

"Emily, go lay him so he'll be quiet." Danny said.

"Don't encourage him." Emily sighed.

"Come on Nico, I can't nurse you anymore. It'll be bad for your little brother or sister." Aurora said to the baby who kept spitting his bottle out.

"When he gets hungry enough, he'll eat." Danny said.

"But I don't want him being fussy all night either." Aurora said.

(Midnight)

Louie and Stella had gone home. Emily, Sheldon, Aiden and Don were staying overnight in the guest rooms as they had drank a little too much to feel comfortable driving.

"Are you ready for Mac to come here next week?" Danny asked Rora as they got ready for bed.

"Yeah, I want to take great care of him. Although I look for Mac to fight me on it. Let's face it, Mac is a proud man and a colostomy bag and intestine problems can be pretty embarrassing." Aurora said.

"I still don't know how Mac survived…no one does. He must be one hell of a fighter." Danny said.

"We already knew that." Rora said. "Man I hope Nico sleeps tonight. I am tired."

"I'll get up with him if he cries. You get some sleep." Danny told her.

"Thanks." she said. There was a knock on their bedroom door. "I'll get it."

Aurora used her crutches and made her way to the door. She opened the door. Emily was standing there looking slightly disheveled.

"Hey guys, ummm do you guys have any condoms we could borrow? We didn't plan to stay the night and…Sheldon is too old to carry one in his wallet." Emily asked.

Danny chuckled and opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a box of condoms. He walked over and handed them to Emily.

"Since Rora is pregnant, we won't be needing these for awhile." Danny said and handed the box to Emily. "Although if Sheldon is as big as he brags, those might not fit."

Emily blushed. "Um, thanks. See you in the morning."

Emily went back down the hall as Rora shut the door.

"I wonder how big Sheldon really is?" Aurora wondered aloud as she made her way back over to the bed.

"You don't have to worry about Sheldon, I got something big for you right here." Danny smirked at her.

"Oh really? Can't let Sheldon and Emily get all the action in the house." Rora winked as she sat on the bed.

"Sheldon may have size, but I have the moves." Danny wrapped his arms around her.

"Honey, you're the biggest I have ever been with, and if you were any bigger, you'd split me in half." Aurora turned to kiss him.

"It's the Italian in me." Danny said and kissed her shoulder. "And the Italian is about to be in you."


	184. New York Never Sleeps

_EgyptianMoonlitBloodLilyz- I hope you continue to enjoy it!_

_Alyssa- Sorry this took so long._

_Irish Ghost- Yes, I despise her. So sorry this took so long._

_Shadowrose666- I hope this was worth the wait!_

_WhiteKnight15- Thanks so much for the review. _

_csi ny fan and don flack fan- Yes there will be more. I just need to get it written and finished, but I have the ideas._

_EmilieAl- Thanks for much for the review and your insights. _

_Meadow567- I promise I am still around._

_Iheartcsinewyork- Yes, I would love you to translate my story as long as you give me credit as the author!_

_Soccer-bitch- Thank goodness, she dumped him!_

_Emador- Here it is. I thought it would never happen. _

_Rossi's Lil Devil- I am so sorry this took so long. But I appreciate your review. _

_Jordayna- Life has been insane. Sorry for the wait. _

_**A/N-** I apologize that this chapter took so long to post. I know many of you probably thought I fell off the earth. I have had many personal problems over the last several months and still have a lot going on. I just ask that you be patient, keep reading and keep me in your prayers. I will conclude the story I promise. I have the ideas, I just need life to slow down. _

Danny walked into the station. It was early in the morning and he had to get to the lab soon.

"How is your pregnant wife?" Don asked. "Dad said he was heading over to help her out today."

"Physically she is fine. Her leg is doing well and the doctors think she can return to desk duty next week. However, she is taking Michael Jackson dying really hard." Danny sighed and sat down in Aurora's empty chair.

"You're kidding? Her too? Aiden has been watching the coverage on the news around the clock. I don't know what time she finally got to bed last night." Don said.

"Well Aurora had been watching all that coverage on the news. And then this morning she started watching one of the music channels that is doing around the clock Michael Jackson videos. She started crying hard when they showed the video for 'We Are the World'." Danny said.

"Really?" Don asked.

"When I left, she was holding Nico, crying and pointing out to him all the singers in that video and telling him how those were 'people from her childhood'." Danny chuckled.

"Maybe she can get together with Sheldon and they can mourn together." Emily said as she walked in.

"He taking it hard?" Don asked.

"I thought he was gonna take the day off work. But he decided not to. Instead he is going to watch the coverage on his TV in the morgue and take the day off that they have Michael's funeral so he can watch it all." Emily rolled her eyes.

"I mean we all grew up watching and listening to Jackson but I am not going to fall apart." Don said.

"I have enjoyed hearing all the modern artists calling in and paying tribute to him and saying what an influence he was." Danny said. "Aurora insists she is watching the BET awards this weekend to see the tributes for him."

"Emily, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the narc squad?" Don asked.

"I pulled a case I need your help with. We have been investigating the murder of a small time drug dealer in Queens for a few weeks, and our recent evidence seems to link him to a cold case you investigated as a rookie. " Emily said.

"I'll go dig through the files." Don sighed. "By the way, isn't Mac getting released tonight?"

"Yes, if he is holding steady this afternoon, the doctors are going to release him. I am going to pick him up." Danny said. "He'll be staying at our house for awhile while he recovers."

"Does he know Aurora is pregnant yet?" Emily asked.

"No, she decided to surprise him and tell him when he got out of the hospital." Danny said. "How goes the celibacy Don?"

"The wedding is in 83 days!" Don said.

"Counting down are we?" Emily chuckled.

"Aurora has to send her dress back and now order a maternity gown. So she is searching high and low to get a dress she likes in the color of the wedding!" Danny said.

"I know, Aiden has been looking too and helping her look." Don said. "No wonder people only get married once. It's so much work!"

"I gotta get to the lab. Although Stella is holding down the fort well in Mac's absence." Danny said.

"If Mac needs anything, let me know. I wanna spend some evenings with him just watching ballgames or something while he recovers." Don said.

(Later, Pelham Bay)

"Mac do you think you will be comfortable in this room?" Aurora asked as she and Danny helped him settle in. Danny had just brought Mac home from the hospital.

"It's fine. And you didn't have to bring a TV in here for me." Mac said as he gently sat on the bed.

"It was no problem." Danny said. "I am glad you can walk a little bit."

"Doctors have me up and moving every day." Mac said.

"Well I will take great care of you." Rora smiled at him.

"You wanna lie down?" Danny said.

"Yeah I am a bit tired." Mac said as Nico began crying down the hall.

"I'll get him." Danny said.

Mac eased himself into bed.

"Here let me help." Rora said, and pulled the sheet up over Mac.

"You're injured yourself." Mac said.

"Oh I am fine. I am getting the last of my stitches out Friday." Aurora said and sat on the bed next to Mac. "I am returning to work on desk duty next week."

"Aurora, I need to tell you something." Mac said.

"No, me first." Aurora said.

"Aurora…"

"Mac, I have waited to tell you this. The time never seemed right. But…I'm pregnant." She smiled at him.

"Pregnant?" Mac repeated.

"Yeah. The doctors found I was pregnant when I was injured." Aurora said. "It was unexpected but we are so happy!"

"You and Danny?" Mac looked at her.

"And I want you to know how grateful to you I am. Had you not stepped in and taken that bullet for me, kept those men from hurting me….I would've lost this baby." Aurora said. "Danny and I have decided we want to name the baby after you."

"You're really happy?" Mac asked her.

"I am. Nico is going to have a sibling. I always wanted a large family. I am so happy." She smiled.

Mac looked at her. "I am happy for you. You're such a great mom."

"Thanks. What was it you wanted to tell me?" Aurora asked.

"Oh…uh…just that I really appreciate you helping me recover." Mac said.

"Hey, you're family. It's no problem. You can stay here as long as you like." Aurora said. "If you need anything you let me know. Donald or Louie will be here during the day to help me. And after I go back to work, Donald will be here with you and Nico."

Aurora got up and gently walked to the door. "I am going to let you rest. If you need anything I will be downstairs watching the Michael Jackson coverage."

Aurora made her way down the stairs to find Danny feeding Nico in the kitchen.

"Take it easy on that leg." Danny said. "I called Donald, he is on his way over."

"You get a call?" she asked.

"Stella called. Seems like a messy case is unfolding and the press is getting wind of it." Danny said. "Your friend Fin Tutuola is in on it too."

"A sex crime?"

"No, apparently it has something to do with his days on the narc squad." Danny said as he handed Nico to Aurora.

"Do you want me to get you some food ready?" Aurora asked.

"No, I will get something from the all night deli by the lab." Danny said.

"What is this case that they would need the crime lab and Tutuola?" Aurora asked.

"There was a kidnapping. The family feels they know the kidnapper and think their youngest son was kidnapped because of a drug debt involving their oldest son." Danny said as he strapped on his gun.

"Like the Jesse James Hollywood case?" Aurora asked.

"Yes, only let's hope this time we are able to save the kidnapping victim." Danny said and picked up his badge.

"Be careful at work. Cases like this can be rough. And we already had one drug dealer try to kill you." Aurora said.

You be okay without me?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I will be here watching the stuff about Michael Jackson." She told him.

"I love you." Danny said and kissed her.

"I love you too." She told him.

"Take care of mommy." Danny kissed Nico.

(Morning, Station)

Vicaro and Danny were grabbing a cup of coffee with Detective Fin. They had spent the night gathering evidence at Kyle Crowell, the kidnapped boy's home and interviewing the family.

"Do you need to get home to Aurora, we can cover for you?" Vicaro said.

"No, Flack's dad is with her. She will be okay." Danny said.

"This case is at a halt. We have no movement on any bank accounts of the suspected kidnapper. And he is not been at any of his usual hangouts." Vicaro said.

"I knew this guy Brock Sable when I was working narc squad. He was a small time dealer but he was pretty ruthless." Fin said.

"Well I feel bad for the parents of Kyle. Kyle is missing and that makes them frantic. Their older son Liam is most likely the reason Kyle is missing." Danny shook his head.

"What has Liam admitted?" Vicaro said.

"He is actually coming clean about everything in hopes of saving his little brother. He has admitted owing Sable a debt of around two thousand dollars. Sable had been pressing him for about two weeks to pay up." Fin said.

"Aiden is getting the Amber Alert out. That should scare up something." Danny said.

"Kyle has already been missing over 12 hours. This could get messy." Vicaro said.

"And we're gonna have a media frenzy." Danny said.

(Pelham Bay)

"Good morning Mac." Aurora hobbled into his room. Mac was sitting up in bed watching the news.

"Where are your crutches?" Mac asked her.

"Shhhh, I hate using them. But if Donald or Danny knew I wasn't using them, they would have a fit." she smiled at him. "How did you sleep?"

"Well enough. It's hard not moving around much in my sleep." Mac said.

Aurora sat down on the end of the bed. "I need to change your dressings and empty your colostomy bag."

"You don't have to do that." Mac said.

"Well I can understand you being a little self conscious. So if you will let me change your dressings, I will let you change your bag in the bathroom." Aurora said.

Mac nodded. "I guess I always took for granted having normally functioning intestines."

"Well, you'll be back to normal soon enough." she said. "Just stay as still as possible. This tape my pull a little bit." Aurora gently lifted Mac's T-shirt to change his dressings.

"Are you having morning sickness?" Mac asked her as she started gently lifting the tape holding the bandages on.

"No, none yet. Sheldon says I am probably having another boy." Aurora smiled.

"You look so happy." Mac said.

She looked up at him. "I am very happy. I always dreamed I would find a nice guy and get married and have a few kids. But I never guessed it would be this amazing."

"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if you and Danny never got married?" Mac asked.

Aurora chuckled as she lifted the bandage. "That is an odd question. What do you mean?"

"Since I have been injured, not much else to do but think. I was thinking about ways my life may have turned out different. I was just wondering what you thought might have happened to you had Danny not married you." Mac looked at her.

Aurora gave a small laugh. "Oh I don't know. Aiden swears that if Danny and I hadn't gotten together that Don would've asked me out. I am not so sure about that. Don is such a good friend, I am not sure I could cross that line. And I love Sheldon, but when I first moved here he was such a flirt I would never have taken him seriously."

"What about Chad or Vicaro?" Mac asked as Aurora looked over his stitches.

"No. They are nice guys but I am not attracted to either." Aurora said. "I don't know. I am sure a great guy would've came along. Someone who would be good to me, take care of me, support my goals."

"Stitches look okay?" Mac asked.

"Look great. Nothing is seeping." Aurora said as she opened new gauze. "How do you think your life may have been different?"

"I thought I would spend my entire life with Claire. When she died…..I just thought that I would never get over it. I thought that I could never find anyone else again." Mac said.

"Claire wouldn't want that." Aurora said.

"I know that now. It was a costly lesson." Mac sighed.

Aurora looked at Mac confused. But Mac pointed at the TV. An Amber Alert was going across the screen announcing the abduction of Kyle Crowell.

"That is Danny's case." Aurora said.

TBC……


	185. New York Never Sleeps 2

_Whiteknight15- I love doing shout outs. I was glad to include you._

_Jordayna- I must be on a roll to be updating this quick, LOL._

_Emador- Here is the sad part. I got your review and was all 'That is an odd last name. Hey wait that is the same as Alex S last name…oh duh"_

_Chantelle Cullen- You can run ideas past me at anytime. I appreciated all your comments. They were so nice to read. Thank you so much. I can't say about Adam, but its not out of the realm of possibilities. _

_Saturn567- Thanks._

_Iheartcsinewyrok- I am glad you enjoyed. I am like shocked at myself, updating so soon._

_Irish Ghost- Evil Cliffie?Evil? Oh dear. LOL_

_Meadow567- My Pens are great! I swear Sidney is my future husband, LOL. _

_Night-star-93- You are the first to be excited to see if this baby is a boy or girl! LOL_

_Sharpie-Marker1101- I am glad you liked the part about MJ. I just thought after all the 80's nights in this story that I had to include some MJ._

_Soccer-bitch- Well you get to see a bit where I am going here._

(3 Days Later)

"Your leg is looking great, Mrs. Messer." Dr. Cotton told her.

"So I can return to desk duty on Monday?" she asked.

"You can, but I want you to take it easy. Don't overdo it. And if you start having excessive pain in that leg, call me immediately." Dr. Cotton said.

"I will." Aurora assured him.

"How is the baby?" Dr. Cotton asked.

"I saw my obstetrician yesterday. Dr. Lacy said that everything looked good. As far as he can tell the baby will be due in March." she said.

"I am glad. I had great concern that you would miscarry." Dr. Cotton said.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Aurora asked.

"No, everything seems to be fine with you. I will sign your release papers to return to work and fax them to your captain." Dr. Cotton said.

"Thank you." Aurora climbed off the table and gently walked out of the examining room. She found Louie waiting for her in the waiting area.

"Everything okay?" Louie asked.

"Everything is fine. I can return to work on Monday." Aurora smiled at him.

"Come on. I'll drive you home." Louie said and walked beside her as she slowly made her way out of the hospital.

Louie helped Aurora across the parking lot and into her SUV. He climbed in the driver's side and pulled them out into traffic.

"You okay?" Louie asked. "I mean I know the doctor thinks you're okay, but you have been so quiet today."

"I am worried about Danny. I haven't seen him much lately. He is sleeping at the station. This case is really rough on him." Aurora said.

"Danny is tough." Louie said.

"Oh I know that. I guess I miss him too. I mean when I am at work, I do get to see him even though we're working." Aurora said.

"You two are something. If you saw Danny as a teenager, he was such a player…I can't believe he has settled down like this." Louie chuckled.

Louie drove Aurora home to Pelham Bay. He helped her out of the SUV and into the house. Donald was sitting in the living room where Nico was sleeping in his bassinet.

"How did it go at the doctor's?" Donald asked.

"Great, I can return to desk duty on Monday." Aurora said. "Nico okay?"

"Took a bottle and fell asleep." Donald said.

"I am going to check on Mac." Aurora said.

"Last time I checked him he was relaxing and reading." Donald said.

Aurora slowly made her way upstairs and down the hall to Mac's room. She peeked inside. Mac was sitting up in bed watching TV.

"Hey Mac." Aurora walked in.

"I didn't know you were home from the doctor's. How did it go?" Mac asked.

"Everything is fine. How are you feeling today?" she asked Mac as she sat down beside him on the bed.

"Still sore when I move but okay. Just going a little stir crazy." Mac said.

"I understand how you feel. Is there anything I can get you or do for you?" Aurora asked.

"No, I am okay." Mac said.

"I am going to lay down for a bit…" Aurora started but Mac pointed at the TV screen.

"_Again, just in that the body of Kyle Crowell has been found and identified. Police are not releasing any information at this time except to say that Kyle's body was found buried in a shallow grave in a wooded area along the Hudson river. An autopsy is scheduled for later this afternoon. The search is still on for Brock Sable who is a suspect in the abduction of Kyle Crowell……"_

"Oh no." Aurora said.

(Crime Scene)

"Sheldon can you tell us anything?" Danny asked while snapping pictures around the shallow grave.

"He's been shot in the head. Not much else I can tell until I do a full autopsy." Sheldon said.

"I have combed the weeds with a fine tooth comb, there is nothing. Not so much as a foot print." Aiden said.

"Sable is smart enough to not leave evidence behind. He's ruthless but smart." Tutuola said.

"We gotta find him, this kid is 14 years old. He didn't owe Sable any money. Sable killed him to send a message and to boost his own ego." Vicaro said.

"Let's get the body out of here and back to the morgue." Sheldon said.

"I want this area swept for evidence a second time. Nothing is to be considered insignificant!" Flack said.

"Fin, contact your old narc informants. See if anyone knows anything. I'll put in a call to Emily Rastovich and see what she has heard." Vicaro said.

"I'll call the media. I want Brock Sable's face plastered in every paper, on every news show. Someone is bound to see him." Aiden said.

"I'll meet Sheldon back at the morgue for autopsy." Danny said.

"Let's move people, time is essential." Stella said.

(Morgue, 5PM)

Danny walked into the autopsy room at the morgue. Sheldon was standing over the body of Kyle Crowell.

"I got your page. Tell me about Kyle." Danny said.

"From what I can tell, the gunshot the killed him is the only injury he incurred. He has no bruising to suggest he was in a fight or that they beat on him." Sheldon said.

"You mean to tell me they kidnapped a 14 year old boy, held him hostage for awhile and all without leaving a mark on him?" Danny asked.

"Look for yourself. No bruising. No defense wounds. Nothing." Sheldon said and lifted the sheet away from Kyle.

"Time of death?" Danny asked.

"I'd say he was killed in the early morning. 1am to 3am. He hadn't been in that grave long when the kids that called it in found him." Sheldon said.

"Local kids playing hooky decide to goof off down by the river and stumble on a shallow grave." Danny shook his head.

"Not that it's any consolation to the family, but he died instantly. Shot to the head destroyed most of the brain; he didn't have time to suffer." Sheldon said.

"I'm here. Catch me up." Aurora walked in.

"Aurora, what are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"A child was murdered….and a case this big, you didn't expect me to sit at home did you?" she said as she gently walked over to the autopsy table.

"You're injured. Honey we can handle this case." Danny said.

"The doctor cleared me for desk duty. So I'll start now rather than Monday." she said.

"Sheldon, help me out here. She is pregnant and recently injured. Tell her she can't do this." Danny said.

"Oh no Romeo and Juliet, this is between you two." Sheldon held up his hands.

"Danny, I can do this. I want to do this. I want to get Brock Sable off the streets before he kills someone else." Aurora took Danny's hand.

Danny nodded. "Okay. But the doctor said desk duty. And this is not a desk."

"Alright, desk duty." Aurora nodded.

"And the slightest problem from your leg or the baby and you go home." Danny said. Aurora nodded.

"Make sure you get plenty of rest and eat like you're supposed to." Sheldon said. "Take care of that baby."

"I will. I promise." Aurora said.

"I'll get you a case file." Danny said and gave a small smile. "I should've known we'd never keep you away from this case."

"I'll be waiting for that case file. I'll have Flack catch me up." Aurora said.

(8PM)

"Where are we at with the press?" Flack asked.

"Your lovely finacee has gotten Brock Sable's picture out to all the major media, including a source at CNN. So within a few hours Brock Sable will be a household name across the nation." Aurora said.

"The family just contacted the morgue, they are making funeral arrangements as soon as Sheldon can release the body." Vicaro said.

"Have we heard anything from Tutuola?" Aurora asked.

"He checked in, said he was going to speak with another informant but nothing new so far." Flack said.

"What about Sable's family? We got officers watching them?" Aurora asked.

"We got uniformed officers staked out down the street from Sable's mother's house in case he shows up there. She claims she has heard nothing from him in several days." Vicaro said.

"I see those wheels turning, Rora." Flack said.

"Sable is gonna run. He knows that everyone in New York will be looking for him. He's gonna leave the state." Aurora said.

"You sure you don't want to be a profiler?" Flack smirked.

"It's just a hobby." Aurora smiled.

Danny walked in. "How is my wife and baby?"

"Practicing at being a profiler again." Flack said.

"Donald called. Mac is doing fine and Nico just fell asleep." Danny said.

"Good." Aurora said.

"And I am taking you home at 11." Danny said.

"You going with me? You need some sleep too." Aurora said.

"Go get some sleep Danny. We'll call if anything big breaks." Flack said.

"You sure? I can stay the night." Danny said.

"No sense. There isn't much going on." Vicaro said.

"Go home. Spend some time with your son. Get some rest." Flack said.

(Pelham Bay, Midnight)

Aurora was lying in bed, waiting for Danny to come to bed. She had checked on Mac, who was sleeping soundly in the guest room. Danny walked into their bedroom.

"Everything okay?" she asked him.

"Everything is fine. I was just spending some time with Nico. I have missed him so much the past few days." Danny said and pulled off his t-shirt.

"It's been a crazy few days. But I want you to get a good night's rest." Aurora said.

Danny crawled in bed beside her. "How is my new baby?" Danny patted her tummy.

"Fine, Sheldon said he wants to do a sonogram soon." Aurora smiled.

"I can't wait to see you." Danny laid his head on Aurora's tummy.

Aurora smiled and ran her fingers through Danny's hair. "We better get some rest. Never know when the case will pick up again."

Danny nodded. He scooted back up the bed and kissed Aurora. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo anch'io." Aurora said.

(8AM, station)

Aurora was in the break room, trying to find decaffeinated coffee. Emily walked in.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked.

"Looking for something to drink that won't hype up the baby. What are you doing here?" Aurora asked her.

"This is the biggest case we've had in awhile. Every narc in the city is on alert. And I came to find Fin Tutuola." Emily said.

"Fin and Vicaro went to Rikers. One of Brock Sable's former associates is there and they went to see if he knew anything." Aurora said.

Sheldon walked in carrying two containers of take out. "Breakfast for my two favorite ladies."

"You brought me breakfast?" Aurora asked.

"I have to make sure the baby is eating." Sheldon smiled and handed her a Styrofoam box.

"You're so sweet." Emily kissed his cheek.

Danny walked in, carrying a box of take out as well. "Aurora, bought you and the baby some breakfast."

"Sheldon brought me breakfast as well. I love being pregnant, everybody dotes on me." Aurora chuckled.

"Why are you buying my wife breakfast?" Danny asked Sheldon.

"Just making sure the baby gets to eat. And feeding my two favorite ladies. I thought you might be out on a lead." Sheldon said.

"At least he doesn't claim a threesome with me like you used to." Aurora chuckled as she opened her breakfast box.

"Well if you ever want a very thorough vaginal exam…" Sheldon winked. Emily raised an eyebrow. "I am just kidding around with her. You know you're the only live woman I give breast and vaginal exams to."

Emily chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"I might take you up on that." Aurora said to Sheldon. "Being pregnant makes me incredibly horny."

Danny raised an eyebrow this time.

"Wait a minute." Emily said.

"I'd let you have a go at the Italian stallion over there." Aurora winked at Danny. "And then we could compare notes after having each other's man."

Danny rolled his eyes as the girls giggled.

"I never had sex with a pregnant woman before." Sheldon said.

"And you're not gonna now." Emily laughed.

"What if I said I was doing it for science?" Sheldon smirked.

"I'll do the hands on research for that one." Danny said.

"Thanks for breakfast, both of my handsome guys." Aurora kissed Danny's cheek. "I am going back to my desk to eat and see what leads are coming in."

"I'll stop by and check on you around lunch time if I can." Danny said.

"Okay, see you guys later." Aurora smiled.

She walked back to her desk chuckling at the antics of her friends. She sat down and took a bite of breakfast. Before she could eat very much, her phone rang.

"Detective Messer, homicide." Aurora answered.

"This is Detective Warrick Brown from the Las Vegas crime lab…."

TBC


	186. New York Never Sleeps 3

_Trizzy- Oh I am still pouting that they killed off Warrick. So the glory of fan fiction is I could bring him back as if he never died, just like I did Speedle. _

_Emador- That will teach you to make fun of Nico. And this time I did pick up on Alex's name very fast, LOL. _

_You cant rush science- Thanks, I hope you enjoy._

_Whiteknight15- Well I am glad that I could make your daydreams come true. Although I do not get your pun._

_Saturn567- Now you get to find out more about the call._

_Irish Ghost- I love doing shout outs. And I love Warrick. I cried like nobody's business when he was killed._

_Sharpie-Marker1101- Now you got me singing Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas" LOL_

_Soccer-bitch- Its like everyone I know is pregnant. We got 3 pregnancies at my church that I just found out about this weekend! _

_Meadow567- Honey if I got to kiss Sidney and cheer for him in the stands and go home to him every night, I wouldn't care what I was known as! LOL_

_Iheartcsinewyork- Oh I am a huge Penguins fan, being from the Pittsburgh area. And I am madly in love with Sidney Crosby. I would marry him if I could! LOL_

"We found Brock Sable." Aurora walked into the lab, limping slightly on her still healing leg.

"Where is he? What?" Danny looked up from a microscope.

"Las Vegas, I just took the call from Detective Warrick Brown. He works for the Las Vegas crime lab." Aurora said.

"How did they get him?" Aiden asked.

"Sable was in a car crash. Apparently someone ran a stop sign and plowed into the car Sable was driving. When paramedics arrived on the scene, Sable gave them a false name. But when the police started to investigating the accident, Sable's story didn't add up and he was acting suspicious. When police searched Sable's car, they found weapons and drugs. He was placed under arrest and sent to the hospital for treatment. A finger print check revealed that he was Brock Sable." Aurora said.

"When can we get him?" Aiden asked.

"Is Nevada going to fight us on extradition?" Flack asked.

"No, apparently Nevada is allowing New York to have him since we have the bigger charges against him. Sable of course has an attorney who is fighting it, but Detective Brown told me one of his friends….Captain Brass is calling in favors to get Sable back here as soon as possible." Aurora said.

"Was he injured very bad in the crash?" Danny asked.

"Broken arm, some cuts and bruises. Detective Brown said that he had already been released from the hospital." Aurora said.

"So he's off the streets?" Flack said.

"Off the streets and will be back in New York as fast as Captain Brass can arrange it." Aurora smiled.

"That is a relief." Flack said.

"Who wants to deal with the media circus?" Danny asked.

"I'll do it." Aurora said. "I can't wait to spread the word that Brock Sable is off the streets.

"Don't over do it. Desk duty!" Danny insisted. "Your leg is healing and your pregnant."

"I promise." Aurora said and took off down the hall.

Danny chuckled. "That woman is going to be the death of me."

"You gonna be like that when you're pregnant?" Don asked Aiden.

"No need to worry about that. You're cut off." Danny smirked.

(Lunch)

Aurora and Emily were having lunch together in the break room while waiting to hear back from the Vegas police. Stella had Danny and Aiden getting all their evidence ready for the DA so once Brock Sable was brought back to NYC, there would be no problems. Flack was calling in a few favors to see if anyone he knew could speed up getting Brock Sable back to NYC.

"Is it different being pregnant this time than it was the first?" Emily asked her.

"Well I know more of what to expect. And Flack is a bit calmer because he has been through this before." Aurora chuckled.

"How is Mac? I have been meaning to come visit him, but this case has consumed so much of my time." Emily said.

"Mac is doing well. I am so glad every time I see him that he is alive." Aurora said.

"And how is things with Danny? Are we back to enjoying pregnancy sex?" Emily giggled.

Aurora chuckled. "Things are always great with Danny. But he has been so busy with this case, we haven't got a chance to really be together lately. Reason number 127 to hate Brock Sable- he is interfering with my sex life."

Emily laughed. "So do you know where I could get a naughty nursey outfit?"

"What am I? Dr. Ruth?" Rora asked.

"Oh please, I was at the club when you and Danny snuck off to have sex in the bathroom." Emily rolled her eyes.

Aurora laughed. "You can order them online. Aiden is buying a naughty Mrs. Claus for her honeymoon."

"Well Sheldon is a doctor so I thought I would surprise him and dress as his naughty nurse." Emily said.

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "You better lube up before he sees you in it, or you might not be able to walk."

"Oh I'll make an order from Condom Depot." Emily smiled.

"I got pregnant this time because I came in from court all dressed up and had purposely warn garter belts under my clothes.....of course I did the seducing...actually I just lifted my skirt and sat on Danny's lap. The point is...did I have one…where is Danny?"

"In the lab, getting our case together for the DA." Emily laughed.

"Maybe Aiden would let me borrow Don. Pregnancy makes you so horny with your hormones flying." Aurora said.

"I can help you out if your horny." Vicaro walked in.

"I'm not that horny." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Hey you know what they say, once you go Vicaro…." Vicaro started.

"You then go lesbian." Emily finished.

(Pelham Bay, 8PM)

Aurora walked down the stairs to the game room/bar where the guys had all gathered to watch a baseball game with Mac.

"Do you handsome gentlemen need anything?" Aurora asked.

"No we're good. But put on the shopping list to restock the bar with beer." Danny said while raising his beer.

"Come join us?" Sheldon said.

"No thank you. I just got Nico to sleep. I am going to shower, and then relax in bed." Aurora smiled.

"I want to do a sonogram on the new baby soon." Sheldon said.

I see a baby bump already!" Flack said.

"Women always get baby bumps faster after the first baby." Sheldon said.

"Really? I am starting to show?" Aurora looked down.

"Little bit. You are eleven weeks along." Danny said.

"Baby Messer Number two!" Flack said.

Aurora chuckled. "I'll be upstairs. You guys enjoy the game."

Aurora walked up to the third floor. She peeked in on Nico who was still sleeping soundly. She walked down to the bedroom she shared with Danny. She stopped in front of the mirror. She turned sideways and looked into the mirror.

"I guess I am starting to show." she ran a hand over her baby bump.

She walked into the bathroom and started the shower. As she adjusted the water temperature, she heard her cell phone ringing.

She hurried back to the bedroom. "Messer." she picked up her phone.

"Detective Messer, it's Warrick Brown." came from the other end.

"Detective Brown, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"Good news, Brass and local DA was able to push through Sable's extradition. My colleague and I will be accompanying Sable to New York tomorrow afternoon." Warrick said.

"I'll arrange everything on this end. My partner and I will be at the airport to meet you and transfer custody." Aurora said.

TBC


End file.
